MODERN ROMANCE

04-01-2008

It's the FA Cup Third Round this weekend, but as Richard Nevin observes our local heroes Chasetown haven't been deemed worthy of live telly coverage. Why ever not?

This weekend will see the cliché count go through the roof as we witness the third round of the Football Association Challenge Cup Competition. The leading lights of this hackneyed word play will be, of course the pundits and commentators of the BBC.

As holders of the TV rights for the competition, our national broadcaster tends to over egg the pudding when advertising their coverage of the games, harking back to great games of the past, the emphasis fairly and squarely on that of the minnows versus the big boys.

But are they being faithful to this tradition?

The selection of the live games this year would certainly indicate that they aren’t.

Here in the Midlands our own non league standard bearers are Charlie Blakemore's Chasetown, who face championship Cardiff City on Saturday lunchtime.

The only other non-professional outfit also in the draw being Havant and Waterlooville, who by coincidence face Cardiff’s bitter rivals, Swansea City.

The very spirit of the cup is embodied in those two ties, so who can we look forward to seeing on our screens this weekend? That's right, four of the Premier League’s biggest clubs (note that Sky have followed the Beeb by picking the Luton/Liverpool tie).

Fine if you’re a 13 year old Manchester United fan from Woking, but to us traditionalists, another nail in the coffin of this once great competition.

Regardless of the results, the presence and benefit of live TV coverage to non-league clubs is almost immeasurable, and is definitely in keeping with the ideals and principles of this all inclusive competition.

These ideals and principles that are important in the former rounds, are dumped like an unwanted Christmas gift once Wenger and co are on the scene.

So the chance of seeing some genuine effort, endeavour and sportsmanship has been eschewed in favour of the pouting surly millionaire.

Thanks BBC.

Then again, it could get a lot worse next season when the TV rights switch to I.T.V. Is that the sound of Andy Townsend’s tactics truck reversing out of the garage?

Has the Beeb boobed by failing to feature Chasetown?

Is the FA Cup a busted flush anyway?

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