The heat of battle

Nothing beats a good regional scrap and as Arsenal got to grips with Chelsea on Sunday I got to thinking.

Why not revive the Worthless Cup with a regional league stage, followed by a national playoff for the semi-finals and final?

It would serve the fans well as they would no longer be fleeced with high travel and ticket prices for meaningless Tuesday night ‘reserve’ games. Instead they could go to war in local grudge matches that would stir the passion and recapture the essence of British cup football. Then the finest of the regions would fight for the trophy.

Brilliant.

Long live the FA Cup dream

Arsene Wenger’s crusade to kill off English football continues.

Not content with stifling the development of domestic talent with his French First selection policy, he is now determined to kill of an English institution – the FA Cup.

Scrapping replays would be certain death for the old tin idle. A battling away draw followed by a replay back on your own patch is what keeps many of the little clubs going. It breeds excitement, generates cash and bonds communities around the smaller clubs.

Is English football not elitist enough? The big four already dominate the Cup and have owned it for the past 10 years.

The cup needs a lift, but killing people’s dreams is not the way to achieve it. Give the winners a spot in the Champion’s League and the Premiership and the Cup would both prosper.

And as for Glen ‘we’re a big club really’ Roder popping up from under his stone. Well Mr Roder, go and polish the Intertoto Cup and be pleased the media bothered to print your menial little opinion.