FA Cup [R]

[DennisM]

I believe all Euro spots from cups won by teams that have already qualified for European competitions are given to the next spot in the Premier League.

This is wrong. It should go to the team that wins or is runnerup to the Cup final. The FA should be deciding this and not the Premier League. Especially in England's case where they get all of those spots in the Champion's league and UEFA Cup already.

[kevbrunton]

Originally posted by JoBeck
I believe all Euro spots from cups won by teams that have already qualified for European competitions are given to the next spot in the Premier League.
If this is correct, then Charlton and Blackburn have got to be cheering for Arsenal to win the FA Cup because that opens up the 7th place for entry to the UEFA Cup.

However, it seems to me that it SHOULD be the cup runner-up that gets the spot.

[DennisM]

Yes, but one of those teams may get sixth place anyway. But if the Addicks get sixth place or even Blackburn then it would be great if Arsenal is in the cup and a team like Watford which may probably not get even to the playoffs to go to the UEFA Cup. But I'm hoping for the Saints to be in the final and Charlton to go to the UEFA Cup for the first time ever!

[kevbrunton]

I found the answer to who gets the UEFA Cup spots, here http://www.thefa.com/application?origin=template.jsp&event=bea.portal.framework.internal.refresh&pageid=maximise&pageName=thefa&pillar=thefa&contentId=38472&contentType=1&subContentType=1

The 3 UEFA Cup spots go to 5th place in the EPL, FA Cup winners and Worthington Cup winners. Therefore, worst case, Liverpool is already qualified for the UEFA Cup.

If the FA Cup winner is already qualified for Europe, then the other FA Cup Finalist gets the UEFA Cup spot. So, as I said before, if Arsenal beats Sheffield United, then the winner of the Southampton v. Watford game automatically will have a UEFA Cup spot.

If BOTH FA Cup finalists have already qualified for Europe, then the spot would revert to the 6th place EPL team. But that's can't happen this year.

If the Worthington Cup winner is already qualified for Europe, then the spot would revert to the 6th place EPL team (or 7th if the FA Cup spot went to the 6th place team).


So the only way Blackburn or Charleton are going to get into the UEFA Cup is for them to move past Everton. If they finish 6th by Liverpool dropping but Everton stays above them, they still wouldn't go. Their only chance is for them to pass Everton and for Liverpool to stay in 5th or higher.

[pjuk]

Come on u saints! put the hornets in their place!!

[WatfordFC Fan]

Originally posted by pjuk
Come on u saints! put the hornets in their place!!

scum

[DennisM]

That goal for Arsenal never should have happened. It's not only Graham Poll's fault but the Arsenal players were not being sportsmanlike in playing on after a player is done.

[JoBeck]

Today's results:

ARSENAL survived Sheffield United and held on for a 1-0 win while SOUTHAMPTON booked a trip to Cardiff with a 2-1 win over Watford.

[Roehl Sybing]

The way the tournament was shaking out, I was really looking forward to a final that had some club from beneath the Premiership, that might've made the revitalization of the FA Cup complete. Not that the two clubs in the final right now didn't deserve it, though...

Which reminds me to ask (and forgive me for being so ignorant), when was the last time an English first division club had ever contested for the European Cup through winning the FA Cup? Has it ever happened?

[DennisM]

Teams who win the FA Cup play in the UEFA Cup and not the European Cup. I thought it might be Sunderland back in 93? but they for some reason didn't play in Europe despite losing to Liverpool in the final. Liverpool finished sixth in the division that year.

[Roehl Sybing]

You're right. Mistype. I had EC in my head for some reason. :)

[Wide Boy]

Originally posted by DennisM
Teams who win the FA Cup play in the UEFA Cup and not the European Cup. I thought it might be Sunderland back in 93? but they for some reason didn't play in Europe despite losing to Liverpool in the final. Liverpool finished sixth in the division that year.

In them olden days there was a special cup for domestic cup-winners - the European Cup-Winners Cup.

Normally, Liverpool would have played in that (as it was considered superior to the UEFA cup, although the standard of teams was worse) but I think Liverpool may still have been serving a post-Heysel ban at that time.

[DennisM]

Right. I knew the Cup-Winners Cup was available but I thought they were going to that and Sunderland would go to UEFA. So that means that Liverpool had a ban that lasted longer than the general England ban then?

[DennisM]

Okay. Checking the facts now. During the broadcast of the Gunners-Blades match, they mentioned that Arsenal had won a match four years ago in the Cup controversially by not kicking the ball back to the other team after an injury(a practice which in itself is not very old). Is this true? Also I had read in an article about Arsene Wenger that one time he somehow stopped Arsenal from scoring when a player was injured or something. Is this true? I don't imagine that it was similar to what Paulo Di Canio did a couple of years ago but sportsmanship lives on. Barely, it seems.

[MeVale]

.

[DennisM]

Check this out:

http://www.thefa.com/application?origin=template.jsp&event=bea.portal.framework.internal.refresh&pageid=maximise&pageName=england_seniors_fixturesandresults_currentcampaign&pillar=england&contentId=48324&contentType=1&subContentType=1

Interesting numbers for North America.

[JoBeck]

That seems a lot lower than I expected, and I think I know why: Most people who will be watching the FA Cup will be watching the Setanta Sport pay-per-view, but they'll be doing it at bars. It's hard to guess how many people will actually be watching the game.

[DennisM]

Yes. That is probably the reason why the number is so low.

[usscouse]

Originally posted by DennisM
Okay. Checking the facts now. During the broadcast of the Gunners-Blades match, they mentioned that Arsenal had won a match four years ago in the Cup controversially by not kicking the ball back to the other team after an injury(a practice which in itself is not very old). Is this true? Also I had read in an article about Arsene Wenger that one time he somehow stopped Arsenal from scoring when a player was injured or something. Is this true? I don't imagine that it was similar to what Paulo Di Canio did a couple of years ago but sportsmanship lives on. Barely, it seems.
No, Arsenal DID kick the ball back to the goalie but Kanu didn’t know about the tradition and ran in and scored. Gunners won..!

Wenger agreed to replay the whole match a couple of days later. Gunners won…!

Great gesture.

[usscouse]

Originally posted by JoBeck
That seems a lot lower than I expected, and I think I know why: Most people who will be watching the FA Cup will be watching the Setanta Sport pay-per-view, but they'll be doing it at bars. It's hard to guess how many people will actually be watching the game. There is one hell of a lot more than 10,000 expats alone who would watch this. Let alone the Soccer fans from this country who are interested..