Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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Magic of Cup is being killed off by money says Newell
David Ornstein
Friday January 26, 2007
The Guardian
Mike Newell celebrates his 42nd birthday tomorrow with a lucrative FA Cup tie against Blackburn Rovers, the club with which he won the Premiership title in 1995, but the Luton Town manager fears the Cup is being spoiled by a relentless pursuit of financial reward.
The Championship side are guaranteed £150,000 from the BBC for live coverage of their fourth round match, £40,000 from the Football Association for reaching this stage and what is expected to be a full house at Kenilworth Road, yet Newell claims the cash will make little difference to a club that loses £1.8m a year.
"Money is certainly spoiling aspects of the game," said Newell. "When the big four [Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal] keep winning the FA Cup that's no coincidence. There's got to be a carrot of hope somewhere for the rest, otherwise people are just going to lose interest."
Last week the Premier League agreed a new £625m deal for overseas TV rights, from which the winners will receive £50m and the bottom-placed side around £26m. Championship clubs earn less than £1m a year from television income. "I don't care how much money the clubs are getting, somewhere along the line someone is going to realise that supporters want to go to Cardiff or Wembley and see their team pick up a bit of silverware. For the fans it's not about romance of the FA Cup and all that rubbish, it's about trophies and their club being successful.
"You ask Newcastle United supporters if they would rather qualify for the Champions League or go and see their team lift the FA Cup, then ask the directors which they would rather. Unfortunately the majority of owners and directors and chief executives would say 'I'd rather us finish in the top four'. They're forgetting who the clubs are playing for."
Newell spent five years at Ewood Park between 1991-96 and, while Blackburn's visit is sure to evoke memories of his most celebrated days as a player, he refuses to dwell on the past in his quest for glory with Luton. "It will be nice for me because it's always nice to play against one of your old teams," he said. "I enjoyed my time there, it was probably the peak of my career and the most successful time I had at any club, but my days are well gone and the fact that I played for Blackburn won't give us any advantage at all. We're totally focused on beating Blackburn. They won't be relishing coming here and my players will give everything they've got to win. With the FA Cup you just never know."
Link: http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1999022,00.html
[Edited on 27-01-2007 by Danny P]
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He says what people are thinking, even if it gets him in trouble.