Non-League vs Premier League - official thread (FA Cup)

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#1

So, less than a week until Sutton United vs Arsenal - the most obvious train of thought is a Gooners win but the romantic in me is hoping Wenger plays some kids, Sutton can keep 'em quiet first 20, get a foothold in the game etc…

Sutton is my hometown too so a group of us are banding together at a pub to have a beer and cheer them on.

Also, it’s been announced the home side have signed a sponsorship deal with The Sun to allow the paper to be their shirt sponsor for the game only. The backlash on social media towards the club from Liverpool fans and residents has been pretty, if unsurprising, vitriolic.

DiS hive mind thoughts on either the game or the business aspect welcome.

#2

#UTI!

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#3

obviously the sun are evil cunts and it’d be lovely for them to moral high horse it, but bigger clubs have taken far less needed money from equally evil sources, liverpool included

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#4

can’t wait for [championship no-marks] vs. MANCHESTER UNITED FC

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#5

What’s the deal with BetVictor then - what have they done/doing?

#6

United, Arsenal and Chelsea will sail through. Wouldn’t be surprised if any of the other PL sides got knocked out. Been a bit of a shit Cup on the whole this year, so can only see United or Chelsea 2-1ing a valiant underdog in the Final.

City and Spurs have got two really tough ties against probably the two best footballing sides in the Championship. Think both could be absolute belters.

Will be rooting for Sutton a bit less now they’ve agreed to plaster The Sun all over their shirts and ground, but i’d happily see them bounce Arsenal out.

#7

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#8

they’re a betting company

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#9

Tax dodgers

#10

I know that, but does it make Liverpool bad just in a moral sense or has BV been up to naughtiness?

#11

I think trying to make moral judgments about who a non-league club takes money from when you’re advertising a betting company is pretty dubious. They’re no worse than any other betting company afaik but the whole business is a fucking cesspit

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#12

Massive PL club fans having a go at non-league club for cashing in on fantastic achievement.

Modern football at its fucking worst.

I get that Liverpool has legitimate beeves with The Sun but don’t take it out on non-league clubs and their supporters. It goes to show Liverpool’s exceptionalism complex when they start expecting other people to fight for their cause, over their own financial interests.

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#13

Really think we’ll struggle to get anything at Turf Moor, especially after their hushing of Chelsea this week. It’s been a good cup run for the Imps mind and it doesn’t seem to have affected league form either.

#14

Not really looking to engage much on the matter, but i don’t know if tax avoidance and what the Sun did after Hillsborough are comparable. Could Sutton have told The Sun to stick their money? Yep. Could bigger clubs be more responsible about who their commercial partners are? Yep. Are they morally the same? I’d say no…not really.

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#15

^this

If the entire pyramid was structured in a less ridiculous way maybe non-league clubs wouldn’t have to bite the hand off the first awful company to offer them a bit of dosh, yeah lads?

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#16

…but they’re cashing in already via the prize money, as is the nature of the Cup. Surely the argument isn’t that they shouldn’t cash in further via an on-the-day sponsor…more that it probably doesn’t have to be a newspaper who accused a group of football supporters of causing the deaths of others whilst stealing their wallets. I think you can say this without denying that football has lost its moral compass and that the bigger clubs with more means have greater responsibilities to make a stand.

#17

Oxford are going to smash Boro into next week.

#18

shit cup? I think it’s great that there are still so many lower league clubs in.

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#19

I completely understand why Liverpool fans have an issue with The Sun and I also understand why they don’t like other clubs being involved with The Sun.

All I’m saying is that Liverpool fans need to look at who they’re attacking here, and if that’s right.

I don’t think Sutton could turn down an offer from The Sun, and I don’t think we should ever expect non-league clubs to be leading the way in terms of driving the moral compass.

#20

I understand too, and I’d understand the anger even more if the tie was Sutton United vs Liverpool but it isn’t…

Sutton could’ve maybe disregarded The Sun’s interest for ‘football solidarity’ but when has Liverpool ever given a damn about Sutton over the past 100 years?

But then The Sun’s offer might of been the biggest on the table - as I work in Non-League, I know how badly clubs cherish ANY extra cash on the books. So Sutton have made a fair bit just by getting through the rounds sure, but then that’s reward for their footballing endeavour - the corporate side of the club is a different thing and opportunities like this one don’t come along every day. The length of this sponsorship is solely for the duration of the game too, so nothing long-term.