FA Cup 2021/22

[Billy The Fish]

As an aside Leicester City have been flying to Manchester for matches for several years now.

 

[Nigel E]

The 1st Round used to be regionalised, but one reason for dispensing with it may have been that the north and south sections could sometimes be imbalanced in terms of the difficulty reaching the 3rd round - depending on the southern/northern split in Leagues 1 and 2.

Also, there have always been more southern non-league qualifiers than northern. This year, in the 4QR draw there were 18 ties in the southern section and 14 in the north.

Given the potential financial benefits of proceeding to the 3rd round and beyond, I suspect a full open draw is the fairest way of doing it.

 

[sign of the chimes]

The 1st Round used to be regionalised, but one reason for dispensing with it may have been that the north and south sections could sometimes be imbalanced in terms of the difficulty reaching the 3rd round - depending on the southern/northern split in Leagues 1 and 2.

Also, there have always been more southern non-league qualifiers than northern. This year, in the 4QR draw there were 18 ties in the southern section and 14 in the north.

Given the potential financial benefits of proceeding to the 3rd round and beyond, I suspect a full open draw is the fairest way of doing it.

I didn't know that the first round draw had been regionalised in the past. Do you know when this was and when it stopped?

 

[DawlishBouy]

According to Wikipedia the First and Second rounds were split into North and South sections up to the 1997/98 season.

I didn't know that the first round draw had been regionalised in the past. Do you know when this was and when it stopped?

 

[andrew p long]

Aldershot losing to a team I've never heard of has made my day

though with the prospect of City drawing a minnow in the first round (including Bowers and Pitsea, whom I quite wanted at home - see post 40) gloating might seem to be tempting fate!

I'm with Chimes on regionalisation for the reasons he states. For example my son (a Kidderminster season ticket holder) wants Sheffield Wednesday away. But bizarrely for a club in National League North they have been in the Southern section of the draw in recent rounds, so regionalisation might rule that out depending on how they draw the north/south line!

The great thing about the FACup is the random nature of the draw, with an equal chance of playing any of the other 79 clubs in the first round. And if regionalisation saved carbon the first place to start would be leagues, such as the National League and then possibly League Two, as there are far more games in leagues than in cups....

 

[Grecian2K]

Bradford City away - about as meh as you could get

 

[The deluder]

Bradford City away - about as meh as you could get

Typical ITV.

 

[citytillidie72]

No it won't be on tv before anyone asks.

 

[denzel]

I can understand the rationale for regionalising the qualifying rounds given the vast majority of the teams prior to the fourth qualifying round are playing in regionalised leagues for good reason; but I'd be gutted if the early rounds (proper) were regionalised. Surely most of the non-league teams in the bag tomorrow will want a chance to play in front of a five figure crowd against the likes of Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton, Ipswich, etc. regardless of where they're based?

I'm not a scientist - so very happy to be corrected - but I can't imagine the carbon footprint of the cars and a few coaches of Curzon Ashton players/fans travelling to Swindon (for example) is going to get anywhere close to the footprint of Man U taking a private jet to Leicester this weekend (for all the good it did them)?

Well there are a number of North v South ties in the draw and they are uninspiring.
Best tie is Sudbury v Colchester, a local Derby. How many more like that could we have had if regionalised?

 

[rifraf]

FA Cup draw | The Cow's Arse Bradford City Forum (boards.net)

Bradford City fans too are dead keen to play us ...... not.