Champions League qualification

[billybantam]

I was on the official Bradford City website and the poll was asking:

Would you like to see the winners of the FA Cup awarded a place in the Champions League, instead of the team which finishes 4th in the premier League?

I think this would be a good idea in theory and would give the FA Cup more importance and would put it on level with finidhing in the top 3 which would be a good thing. And would make winning the Cup a bigger achievement than finishing 4th in the league, which i believe it is.

However in practise it would make no differnce as one of the top 4 always seems to win the cup anyway, so the same 4 would qualify anyway!

Your views please....

[Devil's Advocate]

Yes, I would rather the FA Cup winners get a plce, simply because it is in danger of becoming a tin pot trophy like the Milk Cup! There is little or no incentive other than the obvious sentiment and history to win the FA Cup.

It would also recognise the achievements of the lesser clubs that do very rarely win it.

The ony real counter to this is that it would mean the bigger clubs would perhaps focus more on the FA Cup as a failsafe in case they don't get in the top 3, and that might make it less competitive as Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool et al would put their first teams in to make sure they have a good chance of winning it. Perhaps that would improve it.

[1911]

No bring back the cup winners cup.

The champions league is to reward those who have been consistent for the whole season.

Teams like Everton/Bolton who might have an outside chance of getting in there.

I still think the champions league should be just that though. A cup for the champions of each league.

2nd, 3rd and 4th in the UEFA - now wouldn't that be a good cup to win then?

[Kop Kred]

No bring back the cup winners cup.

The champions league is to reward those who have been consistent for the whole season.

Teams like Everton/Bolton who might have an outside chance of getting in there.

I still think the champions league should be just that though. A cup for the champions of each league.

2nd, 3rd and 4th in the UEFA - now wouldn't that be a good cup to win then?


I agree... there used to be the European Cup Winners Cup for the domestic trophy winners... I'd settle for a return of that and just have the champions in a european knock out cup...

Well I am 'old fashioned'... so what?:)

[BBB]

Normally i would agree but at this moment liverpool aint in the fa cup and i have abig soft spot for them so for this season id say no :)

[king billy]

Keep it as it is - why try fix sommat that aint broke?..

The reason FA Cup attendances are going down is down to ticketing pricing - giving the winner a champions league slot won't do owt....

The cup winners cup used to be shite - by far the weakest of the European competitions, with crap attendances - half the finals weren't even sold out, thats the reason it was absorbed into the UEFA cup - going back to the old format would be daft!!...