[Archived] Fa Cup Magic

[1864roverite]

The phrase

"The cup final we all want to see" is something that we wont have to put up with when the semi finals are drawn.

There is going to be more interest in this years FA Cup Final than there has for many a year and even though my beloved Rovers are not there I for one will NOT be working on that day as is the norm as I will be in the pub watching a real peoples final.

I dont care who is in it, although for fairytales, you would want a Bristol R v Barnsley final.

My hope is now that Pompy get there and take their interest off the Premiership table and finish below Rovers.

[thebigguy]

Half off the country will be watching the fa cup semis and final now that the big teams are out which, i see as alot better than the FA's prefered teams(the big four).

Be good to see cardiff and bristol rovers to win then pompey to get knocked out in semis. What a final it will be

[T4E]

A case of stating the bleedin obvious there T4E. I'm sure Everton, Liverpool, Bolton, Chelsea etc are all in agreement that if we'd have beaten Coventry our name would be on the cup and that they were well beaten by much better teams but their boys still gave it their all and they can have no complaints....

It's one thing getting knocked out by a late goal against a lower league team, that could be termed as unfortunate. It is in no way comparative to taking a comprehensive thrashing at home to a team battling to stay in the Championship. None of the teams you mentioned came even close to being battered in the way we were.

[RevidgeBlue]

Agree with T4E. We can't legislate for other sides cocking up but it is our duty to ensure our own house is in order.

I could have understood us taking the FA Cup somewhat more lightly if we'd been involved in the latter stages of the UEFA cup but we'd already managed to take that too lightly and get ourselves dumped out in the preliminary stages as well.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The results yesterday only go to emphasise how disgraceful our 3rd round home exit to Coventry was. If we were still in the competition at this stage we would surely be favourites, at worst joint with Pompey.

I hope the boys are proud of themselves.

Disgrace?...doesn't even come close to summing up ALL our cup competition efforts this season IMO!

I thought we had seen the last of the 'couldn't care less' attitude towards them under Souness.....very un-Hughes like performances this time round.

[T4E]

Disgrace?...doesn't even come close to summing up ALL our cup competition efforts this season IMO!

Couldn't agree more - worst thing is, I was convinced that those days left with Souness. Hughes' record before this season in cup competitions has been superb, I'm not sure why we've changed our approach.

[roversWASmylife]

Cardiff just gone 2-0 up at Boro

[tony gale's mic]

Wait..what does this mean for us? By my reckoning if Cardiff win this there will DEFINITELY be at least one lower league club in the FA cup final. Have the FA closed off letting lower league FA cup runners up compete in Europe or not? If they have, then 7th will once again be intertoto.

[LeChuck]

Middlesbrough 2-0 down at home to Cardiff...looks like there are going to be 3 football league clubs in the semi-finals.

Part of me takes comfort in the fact that most of the Premiership stuffed up against lower league opposition too, but the other is livid at the fact we've missed a huge change to achieve something special.

Have the FA closed off letting lower league FA cup runners up compete in Europe or not? If they have, then 7th will once again be intertoto.

I'm not sure, but it would be irrelevant anyway if Portsmouth win it, which they probably will.

[tony gale's mic]

Middlesbrough 2-0 down at home to Cardiff...looks like there are going to be 3 football league clubs in the semi-finals.

Part of me takes comfort in the fact that most of the Premiership stuffed up against lower league opposition too, but the other is livid at the fact we've missed a huge change to achieve something special.

I'm not sure, but it would be irrelevant anyway if Portsmouth win it, which they probably will.

good point actually, i'd forgotten that.

[philipl]

Also if West Brom reach the Final and get promoted.

[American]

Nothing in the UEFA rules that says it has to be a top flight club, but if Portsmouth even make the final they would likely get the spot if the FA made the rule.

[tony gale's mic]

I guess we've got to hope Portsmouth lose their semi...considering how many upsets there have been one more isnt beyond the realms of possibility.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Just noticed Enks is in goal for Cardiff, is he on loan or did we sell him?

[BiggusLaddus]

The european place is gone - it is not coming back.

I would also like to see portsmouth get knocked out, because a non-premiership final has the potential to be the most watched and watchable final for years. It would be the first final that I've bothered to watch for about 10yrs.

It would be hillarious if a final between two championship sides got a bigger TV audience than last years "peoples final", even if there will be a band of empty seats in the ground where the prawn sandwich lot should be.

[BiggusLaddus]

What chance Peter Enkleman becoming the first Blackburn Rovers player to win an FA cup since 1928?

[brian_gallagher85]

Would be brilliant wouldn't it

[BiggusLaddus]

Jonathon Pearce is desperate for Middlesborough to with this.

Cardiff concede a free kick on the edge of box - "Could this change the destination of the FA cup?"

Cardiff miss a chance to put Hasslebaink through on goal (at 2-0) - "Could that missed chance be a turning point?"

Tosser.

[brian_gallagher85]

...yet the score line remains 2-0...how I don't know, Boro have been crap and Cardiff should have has 4-5 goals

[1864roverite]

The semi spots

Pompy, Barnsley, Cardiff and either WBA of Bristol Rovers.

I wonder what odds you could have had on these clubs making the semi foursomes.

And tomorrows hot balls will be

Pompy and ????????????????????????????????????

[brian_gallagher85]

WBA.

I really would want to avoid Barnsley though

[adopted scouser]

And tomorrows hot balls will be

The ones Dave Jones is breathing on

[RevidgeBlue]

Wonderful to see three non Premiership clubs in the semis.

The FA couldn't have known it would pan out like this, but the decision to hold the semis at Wembley as well has probably worked out well for the clubs in question this time.

[philipl]

Only so long as they ease the semi-final prices back down to the affordable.

It is one thing asking a Chelski or Arsenal fan to pay a multiple of 2 on his usual ticket price but asking a Gashead to pay ten times (or half a season ticket) his normal ticket price to go to the biggest game in the Pirates' history (if they get there) would be terrible.

[bellamy11]

Only so long as they ease the semi-final prices back down to the affordable.

It is one thing asking a Chelski or Arsenal fan to pay a multiple of 2 on his usual ticket price but asking a Gashead to pay ten times (or half a season ticket) his normal ticket price to go to the biggest game in the Pirates' history (if they get there) would be terrible.

Why? Do fans get paid in line with the success of their football teams?