Kevin Ball has spoken about the decision to scrap FA Cup replays for next season.
Sunderland veteran Kevin Ball thinks it’s a good thing that the FA has eliminated FA Cup replays, saying, “I’m all for it.”
The 59-year-old former skipper, caretaker manager, and club ambassador was speaking at the unveiling of a Sunderland special edition Jameson whiskey bottle. In collaboration with Classic Football Shirts, the bottle includes Sunderland’s 1992 away shirt, commemorating the club’s iconic cup final season.
Asked about the FA’s decision to exclude replays from the first round of the FA Cup, which has prompted an outraged reaction countrywide, particularly among smaller clubs, Ball said, “I’m all for it.” The reason I agree with scrapping replays is that, while I appreciate what people are saying about scrapping them, I also like the concept that a cup game must be completed on that day.
“I would like to see a framework for why they want to do it. But if I was asked before this decision, ‘Would you scrap replays?’ I’d do it. They haven’t indicated how they would finish the games. Will they play 90 minutes with penalties, or 90 minutes with extra time and penalties? “I am not sure what they are going to do.”Others will complain, and I understand what they are saying about smaller clubs. I understand all of that, but in the larger scheme of things, it is only a cup. The cup draw states that you are either at home or away; ‘very unlucky you’re away,’ but it’s a tough game. I apologize, but I am all for it.”
Ball was also quizzed about his teammates in the 1991/92 season, which culminated in the FA Cup final and a 2-0 loss to Liverpool. When asked about his favorite teammates, he remarked, “I believe it’s really tough to talk about favourites from guys you’ve played with. Maintaining communication among team members can be challenging.I’ve always told every player I’ve ever played with, ‘Look, you’ve got my phone; if you want to get in touch with me or need me for anything, give me a call.’ That is how we work. But then when we bump into each other or see each other, you go back to the era when you played with them, and you talk about it, and it is good.”
“The one thing that stands out in my mind from the cup final is that John Kay was unable to play. John Kay was named player of the year that year. He was really great all year, and then he was hurt in the lead-up to the final, just as I got injured but recovered quickly enough. And I remember feeling bad for him because he was by far our greatest player all year and ended up missing the cup final, which would have been the pinnacle of his career. So that stands out in my recollection, along with one or two other things.”
The cup final kit from that year has been reissued, and he added: “I guess the first thing you could argue is that when you compare the kit we went back and played in at the play-off final, there was a definite minor difference in weight. There was no denying that the entire package was nice. Even the tracksuit. The fact that they have now reissued it all is a testament to the club’s successful kit era. It was a wonderful kit to play in.”
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