The tremors of the FA Youth Cup final are set to be felt for a while to come after Man Utd’s complaints are on course to prompt a rule change.
An FA Youth Cup that was set to be a historic occasion was turned into a borderline farce by Man City’s conduct in the lead-up to it.
Given the chance to host the final against Man Utd, City first shifted the game away from the Etihad Stadium, citing construction reasons, then refused United’s offer to host it.
Darren Fletcher went on a remarkable rant after the game about how City took over the competition at their whims and fancies, and the FA could now act to prevent a repeat.
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FA pondering Youth Cup rule change
It won’t bring back the missed opportunity for United this season, but it seems that City’s conduct went a step too far even for the FA’s liking.
Firstly, the hosting rights given to City based on a draw are debatable, and a neutral venue could be settled upon at the start of the season.
Secondly, if the club given the rights can’t hold it in their stadium, then they should cede hosting rights to the opponent, if applicable.
The chance to play in front of a nearly packed Old Trafford was taken away from youngsters in favour of playing at a 6,000-seater academy venue, which does not befit such a glorious youth competition.
As such, The Daily Mail reports that the FA are considering a rule change whereby the hosting team could be forced to cede the rights to the opponent if they can’t make it happen on their main ground.
The FA are reportedly determined not to let the City farce happen again, which means Darren Fletcher’s rant hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.
It goes without saying that everyone hopes that playing in front of large crowds becomes the norm for these youngsters, but the reality is that for some, this could have been a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
That kind of an opportunity simply can’t be taken away based on an unreasonable stance from a club.
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