The ‘Magic’ of the FA Cup

[Cheshunto]

When I was growing up the FA Cup was more important than the League and fans would flock to matches and fight to get a ticket.
So it’s sad to look at our website for Saturday’s game and see literally hundreds of empty seats in both the open stands, ie the West and South.
I know that Carlisle aren’t Spurs or Man Utd, but unless there’s a late surge in sales we are looking at a fairly low crowd.

[Orient Punxx]

Should put a Champions League reward for winning it. Would revitalise it instantly.

[OyinbO]

Should put a Champions League reward for winning it. Would revitalise it instantly.

Doubt that would make much different to a first round game between Orient and Carlisle.

[OyinbO]

When I was growing up the FA Cup was more important than the League and fans would flock to matches and fight to get a ticket.
So it’s sad to look at our website for Saturday’s game and see literally hundreds of empty seats in both the open stands, ie the West and South.
I know that Carlisle aren’t Spurs or Man Utd, but unless there’s a late surge in sales we are looking at a fairly low crowd.

I know attendances for these type of matches (early round of the Cup vs some team we play in the league regularly) hasn't been spectacular for many years, but one does wonder how much the rising costs around League fixtures will be draining desire away for paying for these extras...

[Mistadobalina]

First time I'm bothering in years with a first round game because the tickets were cheap and I'm hoping for a cup run this year. Don't think it's helped that we'll have played Carlisle 3 times in little over 12 months so there's no novelty factor.

[StillSpike]

I suspect my memories of the FA Cup are slightly skewed, because when I was growing up Orient were entering the competition at the 3rd round stage so I think it was more exciting - it was past Christmas, there was always the chance of a big team in the 3rd round and the prize for winning in the 3rd round was much more likely to be someone big.

Agree however, that the competition has been degraded over the years, and potential changes to the rules over replays etc (always it seems to benefit the bigger clubs) will not help. It's a shame, because it used to be magical.

[Daily Express bot]

Can be expensive for a family to attend, even at our level. I am going but don’t particularly fancy it.

The FA cup has lost its shine especially what they have done having the final so late in the day, was a great day years ago.

[Top of the JES]

I think the lower down the pyramid you go the more the magic exists, If (heaven forbid) we got through to the third round it would be genuinely quite exciting to draw a Premiership club but with our luck in cup draws it would be Plymouth away.

[Friend or fart]

90% of the best matches I have ever seen, were FA Cup matches: Chelsea V Leeds & even V Orient. Some good Orient games amongst them. The trivialisation of the Competition by Premier Clubs don't help. It ridiculous the way the Final is staged. The zenith of a Football fans career was to see your team play at Wembley. I hope we have a good Cup run.

[Daily Express bot]

I think the lower down the pyramid you go the more the magic exists, If (heaven forbid) we got through to the third round it would be genuinely quite exciting to draw a Premiership club but with our luck in cup draws it would be Plymouth away.

Quite a nice day out and beer on the Barge Pub

[Mistadobalina]

90% of the best matches I have ever seen, were FA Cup matches: Chelsea V Leeds & even V Orient. Some good Orient games amongst them. The trivialisation of the Competition by Premier Clubs don't help. It ridiculous the way the Final is staged. The zenith of a Football fans career was to see your team play at Wembley. I hope we have a good Cup run.

Orient beating Brighton 4-2 in the first round was one of those games that really got me hooked. Remember the atmosphere being electric (believe this is the game where Brighton fans invaded the pitch after going 1 up but I may have added that memory in retrospectively), the otherwise awful Richards scoring a hattrick and giving it the big one to the Brighton fans, Wim Walcherts getting a rare goal.

Loved the cup when I was a kid and it's a shame that people can't be arsed with anymore, but money is tight and the authorities have actively undermined it for decades now.

[Give it to Jabo]

Enjoyed that encounter. Unusually the nearby roads were blocked off and there were numerous arrests following the game. What year was that?

[EliotNes]

Orient 3 Chelsea 2 and Hoadley scoring the rocket first goal. That was magic.
Jonathan Tehoue's 89th minute equaliser, magical again.

I wasn't living in the UK when we got to the semi-final, so only seen the highlights on YouTube, but that run would have been magical to those who saw it.

Ronnie Radford's goal Hereford vs Newcastle was also, magical.

But for sure, a lot of the magic has gone. I can't see a Championship team getting to the final in the near future. But a nice cup run for the Os would be nice and let's hope it starts on Saturday.

[banqo]

If we get over 4000 on Saturday I'll be surprised. PS I won't be there!!

[Daily Express bot]

If we get over 4000 on Saturday I'll be surprised. PS I won't be there!!

If that is so I really don’t know why they do not have an instant sale 2 for one deal or something or free burger and chips with each ticket or something ti draw people in , better than having half full

[BIGRON]

If we get over 4000 on Saturday I'll be surprised. PS I won't be there!!

Bought tickets in the club shop yesterday, they said ticket sakes were very slow

[gshaw]

First two rounds for League clubs there's no potential for excitement, either clubs in and around you or a banana skin.

Get to third round and the big names are in the hat then the magic begins

[Cheshunto]

If we get over 4000 on Saturday I'll be surprised. PS I won't be there!!

Bought tickets in the club shop yesterday, they said ticket sakes were very slow

If the club shop are admitting that “ticket sales are slow” then the crowd could be below 2,000 , which is a shame.
Maybe the club should have done a “ Football for a Fiver “ offer.

[StillSpike]

If we get over 4000 on Saturday I'll be surprised. PS I won't be there!!

Bought tickets in the club shop yesterday, they said ticket sakes were very slow

If the club shop are admitting that “ticket sales are slow” then the crowd could be below 2,000 , which is a shame.
Maybe the club should have done a “ Football for a Fiver “ offer.

Presume that would require Carlisle's agreement, given it's a shared gate?

[Cheshunto]

Bought tickets in the club shop yesterday, they said ticket sakes were very slow

If the club shop are admitting that “ticket sales are slow” then the crowd could be below 2,000 , which is a shame.
Maybe the club should have done a “ Football for a Fiver “ offer.

Presume that would require Carlisle's agreement, given it's a shared gate?

Yes probably but given the fact that we already have four further home matches in November, I think we could have guessed that the fans might be choosy with their hard earned cash.

[banqo]

I don't know of any season ticket holders around me that are going.

[Daily Express bot]

The ‘glory seekers ‘ will be out in force if we progress to a round with a big team. As is usual.

[banqo]

I can't be bothered with paying £25 train fare and £15 to get in and the weather forecast is crap.

[Friend or fart]

On the other hand, as a Chelsea supporter making a trip to Brisbane Rd to watch your team getting knocked out of the FA Cup to a Mickey Mouse 2nd Division side ain't so magical. Similarly a trip to Dover to watch your side being knocked out of the Competition by Margate wasn't so hot either. And then there was the drubbing we gave to Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Ground but somehow managed to lose 4-0 ( even the BBC reporter couldn't explain that one ).
But the 470 mile round trip to Southport at half-term to watch Super Carl Griffiths doing the business on a cold & increasingly wet Saturday was just what the doctor ordered!

[timothy]

I can't be bothered with paying £25 train fare and £15 to get in and the weather forecast is crap.

Banqo, if you come to the game on Saturday I'll buy you a ticket for
the Final if we get there.