St Andrew’s empty stands a sign of FA Cup’s fading, but not forgotten, magic | Jonathan Liew

05 January 2020 07:00
Even at third-round tie between Birmingham and Blackburn few wanted to watch, it was still possible to find a little joyMost match days, you can barely squeeze into the bar of the Royal George Hotel at the north-eastern corner of St Andrew’s. An hour before Birmingham play Blackburn, however, there are still plenty of chairs and tables available. A short distance away, in front of the Tilton Road Stand, a lone steward stands solemn guard in front of a bank of silent turnstiles. The magic of the FA Cup is still very much in evidence, it seems – but these days it tends to be more of a vanishing act.It’s a similar story inside the stadium, where only one of the four stands – the Kop – is fully open, along with a sliver of away fans in the Gil Merrick. This despite Blackburn bringing a healthy away contingent and tickets being attractively priced at £12. Birmingham’s Twitter account was still trying to flog them early on Saturday morning. Related: Paul Mullin seals stunning comeback draw for Tranmere at Watford Continue readingreadfullarticle

Source: TheGuardian