Give us a break

What connects Aston Villa, Portsmouth, Reading (twice), Middlesborough (twice), Watford and Chelsea?
Well, the answer is two things, actually. Firstly, they were Manchester United’s opponents in last year’s FA Cup. Secondly, every one of those games was shown live on BBC. Yes, the BBC covered the FA Cup from the grassroots upwards… until you got to the 3rd Round when Manchester United entered the competition… and then they couldn’t give a toss about anyone else, they decided we were all Manchester United fans.
Yesterday they made the draw for this season’s FA Cup 3rd Round… and just guess what the BBC have decided to cover? This despite the fact that they participated in the biggest sporting bore that doesn’t involve a horse (if you don’t count Frank Lampard) in this year’s FA Cup Final with Chelsea.
They did nothing but moan at the BBC when they lost the future rights to cover the FA Cup from the 2008 season, but for most of us, (not counting the legions of dyed-in the-wool reds who may have to travel up from Bournemouth, Torquay, and Essex) surely it will be a blessed relief. Not only may we get a bit of variety, but it we fmay inally be able to pension of the only pair of television comedians less funny than Ant and Dec, namely the absurd Motty and Lawro, as the BBC likes to call them.
As for the jerks who carry out the FA Cup draw… thanks a bloody bunch… again!