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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... 13:00 - Nov 11 with 6077 viewsThatMuhrenCross

You may well be infuriated to hear younger fans say that, after all the FA Cup brought this club one of its most famous days. Year after year we laud it over Norwich that we have this "prestigious" trophy, when the best they can muster up is a Milk Cup.

I was born in 1991, so never experienced the joy of following a side that won this competition, competed in Europe or were in the upper echelons of the top division. It's hard to imagine Ipswich Town as one of the very best in the land.

My only experience of anything that resembled success was our glorious play-off victory in 2000, and the subsequent European journeys we experienced not long after. Alun Armstrong (it was nice to see him in MOTD yesterday) scoring that magnificent winner agains Inter Milan goes down as one of the best days I ever had supporting the Town.

I'm sure that pales into insignificance for any town fan who started supporting them 20 years before I did. Lifting the FA Cup at Wembley must have been incredible to witness.

Yet, in the context of where we are now, the FA Cup is a pointless distraction. Little more than a friendly. An unnecessary risk to the fitness of our key players.

Why though? Well, put simply we have absolutely zero chance of winning it. Reaching the third round is a possibility, reaching the fourth and fifth rounds is decidedly unlikely. What's the best we can realistically hope for? A cup run, only to be humiliated by Manchester City when we reach a stage of the competition that is way out of our depth? Perhaps a third round match away to Reading, who we've played a million times in the last decade but could have the chance to remind us once again that we're not yet ready for Championship football...

The financial reward is minimal too. For competing in round one, the pot is £36,000... just over a week's wages for Luke Garbutt. Round two it's not a lot better - £54,000, merely 10% of what we paid for our right-back this summer. So no incentive there either.

For me, and most fans I should imagine, the priority is to get promoted from League One and back into the Championship. Maybe next year the FA Cup can take on more significance, especially if we find ourselves in mid-table in the Championship with little to play for.

I get that a cup run can galvanise a team, but why not prioritise one we have a genuine chance in - The EFL Trophy? A trip to Wembley would be wonderful. Lambert hasn't given that much priority so far either, but perhaps if we reach the knockout stages he will view it as a genuine opportunity to get a piece of silverware for his CV, and make the proverbial silk purse out of the sow's ear that has been supporting Ipswich Town in recent seasons.

Paul Lambert was absolutely right to make wholesale changes at the weekend in my opinion. We'd have been devastated if Norwood, Jackson, Garbutt or Skuse had suffered a season ending injury in a tournament we had little hope of advancing far in. I say wrap them in cotton wool and keep them safe for the more important league fixtures.

With everything I've just said, I don't mean any disrespect to our illustrious history and the competition that gave us our finest hour, but right now, where we are as a club and the absolutely massive job Lambert has on his hands to get us back to the Championship... I say let us just have a year off from this one.

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:06 - Nov 11 with 4783 viewsOsborneOneNil

I'm old school......I'd love a Cup run, QF, maybe a Semi.
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:11 - Nov 11 with 4751 viewsGuthrum

1977-78 may have seen a dip, but in the preceding five seasons, Town had only once finished below 4th in the top tier of English football (and had reached the semi-final in the FA Cup). We were one of those big clubs who are always likely to win.

I am old enough to have watched the FA Cup win (on TV).

Good Lord! Whatever is it?
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:12 - Nov 11 with 4744 viewshomer_123

Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:06 - Nov 11 by OsborneOneNil

I'm old school......I'd love a Cup run, QF, maybe a Semi.


Semi is about the best I can hope for these days.

Ade Akinbiyi couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo...
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:14 - Nov 11 with 4733 viewsBlueBadger

If you're not interesting in winning trophies of any kind, go support Norwich.

I'm one of the people who was blamed for getting Paul Cook sacked. PM for the full post.
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:14 - Nov 11 with 4739 viewsTRUE_BLUE123

We have been having a year off for 11 years though. Next year it will probably be, lets focus on the league and try and stay up or maybe we are still in league one and it is lets get up again. It is one more game every few weeks. Lets go for it, I don't care if we go out trying, but 10 changes is ridiculous, lets get to premier league rounds and hopefully have a good day out.

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:17 - Nov 11 with 4727 viewsSwansea_Blue

It's not poinless in the slightest. Ask fans of Championship sides Milwall and Swansea who both narrowly missed out on reaching the semi-finals last year if it's pointless. Or those of L1 Donny, L2 Newport, L1 Wimbledon who all got to the 5th round, mostly claiming PL scalps on the way.

You've got the answer right though. We aren't very good in it and the club don't show any interest, so the fans don't either. If we were to have a little run the interest would come back. I'm fairly sure it's as simple as that.

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:19 - Nov 11 with 4713 viewsJimmyJazz

Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:14 - Nov 11 by BlueBadger

If you're not interesting in winning trophies of any kind, go support Norwich.


Does this count as a whoosh? The OP says, quite rightly, that we have no chance of winning the FA Cup.

If you crave an FA Cup run so much go and support one of the top 6

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... (n/t) on 13:21 - Nov 11 with 4704 viewsSharkey

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:24 - Nov 11 with 4688 viewsMetal_Hacker

Your theory being that the majority of the teams entering the Champions League also have no chance of winning so they may as well leave it and let the usual suspects carry on winning it

Logical ? Not !

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:24 - Nov 11 with 4682 viewsJimmyJazz

Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:19 - Nov 11 by JimmyJazz

Does this count as a whoosh? The OP says, quite rightly, that we have no chance of winning the FA Cup.

If you crave an FA Cup run so much go and support one of the top 6


Match of the Day website running a story today of how a non-league club could eliminate the 2008 cup winners.

Who actually recalls the team who won the FA Cup in 2008? It's hard enough to recall who won this year's pointless final. Oh wait, it was Man City giving Watford an absolute hammering. Bet Watford fans enjoyed that cup run.

Back when we won the FA Cup, it was a prestigious competition, and fans could name most winners from each year in the 70's and 80's.

The only people who are about the FA Cup these days are the BBC, who try and hype it up so much you'd thing it was the Champions League

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:30 - Nov 11 with 4663 viewsDubtractor

Being a football fan is about winning games, about the excitement of big matches, about dreaming of upsets you know probably won't happen, about fairytale cup runs that shouldn't happen.

Take that away and be purely pragmatic about it and you may as well just skip the games and get the results on the internet afterward.

I was born underwater, I dried out in the sun. I started humping volcanoes baby, when I was too young.
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:36 - Nov 11 with 4618 viewsC_HealyIsAPleasure

Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:24 - Nov 11 by JimmyJazz

Match of the Day website running a story today of how a non-league club could eliminate the 2008 cup winners.

Who actually recalls the team who won the FA Cup in 2008? It's hard enough to recall who won this year's pointless final. Oh wait, it was Man City giving Watford an absolute hammering. Bet Watford fans enjoyed that cup run.

Back when we won the FA Cup, it was a prestigious competition, and fans could name most winners from each year in the 70's and 80's.

The only people who are about the FA Cup these days are the BBC, who try and hype it up so much you'd thing it was the Champions League


I’m fairly certain that Watford fans very much enjoyed their cup run, as did Palace in 2016, Hull in 2014, Wigan in 2013 and countless others

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:36 - Nov 11 with 4622 viewsmonytowbray

Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:12 - Nov 11 by homer_123

Semi is about the best I can hope for these days.


HE MEANS HIS COCK.

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:41 - Nov 11 with 4598 viewsmonty_radio

When highlights of previous years' Cup are wheeled out they contain a high proportion of those who had "zero chance of winning it". Is the prospect of losing away to Luton or Wigan next year so enticing that we'd rather that than a possible win over Man Utd here in the 3rd round?

In any case, it's not a binary choice as was often seen in Mick's results that prompted the usual Cup exit as his cautious selection, protecting the massive challenges that lay ahead, had him unpacking the customary suitcase of unknowns who quickly demonstated why the average Town fan had yet to hear of them.
[Post edited 11 Nov 2019 13:47]

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:44 - Nov 11 with 4577 viewsJ2BLUE

I was born in 87 and I love the cup. I still remember some of the great finals when I was a kid and how much it meant.

The cup is not pointless, it just isn't shown the respect it deserves.

Truly impaired.
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 14:01 - Nov 11 with 4535 viewsSharkey

This reminds me a bit of the end of the cricket season, with Essex just a few points ahead of Somerset and due to play each other in the final game at Taunton. Some Essex supporters booked accommodation and looked forward to the showdown, whereas others hoped it would rain for four days and Essex would thereby win the league. Some people like cricket, some people just like Essex. I guess the OP would be in the rain camp - it's not the sport that's important, it's the league table. (And fair enough, I'd say half the Essex fans I heard were of that view.)
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 14:04 - Nov 11 with 4515 viewsElephantintheRoom

Ignorance is bliss I guess.

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 14:05 - Nov 11 with 4505 viewsOsborneOneNil

Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:12 - Nov 11 by homer_123

Semi is about the best I can hope for these days.


Haha!
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 14:50 - Nov 11 with 4407 viewsStochesStotasBlewe

Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 13:36 - Nov 11 by monytowbray

HE MEANS HIS COCK.


Thanks for pointing that out.

We have no village green, or a shop. It's very, very quiet. I can walk to the pub.

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 15:00 - Nov 11 with 4384 viewsbraveblue

Col Utd away to Man Utd. Probably make them £750k. League Cup. That’s why we should try. Also, what happened to pride and a bit of commitment?
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 15:21 - Nov 11 with 4345 viewsVaughan8

Yeah just cos we can't win it, means we should just give up and go out at the earliest possibility...…! deary me

Imagine all the premier league teams bar Liverpool and Man City having that attitude (ok slightly different with relegation!)

Getting to the 3rd round and playing a Premier League team could bring in funds to buy/loan a player to get us back in the Championship……

Don't underestimate the feel good factor as well.

I can understand if we had a load of games.....we didn't Saturday. we have the Daffy duck cup tomorrow then a week and a half break....!
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 16:04 - Nov 11 with 4301 viewsClareBlue

Well as a boy living in Yorkshire in the 1970's who felt like he was the only Town supporter north of Peterborough, the cup was special. I went to numerous games with my dad who indulged me even though he had little interest in football, but the main ones that stick out in my memory 40 years later are all FA cup games. I was at the 78 final because my dad had a friend who was big in the refs association and they got allocations and he let me have one. The best ever was the 3-0 away win at Preson in 1980 as it was the last game I went to with my Dad and Ipswich flew up to Blackpool airport on the day of the match which was almost unheard of and all the Preston fans thought they were all flash gits.

One of the reasons I even support Ipswich is down to the FA cup. In 1974 as a 6 year old living in Yorkshire I had started supporting them as I didn't like Leeds or Burnley and Bradford, my local team, were seriously crap. It was hard to get to games but in 1975 we drew Leeds in FA Cup and tickets were sourced. My Dad had found out where the team were staying outside Leeds and stopped at the hotel on the chance we might see some players. We went into reception and BR was standing there talking to the receptionist. I shyly asked for his autograph and he signed my book and then asked my Dad if I wanted to meet some players. Of course we did. He took us into the restaurant and said to join them for breakfast. I was then a 7 year old boy eating a sausage next to Mick Mills, future captain of England. Class from BR, that resulted in a lifelong support for the club and literally 10s of thousands of punds supporting and following them. This has now been past on to the next generation as my son will travel anywhere to see them play.

I'm not sure that surviving in league 1 as it was, or mid table in the championship, or even promotion from the 3rd tier of football would have inspired me the same.

It saddens me to see complete disregard for the Cup. Yes we won't win it but it might be the only chance the younger generation ever get to see us play Liverpool, or Man U etc at Old Trafford or Anfield.

As my generation will know, you don't have to be playing to get injurred, you just have to not know not to poor flamables onto a B-B-Q. If you don't know this then title aspirations can litterally go up in smoke.
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 16:41 - Nov 11 with 4253 viewsChurchman

Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 16:04 - Nov 11 by ClareBlue

Well as a boy living in Yorkshire in the 1970's who felt like he was the only Town supporter north of Peterborough, the cup was special. I went to numerous games with my dad who indulged me even though he had little interest in football, but the main ones that stick out in my memory 40 years later are all FA cup games. I was at the 78 final because my dad had a friend who was big in the refs association and they got allocations and he let me have one. The best ever was the 3-0 away win at Preson in 1980 as it was the last game I went to with my Dad and Ipswich flew up to Blackpool airport on the day of the match which was almost unheard of and all the Preston fans thought they were all flash gits.

One of the reasons I even support Ipswich is down to the FA cup. In 1974 as a 6 year old living in Yorkshire I had started supporting them as I didn't like Leeds or Burnley and Bradford, my local team, were seriously crap. It was hard to get to games but in 1975 we drew Leeds in FA Cup and tickets were sourced. My Dad had found out where the team were staying outside Leeds and stopped at the hotel on the chance we might see some players. We went into reception and BR was standing there talking to the receptionist. I shyly asked for his autograph and he signed my book and then asked my Dad if I wanted to meet some players. Of course we did. He took us into the restaurant and said to join them for breakfast. I was then a 7 year old boy eating a sausage next to Mick Mills, future captain of England. Class from BR, that resulted in a lifelong support for the club and literally 10s of thousands of punds supporting and following them. This has now been past on to the next generation as my son will travel anywhere to see them play.

I'm not sure that surviving in league 1 as it was, or mid table in the championship, or even promotion from the 3rd tier of football would have inspired me the same.

It saddens me to see complete disregard for the Cup. Yes we won't win it but it might be the only chance the younger generation ever get to see us play Liverpool, or Man U etc at Old Trafford or Anfield.

As my generation will know, you don't have to be playing to get injurred, you just have to not know not to poor flamables onto a B-B-Q. If you don't know this then title aspirations can litterally go up in smoke.


Winning the FA Cup in the 1970s had the same ‘value’ as winning the league plus a day when it felt the eyes of the world were on the finalists. It was the only live televised club game. Everybody watched it. It was on the 2 main channels and programmes around the Cup Final began early in the morning. It was special. For people who weren’t around at the time just imagine if England made a World Cup final now. The interest then in the FA Cup final is comparable if not greater.

I was lucky enough to go to the 78 Final, having seen most of the cup run that preceded it. It was an amazing experience, made all the better by the near miss in 1975. Nobody who was there or watched it on tv will ever forget it.

The league is of course the priority and the FA Cup is Mickey Mouse by comparison with how it was. But I’d still like to see and another cup run. They are still special and one would benefit the club if not financially, in every other way
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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 17:25 - Nov 11 with 4197 viewsMarshalls_Mullet

Thats your view.

I dont share it.

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Sorry to those of you that were around in 1978, but the FA Cup is pointless... on 17:37 - Nov 11 with 4179 viewsFtnfwest

Although bear in mind we’re trying to get promoted back to a division within which we didn’t bother with the cups either.
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