It's a knockout and not just the format

Ah, the magic of the FA Cup and Gillingham provided stern opposition for Aston Villa, as other lower lights shined against supposed superiors, but the competition will need wizardry if it is not to be damaged by ITV’s highlights package. Once again, ITV’s got some choice football rights and they’ve gone and bollixed it up again, as they did with the Premiership’s best bit’s a few years ago. People want to see Cup giant-killing. What do ITV do? Show Derby squeak through against non-leaguers Forest Green 4-3. Hmm. Okay, plenty of goals. Now to the Cup upsets. But Nottingham Forest beating Manchester City away by three goals to nil, Southend drawing with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Hartlepool doing Stoke - all being given only thirty seconds each - it’s a disgrace. That’s no better than an ordinary news bulletin. If I was a Nottingham Forest fan, I would be sick to my stomach. I’m outraged as it is. You can’t imagine the BBC being caught short like this.
What do ITV deign to show more extensively - humdrum wins for Everton and Liverpool and indeed more extended highlights of a game that was called off before a ball was kicked. The producers lack the sense of priority that a five year-old would possess. Of course, I was gratified that they showed good coverage of Hull City versus Newcastle United’s actually rather interesting 0-0 draw, but even here I have reason to carp, since they promised to show it after one advertising break, but then went through an entire footy session and a further ad period before getting round to it, thus keeping me in limbo waiting - either the incompetence of ITV rearing its head further or insensitivity to viewers in keeping them hanging on. I’ve known Channel 4 News pull the same sneaky trick and 4 News’ parent company is ITN, prime suppliers of news to ITV. Furthemore, when we do get to see more than a soupcon of a match, a tally of the scorers is not displayed, only the latest to bundle it into the net.
And you think tactical analysis is limited on the BBC? It’s non-existent on ITV, apart from for the Liverpool-Preston NE game and even then Alan Curbishley is talking twaddle, such as saying that Fernando Torres overtakes Steven Gerrard to score the second goal. If he had done that, with no defender back in front of goal, he would have been offside. Instead, he is onside when Gerrard passes square- that’s square, Curbs, not diagonally forwards - to him.
Many think that the Premier League has sold out and that the FA Cup gets football back to its roots. Well, the Football Association has sold out their premier cup competition by giving the highlights package to ITV. The BBC must be laughing their socks off at their rival’s disastrous handling of the roundup. The BBC has no divine right to always show the FA Cup, but this immensely strengthens its hand when the next deal is negotiated. I am really disappointed by this TV package. The FA Cup has been damaged by this putrid broadcasting.
The next day, Gillingham took on Aston Villa at the Priestfield stadium. ITV couldn’t mess live coverage so much, but they did open with “The FA Cup belongs to Nottingham Forest.” Could have fooled me. In terms of play, the Villa were more incisive when going forward, while Gillingham largely dominated the match - a draw would have been fair. The Gills could have done with a lucrative replay at Villa Park, but after equalising the Villains opener with a sweet shot from Simeon Jackson, once of Rushden and Diamonds, Gillingham unfortunately conceded a soft penalty, which James Milner tucked away with aplomb, adding to his first and on his birthday too.
I was surprised that the draw for the fourth round was made almost immediately after the match, given that their were still two matches yet to played, but then it was part of a further snub to this august competition. TV money counted more. Thus the FA Cup is devalued further by making the draw before all ties that could have been played for the first time have been if the tie was possible to play. Romance takes a further hit.
On a more recent note, ahead of the clash between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford, BBC Five Live interviewed Graeme le Saux. He said “it won’t be 7-7, even though we all hope it will be.” 7-7 sound exactly like 7/7, a gaffe that the former Chelsea player would wince at were he to hear it again.