Cup n bust
Hola from a sunny balconey in Barcelona. As I type, my cup of tea is steaming away and I am set up on my balcony ready to watch the "mitja-maraton" of Barcelona. Last year we watched Florence Kiplagat break the world record in 1:05:12 ! Just how how do you run that fast for that long!
Enjoy this serving of P n B.
As all the names are thrown into the cup hat at the start the competition anything is possible. Could this be the year when your team becomes the giant killer, lift the cup or could this be the season to get a new toilet block put in the stadium?
Years ago the start of the cup was about the chance of trip to some minnows or some Giants to play in a quaint wee park or fancy stadium and hopefully not be the victim of the “upset of the round”. Back pages of the press would talk about the performance on the pitch and TV cameras were sent to places where we have questioned the availability of electricity to capture “the glory of the cup”. But what is today’s cup glory, lifting that trophy or cashing that cheque?
In the summer of 2007 a club with 128 years under it’s belt was liquidated. It's stadium was left to be torched, vandalized and eventually it was bulldozed last year. Hard to believe that only a few years earlier Scarborough had overcome Southend for a cash-in clash with Chelsea. This tie was going to change the club's history and “could very nearly pay the wage bill for the next two years”. Chelsea left 1 nil winners and shirts were swapped. (However Scarborough’s goalie was less than pleased when his mum washed his signed Carlo Cudicini top). The season that followed the cup tie saw the team be unbeaten at home. Who knew that the high after the cup would be so short? Scarborough were losing £250,000 a season and should have invested the money in clearing debts and a smaller, cheaper squad but instead it suffered demotion, points deduction and directors disqualified.
In 2003 Exeter had a circus come to town. The club were relegated from the league, with a lot of debts, Uri Geller was on the board and Michael Jackson was an honorary director. Once the big top was packed up and moved on a supporter’s trust took over and found the cupboards had been left bare. In season 2004/5 the football fairy godmothers must have been watching as Exeter were drawn against the Manchester United of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. The club cleared its £1,000,000 debt. This year we have seen Cambridge take on Manchester United over two ties and the club should have made a small fortune from TV deals and 45% of Old Trafford’s gate. This is going to get few shiny new pie stands and a toilet or two. A priority, says the club chairman.
The cup, it seems, can change a club forever: some by having a piece of silverware adorn the mantle piece in the trophy room, others by disappearing, and some clubs just want to have a a few new porcelain thrones for the fans.
Enjoy this serving of P n B.
As all the names are thrown into the cup hat at the start the competition anything is possible. Could this be the year when your team becomes the giant killer, lift the cup or could this be the season to get a new toilet block put in the stadium?
Years ago the start of the cup was about the chance of trip to some minnows or some Giants to play in a quaint wee park or fancy stadium and hopefully not be the victim of the “upset of the round”. Back pages of the press would talk about the performance on the pitch and TV cameras were sent to places where we have questioned the availability of electricity to capture “the glory of the cup”. But what is today’s cup glory, lifting that trophy or cashing that cheque?
In the summer of 2007 a club with 128 years under it’s belt was liquidated. It's stadium was left to be torched, vandalized and eventually it was bulldozed last year. Hard to believe that only a few years earlier Scarborough had overcome Southend for a cash-in clash with Chelsea. This tie was going to change the club's history and “could very nearly pay the wage bill for the next two years”. Chelsea left 1 nil winners and shirts were swapped. (However Scarborough’s goalie was less than pleased when his mum washed his signed Carlo Cudicini top). The season that followed the cup tie saw the team be unbeaten at home. Who knew that the high after the cup would be so short? Scarborough were losing £250,000 a season and should have invested the money in clearing debts and a smaller, cheaper squad but instead it suffered demotion, points deduction and directors disqualified.
In 2003 Exeter had a circus come to town. The club were relegated from the league, with a lot of debts, Uri Geller was on the board and Michael Jackson was an honorary director. Once the big top was packed up and moved on a supporter’s trust took over and found the cupboards had been left bare. In season 2004/5 the football fairy godmothers must have been watching as Exeter were drawn against the Manchester United of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. The club cleared its £1,000,000 debt. This year we have seen Cambridge take on Manchester United over two ties and the club should have made a small fortune from TV deals and 45% of Old Trafford’s gate. This is going to get few shiny new pie stands and a toilet or two. A priority, says the club chairman.
The cup, it seems, can change a club forever: some by having a piece of silverware adorn the mantle piece in the trophy room, others by disappearing, and some clubs just want to have a a few new porcelain thrones for the fans.
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