One of the less endearing aspects of the English FA Cup is when teams switch stadiums in order to make more money (or maximize revenue, as club accountants no doubt phrase it). A few years ago non-league Farnborough moved its home tie with Arsenal to Highbury in order to earn some quick cash. Not only did this rid the match-up of all romance, Farnborough lost 5-0, and a couple of years later went bankrupt anyway.
All credit then to Cardiff City, drawn at home to that same team, Arsenal, in this year’s fourth round, for refusing to switch the game from its home stadium Ninian Park (capacity: 21,000) to the 74,000-capacity Millennium Stadium in the same city. Last year’s finalist (it lost 1-0 to Portsmouth) issued a statement saying it would stay at its “spiritual home.” The club didn’t need to add that it would have a much better chance of winning backed by its own fans in a more compact stadium.
FA rules state that clubs cannot switch FA Cup games for financial incentives, but of course you can always cite safety or security concerns instead. The Millennium Stadium was home to the FA Cup final for six years between 2001 and 2006 during Wembley’s renovation, and is less than two miles from Ninian Park. Mind you, spiritual home or not, Cardiff is leaving Ninian Park at the end of this season for a new $44 million stadium. Hopefully, the spirits will come along too.