PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

Published in the National League South game v Oxford City Saturday 1st February 2020  We lost 1-0 in front of 884

Seven hundred and thirty five clubs entered the FA Cup this season including Chichester City who played their first FA Cup game tie on the 10^th August. They then played an FA Cup game more or less every 2 weeks until Round 2 in December. As a result the part-timers now have 9 games in 28 days in February. So what do Chichester have to say about all these extra games: 'Would we change it? No. Are we complaining about being knackered? No.'

But the FA Cup replay whinge-aphon is on. The top teams, with riches beyond most clubs wildest dreams, with second strings stuffed full of internationals are on the warpath, brought to a head by Shrewsbury having the cheek to draw with Liverpool and earn themselves a dream replay, which is in the middle of the top teams new winter break. The Liverpool boss has thrown a hissy fit and said he won't be there and his U23's will play instead. Shrewsbury and Liverpool have played exactly the same games so far this season. But guess which club is moaning about the extra game? Surely not the one that has a massive squad with players on big bucks and state of the art fitness facilities?

Some of that wealth will now be shared with Shrewsbury whose manager pointed out that not so long ago they were drowning in debt but now own their ground, their training facilities and turn a profit. The cup replay money will enable the club to buy video analysis equipment for the training ground and better drainage for some of their pitches. Surely that is something to celebrate rather than focus on Liverpool saying they've booked a holiday and won't be playing.

The top teams wanted their B teams to play in the Leasings Trophy; a cup that used to be just for first and second division league clubs with a chance to get to play at Wembley. The top teams said their academy players need competitive football, so demanded the changes. The result? A cup that is so popular it has managed to smash attendance records across grounds – for lowest ever crowds attending a competitive match. And a cup whose rules state that if managers dare play weakened teams they will get fined.

Maybe, just maybe, they need to look at themselves and the way they hoover up the best youngsters in the world like old people stocking up on food in case of a nuclear war. Too many games? The European Club Association wants four additional matchdays in the Champions League and Mr.Pep now wants rid of the League Cup to ease the pressure on players. Perhaps teams finishing second, third and fourth in the Premier League shouldn't be in the Champions of anything. Meanwhile The Europa league has grown into a fixture creating monster. 

Then there’s the Club World Cup, scheduled to begin in its new expanded format in summer 2021. It is not yet clear European clubs will compete but already the tournament has forced the Africa Cup of Nations to be re-rescheduled to avoid a clash.

So who gets to make these decisions?

Accrington Stanleys forthright Chairman Andy Holt spills the beans

“The English football pyramid should be the envy of the world (but) nobody knows or is following a grand strategy to get from A to B. I’ve asked to see the strategy and 10 year plans. There isn’t one. How can we hope to improve the game without a plan.”

Mr.Holt then spells out there is little chance for clubs to speak out and make change. “Within the confines of each meeting and especially divisional meetings, the opportunity to change course doesn’t present itself. It’s a tightly controlled agenda presented by the board. Most of the meetings are a waste of life, packed out with irrelevance to the real issues. The Championship set of to a separate room, League One to another, League Two likewise. All discussing minor issues. But who’s discussing the major issues? We never discuss relationships with the Premier League or the National League. That’s above our pay grade. Shaun Harvey (former EFL Chief Exec) would have an agenda set with and by the Premier League. No English Football League (EFL) teams were asking for B teams. No EFL clubs were pushing for changes to the transfer window. No EFL clubs were asking for 5^th round replays to be scrapped. The board just found ways to get what they wanted. When a vote was had, many times all of the options available suited the Premier League. We tried to get failing clubs on the agenda. Nicolas Palios (Tranmere Chairman) stood up in a meeting to raise the issue and was swept aside, like I was when asking WHY we were discussing irrelevant issues whilst the house was burning down.” 

Despite all its riches, football is a financial car crash. The FA Cup is one of the few ways left to throw lower league clubs a life raft. Yet this is now under attack. But as Andy Holt points out “They don’t realise that they to are on the ship that is listing. It doesn’t matter what class of passenger you are when the ship goes down. The top 6 are eating caviar at the captains table, down below decks we can see the water coming in.”

“The FA Cup binds the pyramid together. Big clubs, small clubs come together annually in a celebration of English football. We need to cherish it.”