Posh Papers view on our achievements..warning Southern journalist.

The Nick Townsend column: Watch Barnsley against West Brom in the final? I'd rather not, thanks...


Independent.co.uk Web


Driving home from Old Trafford and listening to Chelsea fall to Barnsley in the FA Cup quarter- finals, accompanied by what one suspected was unsuppressed joy throughout the land, for some reason Michael Caine's exclamation in The Italian Job came to mind: "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off". His immortal line could be adapted for the upstarts remaining in this year's tournament: "You're only supposed to produce the odd shock, not blow the damned thing apart."


They have obviously forgotten that the idea is the plucky no-hopers rise above themselves in rounds three to six but, at the end of it all, two of the Big Four cartel face each other. Or, perhaps more enticingly, Liverpool face the likes of Tottenham or West Ham, as they did in that compelling final two years ago.

Instead the nation will awaken on 17 May to the prospect of, maybe, Barnsley against West Bromwich Albion, and will feel worthy and good about itself – a bit like when you put your recycl-ing bins out – for a few seconds because the unheralded have prevailed. And you would be right to feel pleasure for them, even though by then you would have had to plough through all the inevitable, patronising guff about the People's Final (how long before someone deems it thus?).

But then it will be back to reality, and you'll be thinking: "Now, what about those repairs I promised to do?" Because outside certain areas of South Yorkshire and the Midlands, nobody will really give a damn. Sorry, but whether Brian Howard can do it for Barnsley will not have been the stuff of ***-break chatter. For the FA Cup final to be taken seriously, it requires, at its business end, some seriously charismatic performers.

Now I'm an old FA Cup romantic. Used to love it. In a previous incarnation, I set out on the ultimate tour, starting off not even with minnows but with tadpoles, and ending up with Manchester United v Everton as it transpired. Indifferent final destination, fascinating journey.But that was then.

That was before Manchester United ducked out, having been inveigled into participating in a world club tournament, and the financial imperatives of the Champions' League and Premier League lanced the old Cup's soul to the core. It is no good pretending that what remains truly engages us as it once did. Significantly, I write this in the same week that it is confirmed that the Big Four comprise 50 per cent of the Champions' League quarter-finalists. Could it be any coincidence that they have all taken premature leave of this year's competition, with the date of 21 May and Moscow yielding rather more fascination than that of Wembley fourdays earlier?

In contrast, Portsmouth have only the opportunity of a Uefa Cup place. Cardiff and Barnsley don't have anything to play for in the League except counter the outside threat of relegation – and they are only in that position because they have been sidetracked. And then there is West Bromwich Albion, who around the turn of the year appeared destined for promotion. Now there is only one certainty: if the Baggies fail to reach the Premier League, Tony Mowbray won't be thanked for allowing his team to take this tangential journey.

No doubt many will delight in a bunch of teams who normally do not engage public debate progressing to the semi-finals at Wembley, with two set to return. There will be constant reruns of Barnsley beating Liverpool and Chelsea, and the pitch invasion at Oakwell; the kind of excess which we thought had disappeared around the time of Dickie Bird's last dismissal. And, no doubt, the Barnsley man himself will talk endlessly about the proudest day of his life.

Yet, come next season, don't fool yourself that every team will have been galvanised by the feats of this quartet. There will still be other priorities, be they glory or survival. Some contend that this year's FA Cup has restored the romance of the tournament. For others of us, it's a love affair that has been over for years.

 

wind@ss

 

knew that was gonna come

 

Not a Manc is he? If the Cup isn't that important how come Fergie was whingeing like **** over the Portsmouth outcome?

As for the rest of the nation not being interested in this season's outcome. I think he's way off the mark. Obviously a present day footie snob in my opinion. There's loads of people down here that are banging on about the Cup and the possible outcome - and it's all positive.

 

Coor bit 'arsh....especially on a Sunday night

i'll get me coat and go back to watching prancing on ice then...getting exciting now, Susannah Shaw's snatch in that last routine was breath taking.

 

That sounds like a bitter Barsteward..

 

RE: Coor bit 'arsh....especially on a Sunday night

http://www.barnsleyfc.org.uk/bbs/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=102237&mid=659445#M659445

Suzanne Shaw shouldn't have got 6s across the board.

 

RE: Coor bit 'arsh....especially on a Sunday night

Agreed but I think a major debate on the subject might not be the best one to start at this point, let's leave it at that shall we!!!!!

 

it was only a matter of time for a journalist to make out

that the FA Cup is no longer important to the Big Four and this is the reason why they have ducked out.

What a load of balls. If that was the case, they would have played reserves in rounds three and four.