Decline of Saturday spectacle shows the FA Cup is not what it used to be | Paul Wilson


There are only 10 third-round games at the traditional time this weekend, as the competition loses its sense of community along with its grandeur

Some weird things have been happening to the FA Cup of late, with fifth-round replays being arbitrarily abolished and the final being played at Tottenham’s home ground last season. Nothing will make football followers of a certain age feel quite as seasick, though, as contemplating this weekend’s third-round programme.

That word is a bit of a giveaway there, because the FA Cup third round never used to be a programme – it used to be a fixed point in the football season and perhaps the most eagerly anticipated one at that. It would probably be wise to keep the nostalgia to a minimum here, but for the benefit of younger readers, this is what used to happen.

Related: Plan to scrap FA Cup fifth-round replays brought forward to this season

Related: The Knowledge: heavy FA Cup upsets and long-distance journeymen

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