Rejuvenating the FA Cup

The two FA Cup semi-finals last weekend were fairly boring games, despite Everton upsetting the betting odds and taking out Manchester United, and personally I think it could be time the FA made an effort to regain some of the prestige the FA Cup once had. In years gone by it was the country’s most prestigious tournament and the final was a massive occasion across the country.

Now teams class it as a secondary competition compared to the Premier League and often field weakened sides. The bigger clubs are not alone in this and it is rife throughout the Premier League. It seems a shame that the once great FA Cup has been relegated to a secondary competition and personally I think it would be beneficial to the game if it were reinvigorated.

That’s all well and good, but what could be done – how about a place in the Champions League for the winner? To be honest I think as a tournament the Champions League needs to be trimmed down. It is hardly a ‘Champions’ tournament when the team who finishes fourth in the league can enter it. If the top three teams in the Premier League qualified and the team who wins the FA Cup it would make the Cup more competitive and gives teams greater cause to push on in the competition.

Not only could it possibly help improve the FA Cup it could also make the league more competitive. If only the top three teams got in that would automatically mean one of the ‘big four’ wouldn’t get into the competition – unless they won the cup. The chasing pack such as Aston Villa and Everton along with possibly Manchester City and Spurs would also probably have a greater chance of getting into the Champions League.

Whether or not this would work I don’t know, no one will until it is tried. I’m sure some people (mainly Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal fans) would argue the Champions League place should go to the team who finish fourth in the league and have been consistent all season. However, I personally think winning the FA Cup should come with greater esteem than a fourth place finish and more respect as a ‘Champion.’

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