Pompey v Arsenal: Why the FA Cup still matters | Simon Carter

In recent years, though, avarice has replaced the romance. Our leading clubs now see milking Rupert Murdoch’s wretched cash cow, the Premier League, as the be all and end all.

But still, despite everything, the FA Cup matters for some. A sell-out crowd at Fratton Park tonight illustrates that clearly. After all, this is the tournament in which Pompey have played a non-league club with 6,000 Facebook ‘likes’ (Harrogate) and one of English football’s most famous names (Arsenal) boasting 37 million Facebook ‘likes’ in the space of a few weeks. The minnows and the aristocrats, yoked together for one season in Portsmouth FC’s history.

Once upon a time – and not that long ago really – romance in football mattered at the highest level. It mattered more than greed. The FA Cup mattered – to fans, to clubs, to players. It was a golden age for many, the ’70s and ’80s – the era I grew up in – regarding the most romantic sporting event on planet Earth.

A few months ago, Pompey trailed at Harrogate Town, the team who the previous week had taken 21 fans to Eastleigh. Tonight, they could beat the club who average about 60,000 at home and who have lifted the FA Cup more than anyone else – 13 times, including three in the past six seasons. That’s the enduring magic of the FA Cup.

All too often these days, football fans speak of willingly swapping cup wins for league points. But if I was a Pompey fan, I’d want to beat Arsenal tonight more than I would want three points at Peterborough next Saturday.

Peterborough is a bread and butter league game, one of 46 every season. Chances to knock the world-famous Arsenal out of the world’s greatest knockout competition live on national TV are less common, and that is why they must be embraced... the day they aren’t will be a sad one for us old romantics.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Fixture chaos; the clubs that just shrug and get on with it

I’ve worked in sports journalism for more than 30 years and can never remember a season as wet as this one.

It started raining in this area in mid-October and hasn’t stopped since (or does it just feel like that?).

As a result, Portsmouth clubs Moneyfields and Baffins Milton are facing end-of-season fixture chaos because of a raft of postponements. But you won’t find people involved at those clubs moaning and groaning as their far more lavishly paid Premier League counterparts do about too many games in a short space of time.

The essence of football can be found at Moneyfields and Baffins, not at tourist-filled corporate bowls like The Emirates and The Etihad.

All you had to remember was your wallet not a pin number

I know this is a hard concept to imagine, but remember the days when we used to go out and take money with us!? None of your contactless nonsense.

With that in mind, it was a throwback when my partner and I visited the superb Phoenix pub in Southsea. They only take cash and after ordering two pints I realised I didn’t have any. Why should I, this is UK2020 after all? Thankfully, there was a cashpoint nearby (which didn’t charge me for taking out my own money).

I enjoyed handing over a note and getting change. I enjoyed it so much I’ll be back soon (via a cashpoint). The Phoenix is one of the best pubs I’ve been to for years.