On Monday evening we were treated to what has since been described as ‘a good draw’ for the FA Cup. There were gasps when AFC Wimbledon were picked out to play Liverpool and you will lose count of the number of references to the old Crazy Gang beating the Culture Club in the 1988 FA Cup final. Over the next few weeks, Dover Athletic will always be Dover Athletic from the Conference and Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace will be the team battling for survival in the Barclays Premier League. Robin van Persie and Manchester United will travel to either Accrington or Yeovil in the FA Cup third round . Accrington and Yeovil will battle it out in a replay for the chance to host United . Likewise, you will not hear of Northern Premier League side Blyth Spartans without casual references to their heroic victory at Hartlepool. Accrington Stanley, a team immortalised by the Milk Marketing Board’s ad in the Eighties, or Yeovil Town, who used their famous sloping pitch at the old Huish Park to their advantage when they really were giant-killers, will host 11-time FA Cup winners Manchester United. See how easy it is to dramatise and glamourise the draw? It could be like that every year, and in every round, if we wanted it to be. The draw is a random event, but a simple tweak to the FA regulations would ensure that the team in the lowest league position would automatically become potential giant-killers. Suddenly Ipswich, fourth out of the hat on Monday evening, would play Southampton at Portman Road instead of travelling to St Mary’s. Wrexham would host Stoke at the Racecourse Ground instead of travelling to a half-full Britannia Stadium. The FA Cup draw threw up many intriguing ties, including a re-run of last season's final . Sheffield Wednesday would play Manchester City at Hillsborough (they have already been beaten 7-0 at the Etihad this season in the Capital One Cup). It goes on. There are a number of other benefits too, such as full houses in anticipation of a giant-killing and teams from the higher division (or league position) would be under more pressure to play a full-strength team. In a few weeks’ time, when the FA Cup third round weekend is underway, there will be the usual grumbles about clubs from the Premier League fielding sub-strength teams. Managers will be accused of disrespecting the oldest Cup competition in the world, as if the trophy itself actually has a say in it. There will be frequent reminders about tradition and history, but if we were such sticklers for that then the winning FA Cup-winning captain would be lifting the original trophy, commissioned in 1872. Instead the FA are on to their fourth trophy. It is the time for change, to accept that the competition needs some refinement if it is to move with the times and recapture some of the magic that has disappeared over the past 20 years. Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers will have to plot how to overcome AFC Wimbledon . Wimbledon striker Adebayo Akinfenwa will cause Liverpool's defence problems with his size and power . Wimbledon celebrate their famous victory over Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final . We cannot convince ourselves to believe that Manchester United’s withdrawal from the competition in 2000, or the sensible decision to host the semi-finals at Wembley or the abolition of multiple replays are the reasons behind its decline. When Stoke do play Wrexham at the Britannia, when Cardiff face Colchester and Aston Villa host Blackpool, there will be plenty of empty spaces. It is not a good look. The home supporters will have little appetite for it and if you care to check the record books it has been ever thus. A simple, prudent change - reversing the fixtures - generates excitement and enthusiasm for both clubs and their supporters. It is the obvious next step. Beyond that the FA, traditional and as conservative as they are, should set up a working party to look into the future of the competition. The tournament needs revision. Other options should be explored, such as a one-off invitation to one of European football’s biggest clubs - Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich - to play in the competition. Imagine Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale back in the Cup - but in the colours of Real Madrid . There have been 133 rounds of the FA Cup since its inception in 1871 and it is in desperate need of a lick of paint. The FA could create an excuse, such as an anniversary, to bring in one of the glamour clubs from European football at the third-round stage. For the prestige and honour of playing in the world’s oldest cup competition, the likes of Bayern, Barcelona or Real, as obvious examples, would accept the invitation. Once the initial hysteria had subsided and forecasts of Armageddon had been averted, it would be something special to settle down on a Sunday evening to watch Yeovil Town take on the Galacticos. It would be a unique experience, something new even for Pep Guardiola and his Bayern Munich players. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez playing for Barcelona at Yeovil, for instance, would be something special . Imagine the great Lionel Messi travelling to England for a third round tie at Huish Park, Victoria Park or the Racecourse. They would probably go on to win the Little Tin Idol, too. The inclusion of one top team from the continent in the tournament, even as a one-off, would generate excitement and an obvious commercial appeal for the FA. It might even attract a title sponsor. Bringing overseas opposition to the party seems a touch radical, but someone needs to breathe some life into the competition. It merits discussion. There have been enough changes over the years and we can only hang on to TV replays of Ronnie Radford’s belter in the mud at Edgar Street in 1972 for so long. They were great days for the competition. There should be even greater days ahead. Arsenal v Hull City . Southampton v Ipswich . Stoke v Wrexham . Charlton v Blackburn . Dover v Crystal Palace . AFC Wimbledon v Liverpool . Manchester City v Sheffield Wednesday . Aldershot/Rochdale v Nottingham Forest . West Brom v Gateshead . Blyth Spartans v Birmingham . Aston Villa v Blackpool . Rotherham v Bournemouth . Huddersfield v Reading . Oxford/Tranmere v Swansea . Cardiff v Colchester . Bolton v Wigan . Sunderland v Leeds . Burnley v Tottenham . Millwall v Bradford . Derby v Southport . Brentford v Brighton . Fulham v Wolves . Leicester v Newcastle . Scunthorpe/Worcester v Chesterfield . Everton v West Ham . Cambridge/Mansfield v Bury/Luton . Chelsea v Watford . Barnsley/Chester v Middlesbrough . QPR v Sheffield United . Accrington/Yeovil v Manchester United . Preston v Norwich . Doncaster v Bristol City . Ties to be played across the weekend beginning January 3.
FA should also ask Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich to play .
The lower-ranked team should always be at home .
That would mean full stadiums and big teams under pressure .
The FA Cup needs freshening up to keep it great .
On Monday evening we were treated to what has since been described as ‘a good draw’ for the FA Cup. There were gasps when AFC Wimbledon were picked out to play Liverpool and you will lose count of the number of references to the old Crazy Gang beating the Culture Club in the 1988 FA Cup final. Over the next few weeks, Dover Athletic will always be Dover Athletic from the Conference and Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace will be the team battling for survival in the Barclays Premier League. Robin van Persie and Manchester United will travel to either Accrington or Yeovil in the FA Cup third round . Accrington and Yeovil will battle it out in a replay for the chance to host United . Likewise, you will not hear of Northern Premier League side Blyth Spartans without casual references to their heroic victory at Hartlepool. Accrington Stanley, a team immortalised by the Milk Marketing Board’s ad in the Eighties, or Yeovil Town, who used their famous sloping pitch at the old Huish Park to their advantage when they really were giant-killers, will host 11-time FA Cup winners Manchester United. See how easy it is to dramatise and glamourise the draw? It could be like that every year, and in every round, if we wanted it to be. The draw is a random event, but a simple tweak to the FA regulations would ensure that the team in the lowest league position would automatically become potential giant-killers. Suddenly Ipswich, fourth out of the hat on Monday evening, would play Southampton at Portman Road instead of travelling to St Mary’s. Wrexham would host Stoke at the Racecourse Ground instead of travelling to a half-full Britannia Stadium. The FA Cup draw threw up many intriguing ties, including a re-run of last season's final . Sheffield Wednesday would play Manchester City at Hillsborough (they have already been beaten 7-0 at the Etihad this season in the Capital One Cup). It goes on. There are a number of other benefits too, such as full houses in anticipation of a giant-killing and teams from the higher division (or league position) would be under more pressure to play a full-strength team. In a few weeks’ time, when the FA Cup third round weekend is underway, there will be the usual grumbles about clubs from the Premier League fielding sub-strength teams. Managers will be accused of disrespecting the oldest Cup competition in the world, as if the trophy itself actually has a say in it. There will be frequent reminders about tradition and history, but if we were such sticklers for that then the winning FA Cup-winning captain would be lifting the original trophy, commissioned in 1872. Instead the FA are on to their fourth trophy. It is the time for change, to accept that the competition needs some refinement if it is to move with the times and recapture some of the magic that has disappeared over the past 20 years. Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers will have to plot how to overcome AFC Wimbledon . Wimbledon striker Adebayo Akinfenwa will cause Liverpool's defence problems with his size and power . Wimbledon celebrate their famous victory over Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final . We cannot convince ourselves to believe that Manchester United’s withdrawal from the competition in 2000, or the sensible decision to host the semi-finals at Wembley or the abolition of multiple replays are the reasons behind its decline. When Stoke do play Wrexham at the Britannia, when Cardiff face Colchester and Aston Villa host Blackpool, there will be plenty of empty spaces. It is not a good look. The home supporters will have little appetite for it and if you care to check the record books it has been ever thus. A simple, prudent change - reversing the fixtures - generates excitement and enthusiasm for both clubs and their supporters. It is the obvious next step. Beyond that the FA, traditional and as conservative as they are, should set up a working party to look into the future of the competition. The tournament needs revision. Other options should be explored, such as a one-off invitation to one of European football’s biggest clubs - Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich - to play in the competition. Imagine Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale back in the Cup - but in the colours of Real Madrid . There have been 133 rounds of the FA Cup since its inception in 1871 and it is in desperate need of a lick of paint. The FA could create an excuse, such as an anniversary, to bring in one of the glamour clubs from European football at the third-round stage. For the prestige and honour of playing in the world’s oldest cup competition, the likes of Bayern, Barcelona or Real, as obvious examples, would accept the invitation. Once the initial hysteria had subsided and forecasts of Armageddon had been averted, it would be something special to settle down on a Sunday evening to watch Yeovil Town take on the Galacticos. It would be a unique experience, something new even for Pep Guardiola and his Bayern Munich players. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez playing for Barcelona at Yeovil, for instance, would be something special . Imagine the great Lionel Messi travelling to England for a third round tie at Huish Park, Victoria Park or the Racecourse. They would probably go on to win the Little Tin Idol, too. The inclusion of one top team from the continent in the tournament, even as a one-off, would generate excitement and an obvious commercial appeal for the FA. It might even attract a title sponsor. Bringing overseas opposition to the party seems a touch radical, but someone needs to breathe some life into the competition. It merits discussion. There have been enough changes over the years and we can only hang on to TV replays of Ronnie Radford’s belter in the mud at Edgar Street in 1972 for so long. They were great days for the competition. There should be even greater days ahead. Arsenal v Hull City . Southampton v Ipswich . Stoke v Wrexham . Charlton v Blackburn . Dover v Crystal Palace . AFC Wimbledon v Liverpool . Manchester City v Sheffield Wednesday . Aldershot/Rochdale v Nottingham Forest . West Brom v Gateshead . Blyth Spartans v Birmingham . Aston Villa v Blackpool . Rotherham v Bournemouth . Huddersfield v Reading . Oxford/Tranmere v Swansea . Cardiff v Colchester . Bolton v Wigan . Sunderland v Leeds . Burnley v Tottenham . Millwall v Bradford . Derby v Southport . Brentford v Brighton . Fulham v Wolves . Leicester v Newcastle . Scunthorpe/Worcester v Chesterfield . Everton v West Ham . Cambridge/Mansfield v Bury/Luton . Chelsea v Watford . Barnsley/Chester v Middlesbrough . QPR v Sheffield United . Accrington/Yeovil v Manchester United . Preston v Norwich . Doncaster v Bristol City . Ties to be played across the weekend beginning January 3.
Athletic will always be Dover Athletic from the in the FA Cup third round . Accrington and Yeovil at Hartlepool. Accrington Stanley, a team future of the competition. The tournament needs football’s biggest clubs - Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich - to play in the competition.