Real FA Cup magic got TV snub.. bosses at the BBC and ITV should hang their heads in shame

TV bosses at the BBC and ITV should hang their heads in shame after snubbing the magic of our much-loved FA Cup.

It is either through ignorance, arrogance or sheer incompetence — or all three — that they have scheduled some of the most dull and uninspiring collection of games ever seen in the third round.

Maidstone boss George Elokobi and goal hero Sam Corne celebrates making FA Cup history by reaching the fourth round — but BBC and ITV snubbed televising them

For me, this week every year is one of the most exciting in the football calendar.

It is when the FA Cup really comes to life as the plumbers and builders or lower-league pros dine on the same table as the superstars.

It is what makes this competition unique — not just here in the UK but across the globe.

As a proud man of Kent, I simply could not miss going to watch little Maidstone United of the National League South host League One high-fliers Stevenage.

And the lowest-ranked team left in the competition caused the biggest shock and story of the round by producing a brilliant performance to stun Steve Evans’ men at their neat but small Gallagher Stadium.

More than 1,000 joyous fans swamped the pitch at the end to celebrate one of the biggest achievement’s in the town’s 127-year football history. Yet the game was not picked by the dullards in the ivory towers of the Beeb and ITV.

No, they believed the magic of the Cup lay on a Thursday night at Selhurst Park where Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace and Everton slogged out a goalless bore.

And they felt the all-Premier League tie between Tottenham and Burnley would win the hearts of the nation on Friday night.

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Around 1,000 Maidstone fans swamp the pitch in joy after historic win

Fans celebrated with the Maidstone team on the pitch after they beat Stevenage

Aside from Pedro Porro’s stunning winner at the end for Spurs, the game was a snooze-fest.

Sunderland v Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime was a fair enough selection with it being a North-East derby — but even that proved to be an underwhelming and boring mismatch as the Toon cruised to a 3-0 win.

Middlesbrough hosting Aston Villa was a pretty tepid affair on Saturday evening, too.

Arsenal taking on Liverpool yesterday was an all-Premier League heavyweight clash so, to be fair to the BBC execs, that one deserved to be on the box.

And tonight ITV are screening Wigan v Manchester United, which is a decent tie.

But let’s not pretend they made that decision because they love the idea of League One club Wigan creating more Cup magic to add to their stunning 2013 triumph when they won it.

No, tonight’s game is only on screens because it’s Manchester United. Every single round they are still in the competition, we have to endure having Erik ten Hag’s team forced down our throats.

I’ve nothing against anyone at United — but personally cannot wait for them to be knocked out each year because it’s so excruciating listening to all the hype that surrounds them.

Not one match at the weekend featured a team below the Championship — and even the two games that did involve second-tier clubs, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, were up against top-flight sides.

AGGREGATE CROWDS 2023-24

THE number of people who have passed through the turnstiles in the top six tiers of English football so far this season.

PREMIER LEAGUE: 7,483,909

CHAMPIONSHIP: 6,928,003

LEAGUE ONE: 2,854,803

LEAGUE TWO: 1,790,684

NATIONAL LEAGUE: 822,432

NATIONAL SOUTH: 417,508

NATIONAL NORTH: 371,385

Our football culture is not based only in the golden bubble of the sanitised Premier League.

In fact, most people who go to football matches week in, week out go to games OUTSIDE the top flight.

I’ve done some number crunching. So far this season, according to my A-level maths knowledge at least, an aggregate of 7,483,909 have passed through the turnstiles to watch Premier League football this season.

Yet a staggering 13,184,815 punters have passed through the gates to watch either the EFL or the top two divisions of non-league football — nearly SIX MILLION more than the top division.

People who defend the TV execs say that even if they did select a non-league side against a pro team, like Maidstone v Stevenage, they cannot guarantee an upset.

One person on social media argued to me that a few years ago non-league Marine took on Tottenham and who was still watching as the Premier League side went 5-0 up? Well, how many people — my Geordie friends aside — were still watching when Newcastle went 8-0 up at Sheffield United in the Premier League in September?

And if you went by that logic Ronnie Radford’s stunner for Hereford that helped knock Newcastle out of the FA Cup in 1972 would never have been televised — and maybe the then 26-year-old commentator John Motson would not have gone on to have the great career he had.

Of course, you cannot guarantee upsets in football — that is the whole beauty of it.

TV execs decided that Crystal Palace v Everton was a ‘must-watch’ FA Cup tie that bored anyone unfortunate enough to watch it on Thursday

When it does happen, like it did in Kent on Saturday, it makes it extra special.

Thankfully, here at your favourite newspaper, we were at the Gallagher Stadium to capture it all — and will continue to champion ALL levels of our wonderful pyramid.

As Wolves cult hero and Maidstone manager George Elokobi said on Saturday: “The magic of the FA Cup lives on.”

Even if it doesn’t for those spoilsport TV execs who, quite frankly, have no clue about the heartbeat of our national game.

By George, what a great bloke

WHAT a guy George Elokobi is.

After Maidstone’s stunning win on Saturday, the Wolves cult hero did not want to miss out a single person that has helped behind the scenes to make the club tick and set up one of the greatest days in their history.

The emotional Stones boss said: “It’s not just one of the greatest days for me, my players, assistant Craig Fagan, goalkeeper coach Zach Foster-Crouch, backroom staff, the owners and director of football Bill Williams  — but everyone who works behind the scenes.

“I’m talking about Ben and the media guys, John Gooch behind the scenes, Ian Tucker in the office, Helen, Bob, Helen Cooper who takes the photos, credit to all of them …. and I’m not forgetting Louise and Andy in the office. I’m trying not to forget anyone. We want to enjoy all these moments together.”

Elokobi gets non-league football. He started and ended his playing career there. And as a manager he can go a long way — because he knows how to treat people. Everyone wants to work and play for him. It’s a huge asset to have.

Oh, and he knows a thing or two about football.