League or Cup? it's obvious really.

[cdward]

Last nights motivation.

http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/FACompetitions/TheFACup/FACupPages/FACupPrizeFund20082009

£1.8 million if you win the FA cup.

http://www.suite101.com/content/premier-league-prize-money-2010---how-much-do-football-clubs-get-a235614

or £12 to £7.2million for finishing 6th to 12th, essentially £800k for every league position higher.

[not3bad]

£1.8 million if you win the cup, £7.2 million if you finish 12th!  F**king mental.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

You win the cup, you actually win a trophy, you finish 2nd to 17th, you don't win anything or go down.

[pendinevilla]

Portsmouth beat Cardiff in the final not too many years back - would we swap places with them now?

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Portsmouth beat Cardiff in the final not too many years back - would we swap places with them now?

In my mind, it's not an easy one to answer. Obviously we'd have to accept being in the Championship, but, on the other hand, imagine being able to say you saw Villa win the FA Cup? The whole point of football is about winning things isn't it?

[sfx412]

In my mind, it's not an easy one to answer. Obviously we'd have to accept being in the Championship, but, on the other hand, imagine being able to say you saw Villa win the FA Cup? The whole point of football is about winning things isn't it?

For fans yes for owners, perhaps not.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Last nights motivation.

http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/FACompetitions/TheFACup/FACupPages/FACupPrizeFund20082009

£1.8 million if you win the FA cup.

http://www.suite101.com/content/premier-league-prize-money-2010---how-much-do-football-clubs-get-a235614

or £12 to £7.2million for finishing 6th to 12th, essentially £800k for every league position higher.

The crux of the problem.
And that is why for the majority of modern day fans who actually go to games and whose team is not dining at the top table its been all completely bolloxed.

[Phil from the upper holte]

£1.8m is prize money, surely the club get money from tickets, not to mention revenue in shirts etc?

[eastie]

I'm an Aston villa fan - I want to see Aston villa win trophies, I'm not a businessman. There is no reason why Aston villa could not have put out their strongest available team last night and still finished in the top 12 this season- last night stinks of lack of ambition and lack of respect for fans and the fa cup.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Portsmouth beat Cardiff in the final not too many years back - would we swap places with them now?

Assuming your talking positions only and not completely fruitloop finances in a ramshackle old ground with ownership changing every other week?

"8 times FA Cup winners Aston Villa entertain Sheffield United this weekend. With 12 games to play Villa are looking to close a 7 point gap and make the play offs"

Thats easy. YES!

[dave.woodhall]

While last night's team was indefensible and my views on trophy v league place have been repeated ad nauseum, it's a sad indictment of football's priorities that if the current table is replicated at the end of the season, the total financial benefit of winning the FA Cup could be outweighed by winning one league game.

[Concrete John]

It seems to me that a few years ago it wasn't an either/or decision.  You tried your best to win every game, both in league and cup.

[Michel Sibble]

The way some people were on here last night, it was as if that was the last time we ever enter the competition.

Did we really expect to win the Cup this season? Sure, the Blues won a cup, and the anger of seeing them win one was definitely still in our minds, trying to one-up them.

We're still in transition, we're still not out of the relegation places yet. If GH made a call to sacrifice the Cup to ensure League safety, so be it.

[eamonn]

Why does it have to be an either/or? Winning or drawing last night would mean losing to Bolton on Sat/getting relegated? We have/had the resources to get results in both games.

[WikiVilla]

How much do e-on pay to sponsor this trophy ?
Surely, it should be £15-20m for the winners
Somehow the FA needs to make clubs interested again, it's a shame but only money will address this