FOOTBALL RECORDS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20541, 16 February 1935, Page 19

FOOTBALL RECORDS.

800,000 People See English Cup Ties. TAKINGS NEARLY £60,000. LONDON, January 17. It seemed as if the English cup competition had reached the peak of its popularity a year ago, when aJI records were smashed, but the event this season has made the same wonderful appeal. The ties in the third round, w'hich is the one which brings in all the senior clubs, was watched by 800,000 people, and the aggregate receipts amounted to nearly £60,000. These figures, too, were the "more remarkable owing to the fact that the programme of matches scarcely excited the usual interest. In fact, no tie attracted fifty thousand people, but the average attendance was as high Although luck enters largely into the competition, the cup is always won by one of the best clubs. Before the semi-final round is reached, however, the second grade sides usually do a great deal of damage. In this case the big surprises were the defeats of Manchester City, the holders, and Aston Villa. In the case of the Citv their task in opposing Tottenham Hotspur would, in ordinary circumstances, have been a difficult one, but the latter have been so badly crippled by injuries that it was thought they had now no chance even on their own ground. The team included five reserves. But these young players rose to the occasion in the most gallant style and gained a victory by a goal to nil. Failure of Aston Villa. The Villa went out on their own ground to Bradford City, a Second Division club, by three goals to one, and they played so poorly that defeat was inevitable. They have been struggling all the season, and, curiously enough, Allen, the man for whom they paid the record transfer fee of £II,OOO to Portsmouth, has been blamed for most of the trouble. Allen is a defensive centre half of the “ stopping ” type, and the Villa have never had a man who played in the new-fashioned manner. They have been faithful to the old idea that the centre half should follow up with his forwards. A “ stopper ” demands a change in team work, and it is, I think, in this that the Villa have failed. They have not been able to fit themselves to Allen’s style, and they have become fatally muddled. The Arsenal are the favourites for the cup at the odds of eight to one, and they played themselves safely through a stiff match at Brighton. Owing to the soundness of their defence, they are as difficult yto beat as ever, but they are not as resourceful in attack, and, owing to this, they have not won their matches with their customary ease. Sunderland are at the top of the League ,and they are probably the best side left in the competition, but they are strangely

erratic in games on their own ground. For instance, it was anticipated that they would account for Fulham comfortably, but they finished with an advantage of only the odd goal in five. Among the other clubs who appear to have excellent chances are Derby County, who, like Sunderland, have never captured the cup, West Bromwich Albion, and Sheffield Wednesday. In the next round, however, the Wednesday have been given a most testing match in visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers. Gallacher, the Scottish centre forward, has been a very effective player for Derby since his transfer from Chelsea, and they are a team with great possibilities. So, too, are West Bromwich Albion, although they had a desperate escape against Port Vale, only scoring the two goals they required to win in the last six minutes. Note.—ln the fourth round Arsenal won again, beating Leicester. Sheffield Wednesday beat Wolverhampton 2-1, West Bromwich beat Sheffield United 7-1, Derby beat Swansea 3.0. Sunderland and Everton drew, one all