'The FA Cup is dead'

Custis: words of warning

I do fear if you have two small clubs in the final, it's going to convince people that the FA Cup is on the wane.

Shaun Custis
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The morning after Manchester United and Chelsea crashed out of the FA Cup, most people are talking about the magic being restored to the world's oldest cup competition.

But not everybody. Indeed The Sun's Shaun Custis believes the FA Cup has just been "killed stone dead".

Custis admits he was thrilled by the exploits of Portsmouth and Barnsley as they sent two of the top teams in the country packing, but he fears for the long-term future of the competition.

Custis says the progress of the smaller teams will have a negative impact on the commercial appeal of the FA Cup and the fact that Wembley might not be full for the semi-finals will devalue the competition further.

Custis declared on The Sunday Supplement: "The cup has just been killed stone dead.

"Yesterday was a fantastic day, but now I can hear all the TV executives saying 'Oh God'.

"We've had a lot of talk about the 39th game and how the whole world loves to see our football. The FA sell their rights all over the world and they will have a job convincing everybody that the semi-finals are worth watching.

"They need to keep their product at a high level to keep the interest up in the FA Cup.

"I like what has happened and I really look forward to a Barnsley v Portsmouth final or something like that, it would be very good fun.

"But I do fear if you have two small clubs in the final, it's going to convince people that the FA Cup is on the wane.

"Will we even fill Wembley for those two semi-finals?"

Not good

Custis fears the bigger clubs might start placing too much emphasis on the Premier League and the Champions League with the domestic cup competition a distant second, as is the situation in Europe.

He continued: "The attitude in France and Germany is that the cup doesn't matter and it's all about the league and the Champions League and that is going to be the worry over here.

"Don't tell me that everybody in Soho Square and all the TV executives are going to be thinking this FA Cup semi-final line-up is fantastic. I like it, but long-term there will be people thinking this is not good."

The saddest indictment for Custis was that even in Barnsley's moment of triumph, one of their most high-profile supporters was still more concerned with the club's Championship survival.

"One very sad thing I heard on the radio this morning was an interview with Dickie Bird and they were asking him about Barnsley," he added.

"He said it was fantastic, but then he said they've got to be concerned about their league position.

"Don't you think if you were a Barnsley fan you'd accept relegation and winning the FA Cup?

"It's so sad that even Dickie is putting their league position above the FA Cup!"

Henry Winter didn't agree with Shaun. Click on the video in the top right of your screen to see his views.