The 145th Football Association Challenge Cup Final

Not what it used to be unfortunately. I remember as a kid getting up early so I could watch all the day's build-up, even if Everton were not involved.

Sad to see the FA Cup become a side show.

Paul @1,

I couldn't agree more. It used to be the nation's Cup Final. Didn't matter which teams were in it. Everybody watched it and not just the match.

I won't even watch it now. Funny how two of the teams involved in the rigged part of the draw reached the final!

I remember we used to play in games like this.

I got used to it being played at Stupid o'clock and I think that contributed hugely to its demise as a broad celebratory spectacle for all football fans everywhere.

Okay, so last year it was 4:30 pm on the Saturday, but it had been back to 3 pm for a couple of years... And get this:

Because the [2023 FA Cup Final between Man City and Man Utd] was deemed "high risk" by the police, it was moved to a 15:00 start, the first FA Cup final to kick-off at that time since 2011.

The fucking numpties in the FA who ever allowed it to move from 3 pm.

Can you remember the discussion we had over Jake O'Brien the other week, Michael?

I went away and read the rules because you said that, even if O'Brien had been onside, it didn't matter because if he crossed the ball to a player who had been offside in the build-up without anyone else touching the ball, then the goal would still be offside.

That's exactly what has just happened at Parkhead, and Hey Presto…. It's a fucking goal. Does anyone genuinely know what's going on with regards so many of these very subjective rules these days?

What's the best outcome for this? I assume a Man City win as it pushes a European spot down. Still likely out of reach but better than Chelsea winning.

Hopefully extra time too so Chelsea are wrecked for Tuesday and lose to Spurs.

You have to feel sorry for Hearts unless you support Celtic.

Been top most of the season and lose it on the last day.

Just like 40 years ago, Ian, when the FA Cup was one of the biggest days on the football calendar.

I'm under the impression that most fans would sooner come 4th than win the FA Cup nowadays, which probably explains better than anything the way life has become.

It always used to be about the glory but now it's more about the money, unfortunately.

Turned it off.

Bored out of my brains.

Agree Tony. Something stinks about Maeda's goal. He's gained an advantage by being ahead of the defender in the phase of play when the cross comes in.

On top of the dodgy penalty last which week which, if they hadn't got it, they would have to have won 3-0 today. Squiffy!

Player falls over, gets free kick.

I'm beginning to hate modern football. Fuckin refs are awful these days.

Tony #5, different Laws of the game in Scotland, same as Laws of the Land?

I thought that the laws in football were universal, Eric, although this might explain the bad decisions I can already envisage at the World Cup in a couple of months!!

Pure quality from Man City, although I'd like to see it again because the goal scorer might have been offside when Haaland got the initial pass!!

Wasn't Semenyo in an offside position when Haaland gets the ball?

Wembley. 6,000 short of capacity.

Well who'd have thought it for a cup final.

Well that was two hours of my life wasted.

At 5:30 pm Leigh Leopards are playing HKR. Guaranteed excitement from the kick off, no whinging or feigning injury, and lots of skill. Football used to be like that.

Never watched it, had no interest in it, two teams I can't stand.

In fact, it was on in the pub and no one was watching it.

I feel sorry for Hearts, they were robbed of the title. So close, yet so far. Our Beni Baningamie must be hurting, bad luck lad.

Happier day for another ex-Blue though. Chermiti bagged a hat-trick in the final game for Rangers.

Awful game of football between 2 teams who can continuously break PSR rules but nothing will ever happen to them because they're the cash cows of the Premier League.

6,000 empty seats says it all about the fan bases of both clubs. Spoiled beyond recognition. What chance have most teams got when the likes of Man City go and buy Semenyo and Geuhi in January just because other clubs show interest?

The FA Cup Final used to be something special... now, it's boring -- with the likes of the TV pundits saying it's a technical masterpiece... dream on!

I've seen all the cup finals or been there with Everton since they started showing them on TV except the Arsenal v Hull City game which had 5:30pm kick off. I was at Goodison Park watching Everton U18s v Man City in a Youth Cup final of some sort.

Today's game was a real boring game and I think when Man City scored that classy goal, which the lousy game didn't deserve, most fans were made up because they didn't have to watch another 30 minutes of that rubbish with a free kick every bleedin' 30 seconds.

One of the top referees used to be appointed for the FA Cup Final... now, the one who gets the short straw gets the whistle and you can guarantee he will be the worst performer on the field.

In the other game in Glasgow, another shitty spectacle. I couldn't believe how bad the Celtic goalkeeper was throughout the game. Some of his nearly calamitous mistakes strongly reminded me of another goalkeeper I know! Not to mention the very poor quality Scottish football provides these days.

The majority of the empties were in the City sections.

It was a hollow, heartless, soulless final on and off the pitch.

We ought not to be surprised, the demise of the FA Cup is synchronous with the rise of the Premier League.

I agree with PH (1). I mean, that 1983 final Brighton v Man-Utd. Nothing like that anymore with half of the country glued to the box and nothing else mattered, even though I supported us. Mind you, we were shite that year.

I listened to some pundit, I think from TalkSport, who said that the reason that the FA Cup Final had lost so much of its passion and intensity was due to the number of 'foreigners' who don't get it in the teams, just six on both sides today, he fumed.

My first thought was Farage, fuck off.

Is there any validity in this Little England comment?

That was an awful, instantly forgettable game of football. You put those two tip tappers, sideways, backward, overpasses together and it was inevitable.

Anti football, dour and boring. Thank God Semenyo stopped the need for extra time.

I haven’t watched a cup final in decades but yesterday with nothing to do I watched it.
It felt strange- a million miles away from the finals when the FA Cup mattered.
As a competition it has faded away no longer relevant in the days of the EPL and the Champions League.
Such a shame, times change I suppose?
Money means everything now.
.

I think the FA Cup winner should be given a Champions League place, would certainly stop teams putting out second string sides.

Winning it should be a bigger achievement than finishing fourth... or fifth.

Harry, if you do that here, then you have to do the same in every other country as well - never gonna happen.

My main bugbear is the FA Cup final being played before the season has finished. It should be played after the league is wrapped up in my view, like it used to be.

Paul #21. I think Andrew #23 makes a valid argument.
The other point I would add is that when I started watching football (early 70s) there was very little live football on tv. The FA Cup final was the big exception and both BBC and ITV devoted a full day of TV coverage to it (who can forget Cup Final it’s a Knockout with family favourite’uncle’ Stuart Hall). All my friends and family would gather to watch, irrespective of who was playing.

The World Cup was also an event we looked forward to. Again a big part of the attraction was that we had little knowledge of the ‘foreign’ players - especially the South American and Asian players. I still recall how great it was to see the great Brazil side of 1982 after the disappointment of their 74 and 78 squads. Also it was a much smaller tournament focused on the stronger teams.
Today we know all of the players while the enlarged format simply ensures participation by weaker nations.
Also the pundits in those days were better. The likes of Jimmy Hill, Cloughie and Malcolm Allison had interesting things to say.

Stuart Hall the family favourite who went to jail for noncing young girls.

you seem caught between two worlds Paul. Misty eyed for 'the way we used to be' but also on the alert for any suggestion massive demographic change doesn't demolish the very culture you revere.

I was flying back from a work trip abroad so only saw about 10 minutes at the airport so can’t comment.
But I did watch the “highlights” of Celtic Hearts this morning.
Such poor quality! I don’t think there were more than 3 passes put together in one move - it was kick ball not football.
No knocking the passion but very poor level. Ienacho was by far the best footballer on the pitch for the time he was on it.

Another FA Cup Final and no Everton.

I like to tell people we boycott the later stages of cup competitions, as well as European competitions in general. It feels easier that way!

Can only echo others about the way the FA Cup Final, once the highlight of the football season has diminished to the point were there are so many empty seats. I remember queuing at Goodison for a ticket for the 1966 Final, with all my programme tokens in my hand. 4 yards away from the turnstile and they closed the gate, after 4 hours! I was a devastated 16 year old and never got that close again to going to a Final. Now they can't even fill the stadium! Mind you I don't think I would even cross the road to watch "modern" football. City with their relentless pass, pass, pass and Chelsea, whose players seem unable to stay upright for longer than a few minutes. I struggled to stay awake, luckily I had just finished some painting so I managed to keep alert watching that dry. Man City may have won everything except a General Election in the last 10 years, but personally I think they have ruined football as a spectacle and the fact most of the empty seats were in their end says it all for me.

I didn't even watch it!

FA c**ts have tried to destroy it for far too long now...how can you have ANY competition that you don't know if VAR is employed or not!?

Catholic Celtic vs Protestant Hearts causes me to wonder what religion the ref is, as well as the refs in the last three close Celtic games where dubious penalties have been awarded and denied in their favour.

Glaswegian football today is as rife as it's been for more than decades on account of that religious divide.

As obtuse as ever Kevin M (28), and it rather seems, don't you agree, that I'm in a large majority here but, be understanding here Paul, perhaps you are 14 or so KM and missed all the fun back then.

What, by the way, is 'the very culture you revere'. Don't be obtuse, I'd be interested to know. It might even help me to understand you a little bit more.