That’s an uncharitable take!
The attendance figures speak for themselves and the outlook for our cup competitions isn’t great and hasn’t been for a while. The replay would’ve been on a weekday and attendances suppressed, especially our away support.
For every glamour cup tie, there’s 2-3 ties where there’s not that much interest on both teams end.
I’d have probably gone to a replay in Sheffield on a weekday but would’ve likely had to take time off work which isn’t ideal. I remember distinctly thinking at Sheff Wednesday away last season that I’d wish the game had been decided then and there at Hillsborough either way rather than a replay at home.
Your feelings about the replay last season don’t seem to match those of most City fans as over 19k turned up at the CBS for the game. I think almost all would have gone home happy having seen an entertaining game and a 4-1 win for our team. Don’t forget that’s 19k customers all paying on the night, gate money plus all of the ancillary spend that has now disappeared with the replays.
I doubt that you were following football when the Cup as a competition was as important as the league. Therefore you wouldn’t have known the excitement generated by your team when they held the opposition away with a great cup fighting performance and earned the right to take them on at your place.Look at gates for Cup ties up until the advent of the PL. They were almost always higher than the average gate for a league game.
Unfortunately younger fans can’t compare the Cup now and then and see how it has been devalued. It’s all been done to appease the so called elite and so a great competition is continually downgraded.
Maybe it’s because you’ve never known what it once was that you continue to agree with everything that Pep, Jurgan and their friends at the FA do to damage the Cup.