Up the Albion!
Mark Brailsford on the FA Cup
There used to be a saying in the frozen north in ye olden days: “Are you ‘oop for t’cup?” Then they’d take out t’whippet for a pint of mild and a t’Woodbine before taking t’pigeons for a walk. Please forgive the hackneyed stereotype, there’s a purpose, I promise. As The Albion prepare to face Newcastle United in the third round of the fizzy piss Cup (come on, how can anyone seriously drink this particular sponsor’s beer?) the feeling of anti-climax fizzes more than the FA’s preferred beverage.
How did this happen? The oldest cup competition in the world, the one game the world used to watch before the advent of the Moneyball…sorry “Champions” League came along and ruined it all. For Albion fans, the cup has a bittersweet memory, those who went to Wembley will never forget it and to this day, the moment Gordon Smith had the goal at his mercy is still being replayed in countless pointless dreams. It was so very special to be in the final of the FA Cup.
The Cup Final tradition of singing ‘Abide With Me’ still has the power to reduce grown men (well, me) to tears even now and yet, this dear old competition is shunted around the schedules, stripped of its drama and replays and played out by second-string teams who prefer to chase fourth in the league than win this grand old trophy.
Yes, it’s bit of a nostalgia trip, but the debasement of the FA Cup is emblematic of the evolution of the game in this country a lot of it to the detriment of fans. And yet, here it is again, the desecrated old lady of the game, ready to tantalise with her old tricks and upsets. So, to the point? It may be a hackneyed old cliché, the underdog having his day, the prospect for a giant killing, but that’s the thing with with nostalgia, it’s not like it used to be.
Brighton Vs Newcastle
In the fourth round of the Cup last season the Albion were in the middle of an autumn slump but were buoyed by victory over Premier League opposition in the League Cup (Sunderland) and the fortuitous victory over Newcastle. Alan Pardew, not exactly a favourite in these parts due to his habit of denigrating The Albion in the past and his connections to Our Friends in the North, must be very wary of Gus Poyet’s team after that.
Even the most ardent Albion fan will admit that Newcastle were unfortunate that night, made even more surprising by the fact that they were in the middle of a fine run in the league at the time. This time around the modern version of the good old “vote of confidence” from board has reared is cursed head, this time in the form of a somewhat surprising ten-year contract. Considering Newcastle’s current poor firm and league position, this is looking like another classic “Looney Toon” moment. If Mr Poyet has somehow managed to land any of his transfer targets by then (Chris Wood anyone?) we could be due for a cup upset. However, the smart money is on the misfiring antics of the usual suspects up front continuing. With a draw about as popular as John Terry at a Brixton gospel meeting, the odds are not in favour of the Albion. But it is the cup and it might be fun to see Pardew’s ever charming snarl at the post-match press conference.
