Chelsea losing to Barnsley, United beaten at home by Portsmouth and Middlesbrough dumped out by Cardiff: As the saying goes, you’ve gotta love the romance of the cup, but will the FA love it when it comes to May 17th?

It’s the first time in a century that the last four of the FA Cup has only one topflight team in the last four. In terms of the romance of football’s oldest knockout competition, great - we all love a giant killing. But for the FA, notoriously cack-handed with money as it is, it won’t be so romantic when they examine the bottom line.

After all the FA Cup is the FA’s showpiece event, attracting interest from cash-rich sponsors and executives looking to show their clients a good time. Are they going to generate the same sort of interest as the top four would? Topflight teams don’t guarantee great games (look at Chelsea vs. United last year) but they do generate lots of cash and excitement, not only in England but around the world.

It’s obvious that the FA need some cash to make up the cost of Wembley - otherwise why would they stage the semis there? Is walking out onto the turf at Wembley for the final as special if you did it a month ago? Like so many other things, this is another thing that might backfire - and they might have to end up giving all the spare tickets to, shock horror, the fans.

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