Talking Sport: Why popularity of football in the future hangs on the FA Cup

The unfamiliar mild weather of January has at last been replaced with the traditional biting cold winds and sub-zero temperatures the UK knows only too well, writes Craig Peters. This can only mean one thing; we are well and truly immersed in FA Cup season.

It has a feel of the mid-80s. The exhilaration of the oldest association football competition in the world is back.

Televised games are anticipated more keenly than ever. Players even have a retro 80s feel about them - Will Buckley of Brighton with his unkempt locks and effective old-fashioned wing play is a prime example.

The big boys are in and, in some cases, already out, often succumbing to lower-league opposition. The thrill of the draw is back, too. The nervous shakes as you wait for your team’s number to be drawn echoes of a time when the late Sir Bert Millichip, former FA chairman, would proudly announce the home teams, standing over the famous velvet bag.

But sadly, it feels like I’m in a minority here. Again, the annual debate about whether the FA Cup holds any significance to Premier League clubs is drawn out among high-profile commentators and journalists.

If current players, who grew up surrounded by the romance and tradition of the FA Cup, feel it holds no importance, then I think there must be something wrong with them. Being a professional player now and saying you hold no allegiance towards this historic competition is almost like saying you feel nothing when you visit a place of a memorable childhood or romantic experience. You must be cold, soulless.

Gladly, though, I don’t think players feel this way. With squads now so big, the option of playing in such ties is out of their hands. They do what they’re told. No questions asked.