Cardiff’s FA Cup tie against Fulham today kicks off at 11.30am? Whose idea was that?
BBC Wales. It’s a hard sell for the BBC – marketing the FA Cup’s fan-led magic and tradition at the same time as moving a game to late morning. It means Fulham fans have the choice of one train on Sunday, which arrives in the city centre 31 minutes before kick-off.
How has that gone down?
The Fulham fans’ trust called it “insulting to supporters who are the lifeblood of the game”, and added: “The third round was once a special weekend for football supporters up and down the country, but this decision highlights just how little ‘magic of the Cup’ remains … [and] just how low down in the game’s priority list match‑going supporters now feature.”
So is this the earliest big match ever?
Not quite. Back in 2009 the Cardiff versus Swansea south Wales derby started half an hour earlier, at 11am – a plan to avoid crowd violence. It could have worked, too, had local pubs not opened at 8am. And in the top flight, a 1993 Manchester derby at Maine Road also began at 11am, for the same reason.
What about moves just for TV?
A 2005 Manchester City v Everton game kicked-off at 11.15am because both clubs wanted the TV money and Sky had no other slots. The City defender Richard Dunne wasn’t happy: “I was talking to my dad about it, he couldn’t believe we were playing so early on a Sunday morning. We reckoned the last time I had to do that was aged 12. What you have to bear in mind is that most footballers are superstitious about their pre-match meal. I just have toast but some people are going to have to have chicken and pasta for breakfast at half past seven.” It could be worse, though.
Worse than pasta for breakfast?
Yes, spare a thought for Singers FC (now Coventry City). In 1892 they were drawn against Burton Swifts in the FA Cup. Burton, as the higher-ranked side, were given the chance to arrange the game for whenever they felt it would cause least disruption to their league campaign. It kicked off at 8am.
