1/30/05 FA Cup Round 4: Chelsea FC v. Birmingham City [R]

[GPK]

http://www.uefa.com/ImagesContent/Competition/Clubs/Logos/70X70/52914.gif v. http://www.uefa.com/ImagesContent/Competition/Clubs/Logos/70X70/53342.gif

4:00 PM GMT
11:00 AM EST

US TV: Live PPV
UK TV: Live SKy Sports 1
CN TV: Live Rogers Sportsnet

Live on Big Blue (http://www.chelseafc.com/article.asp?article=103464&Title=Big+Blue+Radio&lid=Navigation+-+TV+and+Media&sub=Big+Blue+Radio&nav=&sublid=)

ChelseaFC.com (http://www.chelseafc.com/index.asp)

News on Soccernet (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=363&cc=5901)

TEAMtalk-Chelsea (http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Story_Listing/0,7759,1773,00.html)

BBC-Chelsea (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/default.stm)

Latest Chelsea News From Google (http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&edition=us&ie=UTF-8&q=Chelsea+)

Other Fixtures (EST) US TV

Saturday, January 29, 2005
7:30 Southampton v Portsmouth Live FSW
10:00 Arsenal v Wolverhampton
10:00 Blackburn v Colchester
10:00 Brentford v Hartlepool
10:00 Burnley v Bournemouth
10:00 Charlton v Yeovil
10:00 Derby v Fulham Live FSW
10:00 Everton v Sunderland
10:00 Newcastle v Coventry
10:00 Nottm Forest v Peterborough
10:00 Reading v Leicester
10:00 West Brom v Tottenham
10:00 West Ham v Sheff Utd
12:20 Man Utd v Middlesbrough Live PPV

Sunday, January 30, 2005
8:45 Oldham v Bolton Live FSW

[Clan]

So, here we are then, the next round of the oldest and (to me) greatest cup competition on the planet.

It's the 4th round, for those that have been either good enough, or lucky enough, to pass the 3rd round test.
This stage of the competition is, or at least was anyway, looked upon with much more anticipation and hope, by the 'smaller' clubs that are still left.
The 'big guns', unless drawn against each other, more often than not, made the next round.
It's usually the round where the 'giant killers' that are left wave goodbye for this year, the smaller teams look forward to perhaps getting into another round of it, where with so few teams being left all the time, a good draw could set up a good 'cup run'

What is a 'cup run'?

It's difficult to put into words the feeling that was contained when you had a 'cup run'.
You see, the bigger clubs don't use that term very much, if at all.
The fans, the club and the players all expecting to get far into the competition itself.That was the difference.

Taking it in context to the game we are going to play, brum would have been looking to have a 'cup run', whilst we, Chelsea, are looking for far more than that.

If you were not one of the powerful teams of the era, this is where you got your kicks for the season.All was forgiven at this stage, for one game anyway, the shabby grounds, the hoolies, the sheer inevitability of another season of bilge in the league, wondering how long the decent players could be kept at the club...if you had any at all that is.
You see, as a fan of a team that wasn't doing well, you really needed something else aside from the league, it was needed, not so much to keep your interest in your team, but to give you a feeling of not having another lost season.The sheer thrill that was involved in getting into the next round was something that only the fans of weaker teams would fully understand.The clubs of course, were only looking at the financial end of things, hoping to get more revenue, whilst we, the fans, just wanted 'one more round'.
It's very easy to forget the terrible league position of any given year, but nearly all the fans will remember the cup runs.

Back in the old days, they did the draws live on the radio, that was an event in itself.Crowds would huddle around the transistor, groans and cheers would abound, bragging and slagging would be seconds behind :)
Schools, work, ministry and transit would all be tuned into the draw.

Who'd we get?
Can we keep it going?

Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United...the current big three in football, all still in the cup.I doubt if you could get a thousand fans from the three of them that would have an iota of what a 'cup run' really ment!

[Riz]

Again, brilliant Clan! I hope you're keeping all these, they're really good. :D

Though, to be fair (on a very minor point), they do still have the draws live on the radio, on BBC Five Live. I've listened to last few.

[yasik19]

You become one sensible historian Clan when it comes to FA cup. I wish i knew what you mean and what it means, but i don't. So, all i will be doing is just cheering on Chelsea as it was any other game. :(

[Clan]

You become one sensible historian Clan when it comes to FA cup(


...er...as opposed to...?

I think that was a compliment :D

[Clan]

Again, brilliant Clan! I hope you're keeping all these, they're really good. :D

Though, to be fair (on a very minor point), they do still have the draws live on the radio, on BBC Five Live. I've listened to last few.True, but most of the country (ies) would have been watching on the telly.

Can't even begin to compare to the athmosphere of a few dozen young kids, or adults in a pub for that matter, huddled around a radio.

imho.

[yasik19]

...er...as opposed to...?

I think that was a compliment :D


What i meant is that you don't go into much detail when it comes to regular EPL or CC matches, that's all. And yes, that was a compliment. Do i get a rep? :D

[Clan]

What i meant is that you don't go into much detail when it comes to regular EPL or CC matches, that's all. And yes, that was a compliment. Do i get a rep? :D

Well, i suppose most of that is down to me drawing on actual memories from our times in the FA Cup from years ago.
It's easier to write something that you have actually expierenced no?

Chels challenging for the title and the European cup isn't something that i could even have an opening statement on after all ;)

[yasik19]

Well, i suppose most of that is down to me drawing on actual memories from our times in the FA Cup from years ago.
It's easier to write something that you have actually expierenced no?

Chels challenging for the title and the European cup isn't something that i could even have an opening statement on after all ;)


See, for me, being from Soviet Union, i always admired European Championships, whether it was Champions League UEFA cup or Super Cup. Although we had a national champioship, it wasn't very often that our top teams would do well in Europe, so I always wanted the European title. Since my birth, not one of the club teams i supported ever won anything in Europe. So, although for most of Chelsea fans here or in UK, i bet EPL is more important, as is for me, there is still a child inside me that wants a European trophy for at least once to a team i support.

and thanks for you know what :D

[Riz]

True, but most of the country (ies) would have been watching on the telly.

Can't even begin to compare to the athmosphere of a few dozen young kids, or adults in a pub for that matter, huddled around a radio.

imho.

Agreed, completely. I keep forgetting most people have cable or satellite and such, while I rely solely on radio, torrents and my bar for all my news and matches. :o

[Clan]

Agreed, completely. I keep forgetting most people have cable or satellite and such, while I rely solely on radio, torrents and my bar for all my news and matches. :o

It was funny too, how the draw could set the mood for a pub.
I was the Lurgan in '85 when we drew Milwall.
Good gawd almighty, that was something else.
Not only did the Chelsea lot go quiet, so did the whole barracks.

I never made it to that game in the end, though i tried my best.
As it turned out, i was better off, in many more ways than one.

[OsgoodWasGod]

It was funny too, how the draw could set the mood for a pub.
I was the Lurgan in '85 when we drew Milwall.
Good gawd almighty, that was something else.
Not only did the Chelsea lot go quiet, so did the whole barracks.

I never made it to that game in the end, though i tried my best.
As it turned out, i was better off, in many more ways than one.

...I'd forgotten that - now that WAS a game to remember. ;-)

Incidently, many of us still gather around the radio here in dear old Blighty - that's exactly what happened in our office anyway. At around 13:30 the radio went on and was tuned to the BBC. The sound was turned up and everyone stopped work for a few minutes as we all listened to the FA-Cup draw. It's a great English tradition and in a rapidly-changing world it's nice to hold on to something like that. As Clan says, the atmosphere, the crack if you like, between supporters of the different teams involved is a great moment to be savoured.

[Clan]

...I'd forgotten that - now that WAS a game to remember. ;-)

Incidently, many of us still gather around the radio here in dear old Blighty - that's exactly what happened in our office anyway. At around 13:30 the radio went on and was tuned to the BBC. The sound was turned up and everyone stopped work for a few minutes as we all listened to the FA-Cup draw. It's a great English tradition and in a rapidly-changing world it's nice to hold on to something like that. As Clan says, the atmosphere, the crack if you like, between supporters of the different teams involved is a great moment to be savoured.

Thats what i love about the FA Cup, the memories of past days, a time when men played football, if they got a knock, they got on with it, just played the bloody game.
Remember how we used to laugh, when on the odd occasion we'd get an International game on the beeb, at all the continental ponces rolling for ages on the ground, only to get up a few seconds later and leg it after the ball.

Remember when the FA Cup was worth more than second place in the league?

The Cup Winners Cup?

Getting prepared the night before with all the lads for the day out that was the Fa Cup.

Remember when 'the Double' was an incredible thing?
Unlike today, if it doesn't include the poxy European Cup it's looked upon as an underachievement by the club.
not the fans mind you, but the bloody CLUB for gawds sake.

It's a terrible shame the depts that they've allowed the grand old lady to slink to.

Manchester United, the biggest name in our game at the time, goes away to play in a foreign get together, turns down the 'invite' to play in it.

Older United players would have slapped them silly for even suggesting it.

Sadly, today, it's looked upon as 'probably the right thing to do for the country'

For the bloody country.?

If they wanted to do something for the country they would have told FIFA and that muppet in charge to ******** off!

[tejedora]

So, here we are then, the next round of the oldest and (to me) greatest cup competition on the planet . . . .
<snip>
Who'd we get?
Can we keep it going?

Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United...the current big three in football, all still in the cup.I doubt if you could get a thousand fans from the three of them that would have an iota of what a 'cup run' really ment!

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Clanblue again."

Man, these you-can't-rep messages are annoying as hell.

Well done again, Clan. :)

[Clan]

Ho-Hum.
Saturday morning, the FA Cup is on, and we're not playing.

Still, the south coast derby is livening up at last.

[gomez]

Can't even begin to compare to the athmosphere of a few dozen young kids, or adults in a pub for that matter, huddled around a radio.

imho.



I couldn't agree with you more Clan. It wasn't too long ago that I couldn't even watch soccer on tv. *thanks God he is at home behind a computer screen for fear of pubilc flogging* I would rather be playing. Watching a game would only make me want to go out and play one.

It was the summer of 2002. Little did I know I happened to be playing on a team with a guy who owned the Bull and Finch Pub (not the one in Boston). Well, the World Cup rolled around and we were all invited. He would open the pub up from about 2am to 10am, depending on when the games were, and we would all sit around watching as many games as we could fit in. You could have as much to drink as you wanted from anything on tap. Those were some of the best moments I've shared. The clincher was England vs. Brazil. It seemes like every English man in the city was there - faces painted, flags waving. I had never experienced anything like it. There was electricty in the air. To this day, it's still my favorite match I've seen. From then on, I have been able to sit down and enjoy a match. No place compares to the atmosphere of a pub with some friends!

[gomez]

Baba put one in for the Toon

[Eddie26]

While I don't have the pre-RA history that Clan, Bridge, Atorian, etc have. I do have about 1995-present of history to draw from. I have been lucky enough in the last 10 years that Chelsea have never really been terrible. But I understand what he means about a good cup run.

In fact, I made these same statements in another forum. Pretty much what I had to say was that even when Man U got the equalizer on Wed I never doubted we would win. I was at the pub thinking, "Man, things have really changed. Here we are at OT, and I don't doubt we are going to win."

Granted we have the best record at OT of any team, including giving them their worst thrashing over there. The 5-0 win in (I think) 99? maybe 2000 or 2001?

What I was saying in another thread was that the exhilaration is kind of gone for me now. I mean, we used to go into tournaments HOPING to win, but now we go into tournaments EXPECTING to win. So win we beat someone it's not, "YES!! Way to go boys!", it's, "Whew, thank god we got through this round." It's not the same. A good cup run was everything. Even when we lost the FA Cup in the final to Arsenal, I still considered it a good year, and for more than one reason (thank you Jesper Gronkjaer). I can't imagine what I must have been like to support Chelsea in the early 80's though. My god, one of you guys will have to elaborate and describe it.

Or in 2000, that was a team to love. Won the FA Cup, made an incredible CL run all the way to the quarters. That was a season because none of it was expected. It all came out of the *blue*.

[leftwing]

Eddit--I predate you as a Chelsea fan by a good number of years and let me assure you, it's never been better than this. Sure, springing the occasional upset was great, but for every one of those we'd have to live through countless games where we lost to smaller squads not to mention the periodic thrashing we'd get from one of the clubs that just flat out had better players. Frankly, I have no desire to ever be an underdog again. Nor do I think we will be so long as RA owns the team and JM manages. Long live the Chels!

[Eddie26]

Eddit--I predate you as a Chelsea fan by a good number of years and let me assure you, it's never been better than this. Sure, springing the occasional upset was great, but for every one of those we'd have to live through countless games where we lost to smaller squads not to mention the periodic thrashing we'd get from one of the clubs that just flat out had better players. Frankly, I have no desire to ever be an underdog again. Nor do I think we will be so long as RA owns the team and JM manages. Long live the Chels!

No, but the point of my post was that it's just a different feeling now. Expecting to win versus hoping to win.