On 25/01/2015 04:14, Tudor Hughes wrote:


We have bigger fish to fry and *they* will be done to a crisp, I tell you. I think the commentators should acknowledge the rather obvious fact that the big clubs don't try too hard in the FA Cup. They won't, though, will they, as Alan Bennett would have said.

Tudor Hughes, Chelsea supporter for 57.8 years, not all of it fun.


I tend to agree with you there, and the top clubs these days look on the
FA Cup as an annoyance that they could do without. In Friday's game, Man
Utd didn't even bother taking Rooney with them, which meant they didn't
win either.

I just wonder how many of these minor clubs top clubs matches are
rigged. Cambridge drew with Man Utd, so have earned a replay at Old
Trafford. And that is reputed to be worth over £1.5M to Cambridge, with
a similar amount going to Man Utd. What teams are going to ignore that
sort of incentive when the better club is almost guaranteed a win on
home turf?

Tudor, I'm 10 years older than you, and have spent my whole life ever
since I can remember supporting Aberdeen. And I still haven't, nor ever
will, forgiven Ferguson for deserting us in our (his?) prime. It doesn't
need to be fun if you believe in the team.

jim

On Sunday, 25 January 2015 22:20:13 UTC, jbm wrote:
On 25/01/2015 04:14, Tudor Hughes wrote:


We have bigger fish to fry and *they* will be done to a crisp, I tell you. I think the commentators should acknowledge the rather obvious fact that the big clubs don't try too hard in the FA Cup. They won't, though, will they, as Alan Bennett would have said.

Tudor Hughes, Chelsea supporter for 57.8 years, not all of it fun.


I tend to agree with you there, and the top clubs these days look on the
FA Cup as an annoyance that they could do without. In Friday's game, Man
Utd didn't even bother taking Rooney with them, which meant they didn't
win either.

I just wonder how many of these minor clubs top clubs matches are
rigged. Cambridge drew with Man Utd, so have earned a replay at Old
Trafford. And that is reputed to be worth over £1.5M to Cambridge, with
a similar amount going to Man Utd. What teams are going to ignore that
sort of incentive when the better club is almost guaranteed a win on
home turf?

Tudor, I'm 10 years older than you, and have spent my whole life ever
since I can remember supporting Aberdeen. And I still haven't, nor ever
will, forgiven Ferguson for deserting us in our (his?) prime. It doesn't
need to be fun if you believe in the team.

jim

Older than me? How dare you! I'm 72, you know, and can remember the London Smog of Dec 52. Shallow, cold and extraordinarily dirty.
I don't think there's much evidence of rigged matches. It takes two to fix a match and there's nothing in it for the big team. How do you bribe someone on £100,000 a week?
As for club loyalty, there's even less of it now than there was then.. Positive Personnel Mobility - can't beat it. If I see Frank Lampard I shall (shock, horror) blank him. I won't see him, of course - footballers are no longer part of the community.
I hope I'm still meteorologically active in ten years' time and I wish you well.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.,