Having been brought up on Test Cricket, Snooker & Darts World Championships, 70 years of tennis ineptitude, the British Open Golf Championship and the FA Cup, the average 'older English supporter' understands that the element of suspense and introduction of 'minnows' brings with it the supreme levels of excitement from last gap wins and holding on to the end, that only sitting through hours of boring crap can fully develop. Unfortunately, in a modern, satisfy me now, television age, that demands immediate satisfaction, that experience is diminished and the short term prevails over the medium and long term.
BRAND has replaced RARITY and INTEGRITY in sports promotion. Let us just hope that Football doesn't head down the Boxing, F1, Darts or (God forbid) Wrestling routes