Gunners thriller gets huge audience
The Football Association are celebrating today after learning Arsenal’s FA Cup triumph at Sheffield United attracted a peak audience of seven million.
The viewing figure came despite the match been screened on BBC2 and compares favourably with any other club competition, including the Champions League.
Within Soho Square circles it is seen as evidence of the FA Cup starting to regain the magic it lost at the end of the 1990s, culminating in Manchester United’s withdrawal from the tournament in 2000.
Various strategies have been adopted in an effort to increase the competition’s popularity, including the current trend of ensuring there are no Premiership matches on the weekends that coincide with rounds three to six.
And although debate continues over exactly when next season’s final will be staged – following Sven Goran Eriksson’s demand for a four week break before England begin their World Cup campaign – FA chief executive Brian Barwick is convinced the measures currently in place are lifting the world’s oldest cup competition back to its previous heights.
“This season has shown that the FA Cup still occupies a unique place in English football culture,” Barwick told www.thefa.com
“The latest viewing figures reflect the massive passion and enthusiasm of the public for the competition.”
The FA also confirmed the eight fifth-round ties, plus the three replays that have so far been played, have produced an average attendance of 28,291, the highest at this stage for six seasons.
This follows on from third-round gates producing their highest average for 24 years and fourth-round attendances reaching their highest in 27 years, although both these figures do not include replays.
