For 154 years, heroic Tamworth would have earned a Cup replay and an £800,000 windfall – but since the FA threw the tradition out, they were the victims of a great BETRAYAL, writes MATT BARLOW
- Non-league Tamworth held out bravely and forced Tottenham into extra time
- But when the FA Cup replays were scrapped, they were dropped from the competition
- Listen to It all starts! Why Manchester United may have to sell Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho
Well, that didn’t last long. Ten months after the replays were canceled without proper consultation and the FA Cup shows the decision for what it was: a betrayal at the bottom of English football.
This wonderful old league is like that. It can remove pretensions. It is its beauty and one of the main reasons for its enduring popularity.
This time last year, Tamworth’s reward for keeping Tottenham out for ninety minutes would have been a repeat in the best stadium in the country and the chance for Andy Peaks to get another shot at Ange Postecoglou’s team after his part-time players had caught their breath. back.
The chance to earn a share of up to £6 million, which is the estimated matchday earnings from a competition at Daniel Levy’s beautiful temple to corporate fandom.
Taking into account the costs and the likelihood that tickets would have been priced cheaper than normal, but a live TV fee would have been added, there is a chance that Tamworth could have made the cool sum of a million from a repeat.
Let’s not forget why reruns had to be cut. They were unpopular with the biggest and richest clubs in the country. And why? They have made the competition list confusing.
Tamworth was cruelly denied a replay after holding Spurs to a goalless draw after 90 minutes
Just a year ago their performances would have been enough to secure a cash-rich rematch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Clubs whose managers whine about the fixtures as they sign up for bloated UEFA competitions, post-season friendlies on the other side of the world and extended summer tours.
Or in the case of a certain six, including Spurs, by dealing with the Super League leading group.
This is the path to profit for the big clubs. For the small clubs, the profit comes from the FA Cup. Marine made £800,000 in the draw against Tottenham four years ago and they have been transformed.
There are strong arguments to suggest that Exeter City owe their existence to a replay against Manchester United, and that Burton Albion built their status as an EFL club on the back of a replay at Old Trafford.
This trickles down and helps small clubs develop, just as the windfall from European competition helps Premier League clubs develop and progress.
It could be the difference between working full-time and settling into the fifth level.
Don’t forget that Tamworth’s players also have hectic schedules. They play twice a week and have full-time jobs. They get up at 5 a.m. to spend time in the gym working on their fitness.
They were slowing down and fatigue was taking its toll, so it was hardly a fair fight against Spurs in extra time. The professional athletes will win against the part-timers in a longer match.
Instead, the fifth team wonders what could have happened after the FA made the controversial decision to scrap replays
The heroic effort of the part-timers was undone during an extra 30 minutes of football that would not have been played before
The result only highlights the magic the FA Cup can bring in light of a sport increasingly focused on the richest clubs
It’s true that if there had been a replay on the air, we probably would have seen Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son sooner, and Tottenham would probably still have won, but that doesn’t make any sense.
The problem is that the top levels of football care less about that than ever. The rich and powerful have the power. And they have different priorities. What about those for whom the FA Cup is a priority?
What about those who are not interested in the money? Those who watch their local team because it represents their community.
They will cherish the time they kept for over 90 minutes at Spurs, but will not go to N17.
Bravo Tamworth for not only delivering a few hours of compelling FA Cup drama by showing what can be done by industry, organization and faith, and with no shortage of football talent.
But to remind us why it is important to be wary of the selfish elite who are determined to put the national game beyond the reach of the common man in the name of profit.