I am not sure anyone is disputing your point. Airman seems to have made the point that there is also prize money to be considered, not just gate revenue. Personally, I don't see any stronger correlation between not taking the F A Cup seriously and gaining more league points as a result and taking the competition more seriously and it acting as spur to poor league results. The fact is we have been poor for all bar one of the last ten seasons and only had one memorable F A Cup run, ironically in one of the poorer seasons when we just avoided relegation. The big boys might not take the F A Cup as seriously nowadays and that may filter down inmnterms of interest but they contest most finals and when there are only two larger competitions to win, winning the F A Cup can make a huge difference to the prestige of a club and the security of the mangers job. Arlene Wenger would vouch for it. Bigger clubs also have far larger and stronger squads than in previous decades and can field 'weaker' elevens in the cup and still expect to win.
Again, I don't disagree with any of that but I don't get to pick the team. The Managers/Head Coaches that have been picking the teams have seen fit to rest first choice players for most of the last decade. There must be a reason for that? It's out of my control and I can only speculate as to why the club have done this. I assumed that low attendances made part of the reason financial, Airman suggests that this is not the case, so I speculated that maybe the players have been rested because it was believed that it would help our league campaign.
Whatever the reason it has been clear since Curbishley was here that we have been unable to, consistently, beat lower league sides when playing with half a first team so why not play the best players? If it's not related to the potential income and it's not related to 'resting' players for league games then why have we continued to play reserves and under perform as a result?
It can't realistically be financial on the basis that players wages are pretty much fixed cost - it must be to rest players. I am pretty certain we don't pick a side to lose in order to avoid the potential cost of hosting another loss-making game. As AB says, the club used to (and probably still do) make their annual budget forecast upon a modicum of Cup success, probably to a point where there might be some upside e.g. probably third round for us this season. Having picked a strong side for yesterday and set some expectations, KR will struggle to pick a weaker one in subsequent rounds. Maybe this thread could be the driver for a very unlikely Wembley visit.....
I understand there is a cost associated with this, but I am totally put off going on Sunday against Truro (and other reduced capacity games) by not being able to sit in the East half way line area where I normally sit.
I was about to buy tickets and take my son, but probably wont now
Absolute piss poor reason not to go. If people actually came to the games and stopped making up shitty excuses all the time then maybe they would open all the stands. So many fans cry now days about supporting and helping out non leagues teams and yesterday would have be a double bonus, help out the non league team and your own team. Pathetic crowd yesterday for a proper cup game.
I wonder how many will return if we was to get to the 3rd round and get a prem team at home like Huddersfield Man Utd.
I've got the shittiest excuses of all for not going: Shitty owner and shitty CEO.
I went in the end and was treated to all the other excuses/reasons I shouldn't have. I actually had a great time with my son though, particularly as I refused him any electronic devices to distract.
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