Enough petty arguments about who has the better support, such an argument can never be won and is purely a matter of opinion.

My view is the Cup has lost a lot of its magic and its taken a while. The reason? I think its not because Man U walked out on the competition last season (another nail in the coffin) but when was the last time you can remember seeing a Cup Final as the showpiece of the season as a neutral supporter? Forget our last two dismal showings in the Final, and think back when was the last time you got excited about the game as a passive observer?

I remember the 95 (?) game when Everton trashed the scum, but purely for the result. Last Final before that? Perhaps the Scum/Palace game a decade ago. Before that you had classic results like the Wimbledon win, the Everton/ Liverpool game that went 2-3 in extra time, etc. The Final has lost its mystery and passion and the element of surprise that you could always look forward to.

The last four or five finals have not featured a goal from both sides and have been one sided affairs. Everything's gone according to form and in accordance with relative league positions. Any way back? Only if the current polarisation of Premier League teams is reversed and the gap between top and mid-table is closed. The prospect of any fairytale winner of the Cup from a lower league is almost past.

Money is making the game eat of itself. The Worthington Cup was devalued first but can you say the teams who devalued it by fielding second string sides are devaluing the FA Cup by appearing in the Final year after year? Pretty perverse.

Champions League is the target now, money will afford the squad to achieve it. The rest will fall by the wayside. Time will tell.

Disillusioned

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2001

Answers

I thought it was an age thing - cup finals were magic as a kid, as you grow up you realise there's kind of one every year.
In fact, I think the real reason the cup has lost it's magic is simple. Live matches on TV. The Cup Final used to be virtually the only one, now it's one of hundreds and there's precious little sense of occasion on cup final day.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2001

Agree about being the passive observer of Cup matches but when u consider the feeling wed get if we won it or even put in a hell of a performance, the Cup aint lost any magic whatsoever.

I look forward to next year to see what YBR can do for us as he gradually tries to put a good team together and hopefully injury free :-)

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2001

It's not much help being this far from home and not being "allowed" by the FA to listen to a webcast and the only way i can keep uptodate with what's going on is from other people who are watching it on TV.

That just makes me mad at the FA and makes me wonder why i should be arsed about a Cup when they don't care about the fans. to$$ers.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2001

I would agree with most of the sentiments here and particularly the feeling about the last 'good' cup final.

IMHO the last really rip-roaring cup final, and I can't rememeber the year but it was in the last 15 years, was the Coventry/Spurs one......I didn't want the extra time to come to an end.....it was real edge of the seat stuff

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2001

It's lost it's glory for me at the moment, mostly because we are out, but when Rob Lee headed home the equaliser against Chelsea last year there was certainly a big feeling of glory there for me.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2001

What was wrong with the Manure - Crystal Palace final?

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2001

Palace lost.....nuff said!

-- Anonymous, January 20, 2001