Is the FA Cup final TRUELY the equivalent of the Super Bowl of English soccer?
Posted on March 13th, 2010 by wktd
But I must ask this question truely to those who really know, is the FA Cup final, back at Wimbley this year after those great years at Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, truely the "Super Bowl" of English soccer, because its presitige has been in declivity over the last few years? Well, is it?
Ultimately its all self-defeating. The FA Cup devalued by the Champions League; The Champions League attraction to the neutral diluted because its not the FA Cup (i.e its slugged out by two foriegn clubs who we dont give a damn about).
But thanks for the info back because the AP over here or Reuters keeps on saying each year, "its the biggest game of the English season" or "Its the SuperBowl of Englsih soccer"
They're looking for a shortcut to understand a different game, played in a different country, without having to actually think or learn the lay of the land. It's not that easy.
b.
The pinnacle of English soccer is the Premiership title. That said, I agree with your general premise.
They're looking for a shortcut to understand a different game, played in a different country, without having to actually think or learn the lay of the land. It's not that easy.
b.
Right. The first step to understanding is to quit trying to draw parallels to American sports. They really are not similar. I have always enjoyed explaining, to people trying to grasp United's appeal and success, that in fact they are not like the Yankees. That is: their success is not a product of being located in the nation's largest television market. Imagine the Yankees being located in Cinncinnati, with 10 other pro ball clubs, and you get a better picture.
It is not a worldwide competition in any regard and neither is it particularly similar to the FA Cup in format. It could be more legitimately a world championship if it allowed NFL Europe, Canadian, Mexican and American Samoan teams to compete, it doesn't. It could share common ground with the FA Cup if it allowed US based non- NFL teams to challenge for the Superbowl, but it doesn't. Like all American pro sports that apply the shameless title "world Champion" to their pinnicle competitions, the world beyond America is not actually invited to join in the challenge (except an occassional Canadian baseball team).
In short the Superbowl is a closed league system of domestic competition that determines the champion of the NFL. It would be a bit like Chelsea winning the Premier League and then being announced as "Champions of the World"
On Saturday we were away to a premiership side and dropped 6 players from our starting line-up, which rather shows where our priorities lie. Had we been mid-table we wouldn't have done that, but compared to going up, there's no contest.
It doesn't draw that well on TV any more either. The record was 28 million for the Leeds v Chelsea replay of 1970, which is just over half of the population of the UK at the time. Now it's more like 10 million, and even dropped to half that figure in the mid 1990s. Part of its (TV) appeal was that it was about the only time you ever saw a live club match on TV.
I'm hoping that with the cup back at wembley it will gain some appeal.
I don't think the champions league final is the equivalent either. Perhaps in playing terms, but not in fan interest. Fans are still very parochial and are much less inclined to watch a match not featuring a team from their country.
Surely the Superbowl is both a domestic and worldwide competition, simply because it is by far the strongest competition in that sport in the world by lightyears.
To both of you, i wasn't trying to draw a serious comparison, i wanted to see how English fans and British fans alike see the FA Cup in its importance as compared to capturing the Premiership title (much more lucrative and prestigious because you are the real "national" title holder) or the Champions League title (really, the Super Bowl of "club" soccer, unless you want to conside the Club World Championships the truw one since it pits the best teams in the world). Many have said the FA Cup isn't want it used to be and i wnated to see what true fans had to say, not hear some American wnating to compare sports Bulls--- that is banal and stupid. If you have something positive to say like the others, then do that.
Im not one comparing the Yankees or Dodgers or anybody to any British team. I was just showing passion and respect for the FA Cup and if the likes of Chelsea and Mourino would wnat to capture this title.
And newbie, hell man, ya only had what, 200 post in 3 years, whats really good with that?
Im not one comparing the Yankees or Dodgers or anybody to any British team. I was just showing passion and respect for the FA Cup and if the likes of Chelsea and Mourino would wnat to capture this title.
And newbie, hell man, ya only had what, 200 post in 3 years, whats really good with that?
Easy there killer! I did not mean that you were comparing. It's just sorta how these threads go. The topics morph somewhat. But to address your original question, it's not quite a Super Bowl, but I do think it's closer than some think. While it is not the championship, it is the only thing in English football that provides the excitement of a championship final. So while winning the cup would not be celebrated in the way that a Super Bowl would be, the intensity of the contest is similar.
I could easily counter by pointing out how few countries play the sport and that foreign teams aren't allowed to compete in it. Regardless of what you may want to think, it is a domestic competition and therefore the comparison to the FA Cup is valid.
What is more relevant is it being by far the pinnacle of the sport (the NFL), while the FA Cup is not.
Gridiron footballers dream of winning the Super Bowl, while association footballers dream of winning the CL.
From what I understand of the NFL structure, there is a short season of mini-leagues/conferences, with teams qualifying for a play-off and then progressing onto the SuperBowl to decide - as ossieend said - the overall Champion. I dont believe there is anything else, there is nothing beyond, its what all teams aspire to. This 'focus' is what gives the SuperBowl its strong identity.
The closest thing football has in terms of structure is the Champions League, which is easily the biggest club trophy to any who fall under the European umbrella.
Domestic Football over here is more densely layered with teams of vastly differing ability all going for their relative success, and there are many different competitions from the League Cup, through the League title and Europe up to the World Cup which all detract a little from one another. The FA Cup certainly matches the Super Bowl in terms of history, but it is increasingly becoming the poor man's holy grail, something a Charlton or a Middelsborough or a Bolton would aspire to achieve. To the bigger clubs, the Premiership remains a more lucrative title and even a 4th place finish (and resulting qualification into Europe) is perhaps given higher creedence than the FA Cup for top half Premiership teams. Indeeed, I do believe if you'd ask a Liverpool, Everton or Newcastle fan whether they'd like to win the last game of the domestic season to snatch a European place or win the FA Cup, many would say the former. The clubs certainly see it that way.
In short, England doesnt have a Super Bowl. We have the historically prestigous FA Cup, but this is always outdone in the overall 'importance' of things by qualification to a higher level; i,.e The Champions League. It'd be a bit like creating a highly competitive, financially lucrative American Area NFL-type competiton, with the American SuperBowl winners then going for a continental title against, say, Canadian and Mexican counterparts who were of equal quality, from domestic leagues of the same strength as the NFL (dont laugh, this is purely hypothetical). In 30-40 years, the SuperBowl would have diminshed in importance against the alure of being not just National champions, but Continental champions, especially if qualifcation to this Super-Competition was opened up not just to Super Bowl winners, but the runners-up aswell.
I suppose the most correct thing to say would be that the Champions League final is Europe's SuperBowl. Then we're at a similar point of structure and what it means to the clubs. Only here are you at the pinnacle.
But surely by that reasoning it isn't. The FA Cup means a lot to hundreds of teams, from those playing barely above park level right through to the upper Premiership sides. The SuperBowl might be a players view of the pinnacle, but it only counts for 32 (is that number right?) teams.
But I must ask this question truely to those who really know, is the FA Cup final, back at Wimbley this year after those great years at Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, truely the "Super Bowl" of English soccer, because its presitige has been in declivity over the last few years? Well, is it?
I wouldn't say it was the same as the Superbowl because the 'Bowl' decides the national and effectively World champions, Whereas, the EPL, Serie A etc. decide national champions and the World Cup the ...... well, what it says. Plus there's the Champions League etc. But, the FA Cup final is certainly the event where we celebrate another season and all fans want to have the big day out and see their team there. Yes, you're probably right when you say the prestige, at least for the players and managers of the big clubs, has been in decline over recent years. That's probably due to the influx of players from the continent where domestic cup competitions never meant so much as they do to us Brits. But, as a Derby County fan, I think I speak for most supporters of similar sized clubs when I say 'give me the FA Cup and relegation this year over no cup and promotion.
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