Fulham: TV Burp! Kettering v Fulham is scandalously ignored

The FA Cup 4th round TV games have been decided and Fulham's trip to Kettering isn't one of them.  Instead we get:

Derby v Forest

I accept this one.  The Nigel Clough factor only adds to what should be a ripsnorting tie.  Fair enough.

Hartlepool v West Ham

You what?  Granted, few of us have had a chance to watch Hartlepool in great detail, and indeed this is the main attraction of the tie, but do we really need to see this game?  I accept that Millwall are also going to the North West in this round (to play Newcastle), but you can still move kick-offs without putting the games on telly.  Will West Ham even have a proper team by then?  Perhaps they told ITV they'd play for half price.  No, to me this is a watered down version of Kettering v Fulham.  The nation deserves the real thing.

Cardiff v Arsenal

Fine.  Misfiring Arsenal v last year's runner up.  It's an accident waiting to happen for Arsenal, so should make for riveting television.

Liverpool v Everton

Okay.  I don't think the world needs to see these two at it, but it's a cup tie, a proper derby, two good, proper teams with bearable managers, so yeah, it should be a good game.

Manchester United v Spurs

It's 3rd plays 16th!  Wooooooooo!  What a terrible selection.  Even if you dress this up as BATTLE OF THE BERBATOV: THE WORLD CHAMPIONS V THE MILK CUP HOLDERS: THE FINAL ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN it doesn't sound much more interesting.  Yes, you have the famous shiny players, but choosing this game is like all those bland bookshops trying to attract christmas punters with Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver books; wrong product, wrong people, wrong all over.  Yes it might make money, but... oh, what's the use.

Kettering Town v Fulham

Isn't on.  What game better embodies what the FA Cup is supposed to be about?  Setanta have been doing patronising adverts featuring postmen and professionals all season; isn't this their dream tie?   You've got a Premier League team that is becoming a neutral favourite (Fulham) away to a plucky non-league outfit (they're always plucky).   Kettering's manager is a formerly reviled Fulham player if you want a grudge angle.  Fulham's manager is on the shortlist for Future King of the World if you want the feelgood factor.  What's not to like?  Even in a worst case scenario where Fulham win 8-0 you get to see some goals.  More likely it'll be a tight one, decided by a bad bounce or maybe even something very rare like a Bobby Zamora goal. 

And it'd be a fun game.  It's the Cup, people, the Cup.  Do we really need to see Man Utd v Spurs?

No. There will be about 800 away tickets for us and it won't be enough.  Kettering could probably sell out twice over.  And the nation would probably quite want to watch it on TV.  Bah.   

Ful

Comments

[Oli]

I'm a United fan and am sick of every game being moved to stupid kick off times for TV, but I have to argue against your logic for why our cup game V Spurs should not be on.

1) Two teams with some of the greatest histories in the FA cup- just look at how many times each club has won it.

2) Two clubs who generally play good attacking football (even if we cannot score more than one goal a game recently).

3) Redknapp has knocked United out the cup with Bournemouth, West Ham, Pompey etc- and most of the country will be routing for an upset again.

4) Berbatov (who will probably walk about the pitch without a care in the world).

On the whole though, I agree with you that the less predictable ties should be on TV. But we all know ratings count and that the average armchair fan has little interest in the games real football fans would be very happy to watch.

[Paul, Bermondsey]

Couldn't agree more that Cardiff-Arsenal and Derby-Forest deserve to be on. I can also see the case for Hartlepool-Hamsters, as there's a decent chance of an upset at an old-fashioned, atmospheric ground.
However, given the over-exposure to the Prem anyway, putting on 2 all-Premier League ties is not good enough. The neutral, which is what most viewers will be for any given tie, tends to want to see upsets, not the same game that they got bored of when it was on in the pub all of two moths ago.

[Simon Macdonald]

Not doubting Kettering have done exceptional well this year in both the BSP and the FA Cup. I really hope they can give Fulham a game and at the least get a replay... However lets face its, it is not hard to impress a certain memeber of the Setanta Sports commentary team (no names mentioned, but he scored and own goal in a world cup semi final)

[Ryan Harradence]

Reading the comments above, i can only say that watching Kettering is not enjoyable as the ball will spend most of the time in the air. Fulham will have a tough game due to the non talented physicality that Kettering employ. i for one would certainly rather watch a top level match as football is about entertainment and not a war of attrition.

[Broz]

Admittedly, the games shown on Setanta against Cambridge and Burton were dire. However, Kettering's play in the FA has been exceptional. Even the Setanta commentators for the Notts County game were impressed at the quality of play from Kettering.

But the main point is the FA Cup is all about the underdogs. Why bother having an advertising campaign based on this theme and as soon as a game comes along that epitomises the spirit of the FA Cup, you ignore it.

The number of non league vs Premiership games that you get in the FA Cup is quite tiny.

It was criminal that Barrow didn't get their game on telly and it's criminal that Kettering have also been overlooked.

Come on FA, do something about it !!!

[Simon Macdonald]

How many of you have actually seen Kettering play this season?? Having witnessed proabably the worst game of football ever, yes im talking about Cambridge United V Kettering earlier in the season... I can honestly promise all concerned that Watching Kettering is not the easiest way to treat your eyes.

[Mick]

I would agree that maybe Kettering v Fulham deserves TV coverage although our (West Ham) game is obviously on because they see consider us more likely to suffer a giantkilling than you.

I'd rather you were on so that it would be easier for me to get up to the North West for the game - the TV companies never consider the away fans!

Unnecessary dig about us having half a team by then. We've already turned down bids of over £10 million for a number of our best players while Hodgson has already said he will listen to offers for Hangeland and Bullard. All the signs point to the fact you are just as likely to sell as us.

Love seeing Fulham and Hodgson do well though - you are right about being a neutral's favourite at the moment and because you are so good at home I take pride in us being the only team to win there this season (even if it was very lucky!). Best away day in the Premier League, even with the ridiculous prices!

[Luke Robinson]

I'm suprised this isn't on telly too. What with the rumours that we're about to sign Freddy Adu, I thought the interest would be with this tie.

[Nocka]

You should get up to 1300 tickets, Eastwood brought that many fans - will you use them all? You're right though, us Poppies could sell ours out twice over, perhaps even three times, and we're all gutted it's not on TV...I'm sure our 5th round tie will be when we become Giant Killers though!

[Mr. Ploppy]

Well Hartlepool are now considered giant killers I guess. Couldn't agree more about Spugs Manure though. The Kettering town game is defo the pick of the round.