I was going to start a long list of reasons why I love the County Cup (I didn’t always, but that’s for another column), but the reality is there is one and one only.
The opportunity for teams in the men’s and women’s senior cup to test themselves against higher opposition.
There were two such encounters this week as Flackwell Heath hosted Slough Town and Berks County went to Marlow, a tale of a new club versus one that took part in one of the earliest FA Cups.
On the one hand I can see Maidenhead United fans bemoaning their sides progress in the competition (I know, not all them), and on the other hand you’ve got Berks manager Ellis Woods tweeting: “What a night for the club … to even be playing a club of Marlow FC’s heritage will be amazing.”
It shows both sides of a competition that will be maligned by the clubs higher up, and an opportunity for those lower down.
I prefer to think of the competition as an opportunity for the higher up teams to give back. A few years ago Wycombe’s progress generated record four figure crowds for Long Crendon and others. Reading FC at Bracknell Town brought in over a thousand.
A Berks County playing Maidenhead or in this case Marlow, is a huge opportunity and I think the benefits to our grass roots eco system far outweigh the negatives.
I just wish the pro clubs could come in a little sooner!
Agree with Tom? Have your say in the comments below.
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