...maybe I should call this "Why I love the FA Cup". When I moved to the UK a few years ago, as an American, I had a hard time understanding the importance of all the different competitions that were going on at the same time. I had followed the EPL and seen the FA Cup Final, but the League Cup (which kept changing names) was something that I never really got and the Champions League was just starting to gain popularity. My natural instinct was that the Champions League must be the most important since that was where you were playing the best teams, and that the league was nice to win, but was more of long qualification round for the European tournament (I've since changed my opinion on this). I soon learned that League Cup was a second rate competition, but I was still left a little confused as to where the FA Cup fit in the big scheme of things. When I arrived in the UK, Chelsea had just won the FA Cup. However, the talk in London was less about an important victory, and more about how the tournament was meaningless as ManU, the biggest club in the land, had not even participated. In addition, the next season's FA Cup Final was going to be moved from the spiritual home of football, Wembly, to some sheep farm out in Wales. It just seemed to me that the FA Cup had seen it's day and had since passed into the realm of the League Cup. As such, I didn't pay much attention to the FA Cup during my first year in the UK (even though the evil empire from the north decided to participate this year). And with the team that I had always followed from afar, Arsenal, drawing Carlisle away (who were they and where the heck was Carlisle?) in the first game of the 2000/2001 tournament, why should I. Things didn't change much that year as the tournament progressed. We romped past QPR 6-0, then Chelsea 3-1, and then Blackburn 3-0. Now we were in the semi-final and my interest was starting to rise. But, it wasn't because we were getting close to a final, it was because of the other teams in the draw -- the mighty Liverpool, our arch-enemy Tottenham and 2nd Division Wycombe Wanderers?!?. The story around Wycombe was fantastic, and it was through them that I learned much about the romance & history of the FA Cup. We drew Tottenham in the semi-final, and of course, beat them. The final against Liverpool was an exciting affair, but two of Michael Owen's best goals and an unseen handball off the line by Stephane Henchoz put paid to Arsenal's hope for silverware. I didn't attend any Arsenal games during that first year. Although an ardent supporter, I was totally preoccupied with work and lacked the connections to secure a ticket to an always sold out Highbury. I looked into getting a ticket through a tout for the Cup Final, but couldn't believe that the going rate was £650! How could that be for a meaningless tournament? Heck, this wasn't the Super Bowl. Or, maybe it was. It certainly gave me reason to reconsider the importance of this tournament. The combination of Wycombe's unexpected run and watching an exciting final v. Liverpool started to turn my feelings on the FA Cup. The next season's Cup lacked some of the romance of prior years, but Arsenal's run to final included some cracking games. That said, some of the team selections still left me feeling mixed that the FA Cup may not really be valued by the club. We coasted past Watford 4-2 in the 3rd round and then drew Liverpool in the 4th. A game of tremendous passion, we were leading 1-0 when Keown was sent off on 67 minutes. Bergkamp, the goal scorer, shortly followed him to the locker room on 71 minutes, but we were let of the hook when Carragher lost it and started throwing coins at the crowd (sure, they shouldn't have been thrown at him in the first place, but it didn't save him from dismissal). Next up was Gillingham at home, and with Arsenal in the heat of a championship race in the league and still battling in the Champions League, Arsene didn't field his strongest side. Henry & Pires were on the bench and young Juan was starting at left back. We looked to take it easy, but with the score 2-2 after 54 minutes, the services of Henry & Pires were required. We went on the a 5-2 victory, but that game very clearly showed the diminished importance of cup and somewhat tainted my feelings on the competition. We went on win the cup that year by getting past Newcastle (though that took a replay and cost us Pires for the rest of the season - and most of the next since he's only recently returned to top form), then Boro in the semi-final, and Chelsea in the final. Once again the final was a great game, with a truly memorable goal from "it's only Ray Parlour". It was nice to win the FA Cup because it meant we had won the Double, but I was still left feeling like the only time it was worth winning was when it was to seal a Double or Treble. On its own, I tended to agree with the sentiments of Roy Keane, it was a consolation prize. The 2002/03 season was when I got totally hooked on the FA Cup. And, it was for one reason only -- I started attending the games. The previous season I had gone to some league games and some CL games, but was still yet to see my first FA Cup game. But, in 2002/03, I had formed enough connections to be able to go every home game and most of the away games. For those of you that have never been to Highbury (or any other English football ground), there is nothing like in America. The atmosphere and intensity of an English football ground is electric. For the big league games against the likes of ManU, Liverpool & Tottenham, as well as just about any European night, the atmosphere has that little something extra. However, in my opinion, nothing beats the atmosphere for an FA Cup game A big reason for special atmosphere is the away fans. For a normal league game, clubs normally give up about 2-3k seats for the travelling supporters. However, for an FA Cup game, the away supporters get a much larger allocation. At Highbury, they get the enitre Clock End (about 7k people) instead of just a corner of it. With an entire end of the ground to themselves, they create an amazing amount of noise, and raise the energy in the ground. So, with my first FA Cup game in 2003 being at home v. 3rd Division Oxford United, I was a bit unsure what it was going to be like. Oxford had no hope to beat the Premiership defending champions and current table-toppers, but that didn't stop them from having a great day out. From an Arsenal point of view, 2 very special things happened that day as well. First of all, we got to see Dennis Bergkamp score his 100th goal for the Arsenal. Second, we saw the first team debut of David Bentley, and he gave us a hint that maybe, just maybe, he may be a future DB10. Oh yeah, we won quite easily 2-0 in otherwise very boring game. But I was hooked now on the FA Cup. I didn't care what the media said. I didn't care what the team selection was. The combination of knockout tension, the romance of minnow & giants (we faced Farnborough Town in the next round), the tradition and history of the cup, and the atmosphere in the ground had me turned 180 degrees on the competition. Although we capitulated in the league that year, the FA Cup run was memorable in its own right, and far from a consolation prize. We beat ManU 2-0 at Old Trafford (the day of the famous boot kicking that sealed Beckham's departure), had 2 wonderful games v. Chelsea (the 3-1 away win in the replay may have been the best game all last year), a 1-0 semi-final win over a very competitive Sheffield United (their fans at Old Trafford that day we superb) that included the fingertip save by Seaman, and then a final victory over Southampton. My only regret is that although I attended over 80% of all Arsenal games that year, I still couldn't get a ticket for the final. Everyone I know that went said that although Southampton's football team were utterly boring, their fans made the day one of the most special cup finals they had ever attended. So, when this year's competition started, I made sure that I had a guaranteed ticket for the final should Arsenal get there. And this year's run was looking to be as memorable as last year's. A 4-1 drubbing of Leeds at Elland Road, a 4-1 domination of Boro at home (capped with another special moment as David Bentley scored his first senior goal with a sublime Bergkampesque chip), a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Chelsea at home (with Jose Antonio Reyes' first 2 goals for the club, the first on an Henryesque rocket from outside the area), and a 5-1 demolition of Portsmouth at Fratton Park (the beautiful game at its best, but memorable for the constant, clever, good-natured, and respectful singing and honoring of OUR players). That put us in the semi-final draw with ManU and two 1st Division sides in Sunderland & Millwall. A 67% chance that we'd draw a 1st Division club in the semi and stroll into a historic final v. ManU. But alas, we drew ManU in the semi-final, fielded a somewhat weakend side (with Henry on the bench), and thus started the end of our Treble hopes. That loss was especially disappointing for me because I would be in Cardiff today instead of typing out this note to you. So, with kickoff in about 5 minutes, I'm sad because I'm not there watching the Arsenal, but I'm excited because I'm about to watch the most exciting game in world football... Come on you Blues and long live the FA Cup!
I understand, man. The FA Cup is how I first ever heard of Arsenal back in 71 reading an SI article about the the Cup Final and the Double. I didn't become a Gooner straight away, I was in Kindergarten! But as soon as I saw them on "All Star Soccer" and recognized the cannon on the kits and the name(if not the red-and-white home strip-no pics of the League finale at s***e hart lane in 71 in that article) I was a supporter who became a GOONER when the net and Fox Sports World came into my home. But it all began with the FA Cup and The Cup Final for me. It will always be special, even on days like today. That said I was relieved it wasn't us against Millwall or some other lower division side out there. What glory would there be from winning by six- or seven-nil as United surely should have if they were as good as Arsenal and shattering the hearts of all those Millwall supporters who'd never get this close to glory again(well, Millwall supporters, let me re-think that...)or of say Wycombe two year back, and truth be told if we DIDN'T score six or seven we'd be angry at our own performance rather than enjoying it anyway, so just as well under the circumstances. I'd rather WIN an FA Cup than not lose it like we saw today. But I do appreciate your point especially having be at last Year's Final myself. It's amazing and it DOES still matter, and here's to Arsenal proving that again several more times the next few years!
VaVaVoom, Thanks for sharing your experiences. I have thought many times about moving to England. Nice to hear what it is like from a Yank living in England.
Usually I dont read long posts but I did this one, and Im very happy I did. I cant wait to go to school in England and especially after reading your post I am even more excited to go. Thankyou
Good post VaVaVoom. I love the FA Cup. I think for someone brought up in England through the seventies and eighties it was made more special because we used to get very few live games on television. The Cup final and a few European games is all we used to see live.There was always a big build up to the final, in a funny way I was actually glad to be able to watch the build up on TV yesterday as I obviously missed it the previous three years by travelling down to Cardiff. I hope we make the final next year though!