I have just been thinking and I personally believe that 3rd round of the fa cup is my favourite day of the football calendar, loads of games on, big vs small teams, upsets usually the day has got at least a few talking points . Based on this I thought I’d make a thread and say what’s your favourite day and why. Not a wind up thread I have been thinking about this and I think for the last 20 odd years this is the day/ weekend I enjoy the most.
Favourite day of the football calendar
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As a Man Utd fan it's always been the last day of the season. For the past decade it's been because the torture has finally ended for a while (apart from when Liverpool won the title 
) and before that it was quite often another season of success with maybe a cup final to look forward too as well.
) and before that it was quite often another season of success with maybe a cup final to look forward too as well.
3rd round day just always reminds me of a bit of an embarrassment at school. I was pretty famed for never handing in homework on time, but this one was special. It was Maths A-level and we were doing critical path analysis. I did a house build, but my mate did the FA cup.
That was relevant, because it highlighted just how long I had delayed handing mine in - we started at the time of the 3rd round (which is where he got the idea for his from), and I still hadn't handed mine in on the day of the final.
That was relevant, because it highlighted just how long I had delayed handing mine in - we started at the time of the 3rd round (which is where he got the idea for his from), and I still hadn't handed mine in on the day of the final.
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I used to love this day for the same reasons. These days though I just have zero interest in the FA Cup. That is down to the lack of respect shown to it by clubs and the FA. The rot started that year when Man Utd was allowed to pull out to play in the World Club Championship instead.
Indeed. Wasn't much live football on TV when I was a kid which made FA cup final day all the more exciting, even though I never saw my team in it until I was in my 20's.
All Man Utds fault. Although they'll probably blame it all on Marcus Rashford.
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I'm not blaming Man Utd, just pointing out the tipping point IMO for the FA cup. That step from the FA fatally undermined the value of the FA Cup
Absolutely agree. It was the tipping point where it was seen as a lesser competition. Would that have happened anyway without them skipping a round to go to the club world cup? Probably. Same small group of teams winning it every year for just about the last 30 odd probably hasn't helped either but good teams win trophies so not really sure how that could be any different.
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They didn't skip a round, they withdrew altogether.
Utd's withdrawal was more symbolic than anything. Like it or not, money talks and the growth of the PL and CL has meant that the FA Cup has become less and less important and not just in the eyes of the very biggest sides but throughout the Leagues. I don't see anything changing in that regard and it's only a matter of time before the League Cup is gone and the FA Cup becomes as important as the League Cup is now.
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As I said earlier I wasn't blaming Man Utd for this, it was the FA I blamed.
The World Club Championship is something most football fans still don't care about. It hasn't been won by anyone other than the European Champions since 2012 and even then it has only been won by someone else 4 times since 2000. It is essentially a glorified Charity Shield.
When the FA themselves permitted Man Utd to withdraw from the FA Cup they fatally undermined their own competition. Top clubs for years would field weaker sides in the early rounds, that wasn't new. The thing is they still wanted to win the competition itself.
The World Club Championship is something most football fans still don't care about. It hasn't been won by anyone other than the European Champions since 2012 and even then it has only been won by someone else 4 times since 2000. It is essentially a glorified Charity Shield.
When the FA themselves permitted Man Utd to withdraw from the FA Cup they fatally undermined their own competition. Top clubs for years would field weaker sides in the early rounds, that wasn't new. The thing is they still wanted to win the competition itself.
My comment wasn't regarding blame, I was just saying that the whole thing re Utd's withdrawal (whether you blame Utd or the FA) didn't really change anything in regards to where the FA Cup is now. The decline in importance of the FA Cup is down to money. Winning the FA Cup earns you around the same as finishing 1 place higher in the PL and little more than a single win in the CL group stage. You mention the Club World Cup - iirc Liverpool earned £5m for winning that (by playing 2 games) and with the revamped competition that amount is going to sky rocket too.
As above, it's not just a thing amongst the biggest sides either. You see EFL sides regularly making mass changes to their sides for Cup games, prioritising their League campaigns.
You can criticise the FA regarding the Utd situation, kick-off times etc but ultimately the value of the Cup is determined by the sides competing in it and clubs just determine value by how much money is up for grabs.
As above, it's not just a thing amongst the biggest sides either. You see EFL sides regularly making mass changes to their sides for Cup games, prioritising their League campaigns.
You can criticise the FA regarding the Utd situation, kick-off times etc but ultimately the value of the Cup is determined by the sides competing in it and clubs just determine value by how much money is up for grabs.