It’s been a long time a coming, but at last we have reached the sixth round of the FA Cup. Albeit we have drawn what on the surface might appear to be the shortest straw in the competition, but personally I do not subscribe to this view. Watford away presents a gilt-edged opportunity for the Clarets to progress to the semi-final of the original and the best football knockout competition, which has a history straddling across 3 centuries, and one in which we have previously played our full and glorious part. How anyone could prefer the turgid encounter between Liverpool and Auxerre, which masquerades as superior fare, over a traditional blood and thunder FA Cup tie is beyond me - and how the BFCLSC Chairman, who in every other respects purports to be a strong traditionalist, can side up with the Allardyces and the Premiership / Champions League suits is puzzling. So the snore-inducing game vs Derby was better than the second half at Brentford? I think not.
Televisually maybe Cup football doesn’t stack up, so that’s why you’ve got to be there to appreciate it.
Indeed, talkSPORT’s Mike Parry has declared that the competition has been devalued because of the potential presence of either Watford or Burnley in the semi-final. Presumably this is the same sense of devaluation that occurred when Shrewsbury beat Parry’s Everton, Hereford beat Newcastle, Sunderland beat Leeds in the final, and so on.
Let's not forget that Burnley have won the competition in 1914, and Jimmy Robson scored the 100th goal in the 1962 Final at Wembley. Those with long memories say that this was one of the great Cup Finals of all time. However, over recent years, as a club we have failed to maintain those traditions. Time was when a Cup tie would be a massive draw, and looking back over the seasons a draw against a side in the same division would result in a much higher gate for the Cup tie than the respective League game. These days the situation is the reverse.
However, personally I am not disappointed about all this - indeed, I see it as an opportunity. Last season, me and the offspring went on Sunday night to see Man Yoo play Villa in Birmingham, in the third round. Thanks to the BBC screening the match, and the lack of interest in the Cup competition, tickets were freely available on the night. Man United put out their full strength side, so we got to watch one of Europe’s top sides in an absolutely cracking Cup tie which, if you remember, van Nistelrooy pulled back from 2–0 down to win 3–2 on the night, staging a remarkable comeback. Although Manchester United supporters are much maligned, they certainly do not turn their noses up at the so-called lesser competitions. Their section was packed with 8,000 supporters on the night, and this season they have been the only side to sell out the Cricket Field End at the Turf. Their own ground was full vs Portsmouth, so good luck to them. Let's face it, they have more right than most to snub the FA Cup, but they choose not to.
This season I have watched four FA Cup ties, and they all have been hard-fought keen encounters played with much passion, rather than outstanding skill, but in all cases bang for buck entertainment. Starting with Heybridge Swifts vs Sutton United in one of the qualifying rounds, a rugged encounter in the Essex marshlands, and moving on to AFC Sudbury’s narrow home defeat at the hands of St Albans, for the right to visit Stockport.
We Shall Not Be Moved
In terms of excitement as opposed to quality football, the clash at Brentford was a Cup classic. A home team from a lower division against a side from the league above. Brentford had already seen off Derby, but having watched the latter on Saturday at Turf Moor, it was not hard to see why. Brentford may well have achieved the same result if it was not for a display of guts and skill from the Clarets' defence. The second half especially at Brentford was a thrilling game, vintage Cup football. Close to the front of the terracing, and greatly enjoying the opportunity to stand in comfort at a football game, we witnessed the game at close hand, in touching distance of Marlon Beresford who, together with his defenders, repelled wave after wave of Brentford attacks. The home fans played their part, making it a rowdy, boisterous clash: the very essence of English Cup football, and a rare occasion where I felt sympathy for the opposition fans.
The game at Fulham was again a fantastic experience, and one of the most enjoyable games I have been to see in recent years. The Burnley supporters played their full part, and they were greatly boosted by Alan Moore’s early goal when he calmly slotted the ball home to cue absolute delirium in the glorified tool shed behind the goal at Fulham’s temporary home. One expected that Fulham might begin to exert their “class”, but this appeared only in flashes - and when they did occasionally cut through the otherwise solid Burnley rearguard, their finishing was weak, with the exception of Malbranque. Fulham’s shooting looked more like Towneley Rec. than one that had cost £47 million (according to the Fulham programme notes - and how pretentious is the insertion of that information?).
Due to commitments etc I couldn’t make the game on Wednesday night, but I watched the lads finish off what they had started on the Magic Lantern. I note that Tigana has taken some exception to the referee on this occasion, for apparently failing to show “respect” for his player, Boa Morte, who had earlier declared on the Fulham Official Web Site: "The team always has a very good spirit and we have shown against Spurs that we are ready to battle at any ground”. What a pussy. Despite being bold enough to correctly book Ian Moore for a blatant dive in the early stages of the game, Tigana wasn’t satisfied with Mr Dowd, and was naïve enough to complain to the ref at half time about serious foul play. He got his desserts when the ref heeded his advice and sent off Davis. How we chortled. His time might have been better allocated to galvanising his players and telling them to scrap a bit harder; however, I bet the ref had a smug feeling of satisfaction as he saw Davis take the short walk down the tunnel (conveniently situated near the away end, packed with two coachloads of Fulham diehards). It’s about time a few more refs took a leaf out of Mr Dowd’s book and stuck it up a few more managers, including ours on some occasions. Imagine the uproar if Mr Dowd had gone into Tigana’s dressing room and said “BTW Jean, mon ami, it might be a good idea if one or two of your defenders got a bit tighter on the Burnley forwards, as they seem to be scoring more goals than your team”.
Indeed, Stan had a rare pop at an opposition manager as he labelled Tigana as unprofessional, with some justification. After all, their players had claimed in the build-up that they had done their “homework” on the Clarets, and were treating them seriously. Stan even fielded exactly the same line-up and played exactly the same tactics the second time around, but they fared even worse than before. Stan got it spot on, and one senses that Tigana won’t be a Premiership manager much longer after his side - that cost circa £50 million to put together - got tucked up home and away by a back line with four free transfers and Ian Cox. Their players are not much better: despite getting paid an absolute fortune by the club, several of them have declared they will be off if Tigana goes. One feels that after last night’s performance that they would be better off without them, if that is the kind of loyalty they intend to show the hand that feeds them.
Anyway, never mind that lot - they are out and we are in the last eight. We can spend the next few days looking forward to our eminently winnable tie at Watford. Hopefully we will get the whole end behind the goal at Vicarage Road, and blow the roof off - and put another London club to the sword. If we do, either Claudio or Arsene will be hoping that the winners of one of the other two ties gets the Clarets in the semis, as we will have put out three London clubs after being drawn away from Turf Moor.
Earlier in the year we played “well” at Watford and lost. I would be happy if we play rubbish and get a result. I am old enough to remember that in the build-up to the last sixth round Cup tie that we took part in twenty long years ago, Jack Charlton, who was manager of Sheffield Wednesday at the time, turned the pressure screw on Burnley by stating that he was not worried about being drawn away as they could get two results, a draw or a win - and I hope Stan adopts the same line. In the event, Steve Taylor caved in by missing an early penalty when he passed the ball back to Wednesday keeper Bob Boulder from the spot in the third minute. An uncharacteristic defensive slip from the normally unflappable Dobbo presented the Yorkshire side with a goal, and every Burnley chance then fell to the demoralised and chicken-hearted Taylor. He missed the lot, and it was a long way downhill from there on. A lot of people who remember that penalty miss cite it as a key moment in the history of the Club. Certainly they turned in a dismal performance at Cambridge shortly after, surrendered their Second Division place and were unable to regain it for more than a decade.
Sheffield went on to fall in the semis to Brighton, leading to “...and Smith must score”. Football is agonisingly full of “if onlys”.
Stan and the boys now have the opportunity to exorcise a few ghosts, so...
Come on you Clarets
Igor Wowk
February / March 2003
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