Which would you choose?

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Originally Posted by Andy_Faber

On that same rational basis the former (FA cup win) could happen next year so it’s a nil outcome

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Ah but for the fact that guaranteed promotion gets us in the championship and I've watched Derby for years there, we might get promoted within a year again but its a probable. Plus we are more than likely to achieve that anyway within a short timescale.

A guaranteed FA Cup win is an actual trophy to saviour, which is very unlikely to happen in reality. So its hardly a nil outcome, as promotion is a definite possibility within the next couple of years, FA Cup win extremely unlikely.

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Originally Posted by ramAnag

If we’re talking ‘guaranteed’ and ‘fairy godmothers’...then a guaranteed play off win every time, please.
That way you get the Wembley occasion factor...and the promise of better things next season.

In reality...the most we can expect from the FA Cup is a good run as we are light years behind the real contenders.

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I don't see why though? A Guaranteed actual Trophy in winning the FA Cup, for a Derby fan a once in a lifetime experience against, winning promotion, which it is highly likely we will do within the next couple of years? Who remembers play off winners?

I mean yes I get its an experience, good (in 2007) and bad (all other occasions), but its hardly one that the average Derby fan isn't going to experience at sometime in their life. FA Cup final and winning is not the case.

I mean we are talking fantasy here, but I'm astonished that any Derby fan would forego the glamour and prestige of winning one of the 3 English trophies, for promotion to the championship.

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Originally Posted by swaledale

Ah but for the fact that guaranteed promotion gets us in the championship and I've watched Derby for years there, we might get promoted within a year again but its a probable. Plus we are more than likely to achieve that anyway within a short timescale.

A guaranteed FA Cup win is an actual trophy to saviour, which is very unlikely to happen in reality. So its hardly a nil outcome, as promotion is a definite possibility within the next couple of years, FA Cup win extremely unlikely.

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We’ll have to agree to disagree, or at least I will

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Originally Posted by swaledale

I don't see why though? A Guaranteed actual Trophy in winning the FA Cup, for a Derby fan a once in a lifetime experience against, winning promotion, which it is highly likely we will do within the next couple of years? Who remembers play off winners?

I mean yes I get its an experience, good (in 2007) and bad (all other occasions), but its hardly one that the average Derby fan isn't going to experience at sometime in their life. FA Cup final and winning is not the case.

I mean we are talking fantasy here, but I'm astonished that any Derby fan would forego the glamour and prestige of winning one of the 3 English trophies, for promotion to the championship.

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We’ll just have to disagree. I’ve never experienced success at Wembley...attended all our play off failures but was, unavoidably, in Rome when we beat WBA.

As you say...we are ‘talking fantasy’...but I’d imagine the joy of play off success compares pretty favourably (equally) with FA Cup success only you have something to show for it the following season.

Each to their own, but it’s interesting that last weekend’s interest in an FA Cup against Barnsley attracted little in the way of interest or attendance compared with the League One equivalents.

It is only a point of view, but I'd wager most football fans would prefer an FA Cup win a place in history than a play off final win and promotion to even the prem, where a season of dispiriting struggle awaits and the club would be one of many foot notes!

I'm sure it is recorded, but when looking back over English football history, winning a trophy stands head and shoulders above promotions and is recorded more than simple promotions.

Mm are you saying that interest in an FA Cup Final would be less than for a play off final? Because I seriously doubt that would be the case!

Winning promotion at Wembley is certainly a good feeling, even if is tempered by the fact that realistically your going to spend the next season watching your club struggle in the premier league!!

Of course promotion to the Championship would be different, as in we would all hope, Derby would make a strong showing in that division so there shouldn't be the hope tinged with the depressing reality.

But, each year 3 team sin the Championship, 3 teams in League 1 4 teams in League 2, thats 10 teams experience promotion, Many will do that a number of times over a generation, winning the FA Cup happens to 1 team each year, and relatively few teams have managed it - that has got to be the greater triumph and experience.

I do find this interesting, I'd expect the younger fans to have less interest in the FA Cup, its lost some of its shine and importance, which I blame the FA for. But us older generation the FA Cup was special and still is to me.

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Originally Posted by Andy_Faber

On that same rational basis the former (FA cup win) could happen next year so it’s a nil outcome

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One can agree to disagree about what you would prefer, fair enough, but your statement here is still not true!

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Originally Posted by swaledale

One can agree to disagree about what you would prefer, fair enough, but your statement here is still not true!

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Don't start on a football thread Swale

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Originally Posted by swaledale

It is only a point of view, but I'd wager most football fans would prefer an FA Cup win a place in history than a play off final win and promotion to even the prem, where a season of dispiriting struggle awaits and the club would be one of many foot notes!

I'm sure it is recorded, but when looking back over English football history, winning a trophy stands head and shoulders above promotions and is recorded more than simple promotions.

Mm are you saying that interest in an FA Cup Final would be less than for a play off final? Because I seriously doubt that would be the case!

Winning promotion at Wembley is certainly a good feeling, even if is tempered by the fact that realistically your going to spend the next season watching your club struggle in the premier league!!

Of course promotion to the Championship would be different, as in we would all hope, Derby would make a strong showing in that division so there shouldn't be the hope tinged with the depressing reality.

But, each year 3 team sin the Championship, 3 teams in League 1 4 teams in League 2, thats 10 teams experience promotion, Many will do that a number of times over a generation, winning the FA Cup happens to 1 team each year, and relatively few teams have managed it - that has got to be the greater triumph and experience.

I do find this interesting, I'd expect the younger fans to have less interest in the FA Cup, its lost some of its shine and importance, which I blame the FA for. But us older generation the FA Cup was special and still is to me.

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I agree...the FA Cup is important and possibly more so to those of us who are older...but let me change the emphasis slightly.
If, hypothetically, Derby were in the top flight and had the same fantasy ‘fairy godmother’ choice of winning one more match to guarantee survival from relegation or one more match to win the FA Cup...which would you choose?
I’d choose avoiding relegation. I agree...winning the FA Cup would be far more glamorous and memorable, but staying up would have a much more far reaching impact on the club.

No right or wrong answer. Just opinion and preference.

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Originally Posted by ramAnag

I agree...the FA Cup is important and possibly more so to those of us who are older...but let me change the emphasis slightly.
If, hypothetically, Derby were in the top flight and had the same fantasy ‘fairy godmother’ choice of winning one more match to guarantee survival from relegation or one more match to win the FA Cup...which would you choose?
I’d choose avoiding relegation. I agree...winning the FA Cup would be far more glamorous and memorable, but staying up would have a much more far reaching impact on the club.

No right or wrong answer. Just opinion and preference.

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The good old Wigan dilemma... They were relegated the year they won the cup against Citeh. A rare double. I remember their fans bragging about winning the cup and "we'll soon be back". They haven't returned, but have bounced between 3rd and 2nd division since. So at the time they were happy to have won the Cup but I wonder if they still feel the same way. Also, financially, staying in the top flight is a no brainer of a choice and money means more prizes.

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Originally Posted by ramAnag

I agree...the FA Cup is important and possibly more so to those of us who are older...but let me change the emphasis slightly.
If, hypothetically, Derby were in the top flight and had the same fantasy ‘fairy godmother’ choice of winning one more match to guarantee survival from relegation or one more match to win the FA Cup...which would you choose?
I’d choose avoiding relegation. I agree...winning the FA Cup would be far more glamorous and memorable, but staying up would have a much more far reaching impact on the club.

No right or wrong answer. Just opinion and preference.

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There isn't a right or wrong answer, just as there wasn't in the other hypothesis, I just found it strange that fans would choose promotion ( something we would reasonably expect to happen with Derby) over the chance to win a trophy and a piece of history!

As for your revised hypothesis, mm I still find that difficult, because how often does the chance to win a trophy come around for a club like Derby? I mean what do Wigan fans remember, that FA Cup win over man City? That will stay with them for ever, being in the prem, yeah it was good while it lasted, but realistically, unless some Sheik buys us, mid table is the best we can hope for and a struggle against relegation is more likely. So we pass up a chance to win the FA Cup just to have another season of struggle, or win it, get relegated, but have a good chance of coming up next year, as Norwich and Burnley ahve done for many a year!

So I'm still going for the FA Cup win, means more to me than being a low ranking team scraping survival in a league where realistically 4 -6 teams have a chance of winning it and the rest make up the numbers!