Is the romance of Cup replays worth it?

A lot has been said in recent days about whether the current system of allowing FA Cup replays should continue, or be abolished to avoid potential fixture congestion for the big clubs.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was particularly vocal in his desire to do away with replays. From his perspective it is an understandable view, as Arsenal are still competing in four competitions, and are currently in the middle of a run where they must play two games a week for seven out of eight weeks - a big ask given the physical demands of the modern game, even allowing for the benefits of squad rotation.

Speaking more generally, the arguments in favour of one match cup ties are well known, and include:
- No need to squeeze a replay into already congested fixture schedules
- Discourages the away team from defensively playing for a draw (the "we'll beat 'em at ours" strategy)
- A lower division side probably has a better chance of causing an upset in the lottery of a shootout than in a full replay
- Fans are rewarded for their attendance by the guarantee of seeing a result on the night
- Penalty shootouts are exciting
And so on and so on.

But there are arguments against as well, which support those who favour replays. As always in modern football, there is a financial case: a replay means extra ticket sales and extra revenue which can be particularly valuable to lower division sides.

And then there is the romantic one, which takes me back to my childhood. Between 1978 and 1980, Arsenal reached three consecutive FA Cup finals. Both the '79 and '80 Cup runs featured marathon ties that are no longer possible in the Cups.

1979, third round. Arsenal (losers of the previous year's final) versus Sheffield Wednesday of the old third division. It took five matches covering 540 minutes of football to finally separate the teams, Arsenal winning the fourth replay 2-0 with goals from Frank Stapleton and Steve Gatting. Back in those days, you played the first match at one team's home, then the first replay at the other, and then you went to a neutral venue. Three times an icy-cold Filbert Street was filled by the faithful fans of both sides. As an eight-year-old, I remember listening to the commentary on Radio 3 (there was no Five Live or live TV coverage back then!) and being completely caught up in the thrill of this seemingly never-ending tussle. Arsenal went on to beat Man U 3-2 in the final, having squandered a 2-0 lead in the last five minutes.

1980, semi-final. The longest FA Cup semi-final in history, spanning four matches. Arsenal finally overcame the mighty Liverpool 1-0, and we all felt our name was on the Cup, especially because we knew we only had to beat second division West Ham in the final. Oops. The semi was a thrilling and titanic struggle, but I can't help but wonder how much it took out of the team. In the space of a few weeks, a promising league challenge faded quietly away, we lost the FA Cup final to a rare Trevor Brooking header and then an exhausted side lost the Cup Winners' Cup final to Valencia on penalties. The FA Cup semi was one of the great battles of any FA Cup, but ultimately it cost Arsenal severely. However, that didn't make it any less great as a spectacle.

We just don't get these long, drawn-out Cup ties any more. That's a shame in some ways, but in many others it is a good thing. And there ARE compensations to having a sudden-death format too. A few years back, Arsenal beat Rotherham in the Carling Cup after a shootout that totalled 22 penalties and included (successful) spot kicks by both goalies. Great stuff. And a hell of a lot better than having to trudge all the way back to watch a replay after what had been, quite frankly, a very poor game of football. Then there's the 1994 World Cup final. Who could forget the great Roberto Baggio's amateurish blast over the bar? Euro 96, with Oliver Bierhoff's golden goal. South Korea disposing of Italy in the 2002 World Cup by the same means. Great moments one and all.

So it's not just a case of black and white, right and wrong. The current system is a product of the times; it has its good and bad points, but is it actually any better or worse? Or is it just different?

On balance, I think the system is about right. But that doesn't mean I don't miss the romance which has largely disappeared from Cup football - and the absence of open-ended replays is a big part of that.