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Weston-super-Mare director baffled at his side’s FA Cup tie with Bristol Rovers not being televised

Weston-super-Mare director baffled at his side’s FA Cup First Round proper tie with Bristol Rovers not being televised.

The match represents a significant local derby with Bristol Rovers, which could naturally attract substantial local interest and potentially a wider audience due to the FA Cup’s allure, the magic of the cup just seeing these two sides drawn together.

Weston-super-Mare are the National League South leaders going into this weekend, facing Bristol Rovers from League One, yet it’s not being shown live.

Yep, despite the FA Cup being known for its tradition of showcasing matches from lower leagues, providing an opportunity for less televised teams to gain exposure, fans took issue with some of the picks that bosses have gone for, mainly the all EFL tie between Harrogate and Wrexham, leaving many non league sides missing out.

The aspect of the competition having non league v EFL (vice versa) historically draws viewers who enjoy the unpredictability and romance of the cup.

Bristol Live were invited down to Weston-super-Mare, and director Ed Bliss had plenty to say.

ON DRAWING BRISTOL ROVERS IN THE FA CUP:

“When the ball came out, the place erupted.

“So, just a little bit of context to where we were after beating Lowestoft. Obviously chat goes around amongst the supporters on the team coach when we were coming back. What’s your ideal draw? And it’s the FA Cup. It’s the best sporting tournament in the world because it gives clubs like ourselves a real opportunity to gain some funds but also you have the opportunity to play against clubs that you can’t get to.

“So we were umming and ahhing. Yeah, Birmingham would have been great. Wrexham would have been great. They’re your kind of gold starters, just for the financial kind of push.

“My two boys are really into football and I said to them, ā€˜nothing will be better than Roversā€™ and then that word was kind of spreading…that I didn’t trigger. Everyone else was kind of like, yeah, Rovers would be good. Rovers away because we can take our fans. It’s Rovers, they’re on our doorstep.

“Then when the balls came out, it was unbelievable. The place erupted. We had probably about 200 people down here watching the draw. All local. Rovers were drawn first and then ours was 17 when it came out. Quality. And that’s the whole point of the FA Cup.

“It’s a shame that it’s slightly different this year because obviously it’s new rules so there’s no return fixtures if there’s a draw and that takes the flavour away a little bit I think because if we’re going up there looking for a draw, historically then we get them back here and we get a chance of doing them here. But the draw couldn’t have been better.”

ON NOT BEING PICKED FOR TV:

“It baffled all of us. I mean, you’ve got Birmingham and Sutton being televised. Confusing. You know why with Wrexham. They’ve got a bit of weight behind them. I’m not taking it away from them. Absolutely not. But you can’t get a better opportunity to televise a game in the FA Cup than two reasonably well-matched teams on each other’s doorstep. So it’s confusing, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

“It would have been in the realms of about Ā£80,000,” the Weston director added when asked what a TV game would do financially for the club. “So a game changer for us to build for next season, to plug in a little bit of finance for this season. But that’s the way it goes.

“You can’t think about that too much. It’s out of our hands. You park that quickly and you go, right, you look at the real situation and where Roversā€™ form is at the moment and ours and the depth of our squad.”

ON THE CURRENT SQUAD:

“We knew we had something that was going to be good. But you don’t get the likes of Boreham Wood and Dorking coming down. You’ve got to see where you go and theyā€™re showing well at the moment. There’s just a good buzz. That’s what happens with winning clubs.

“My boys keep saying, ā€˜what if we get promoted?ā€™ And I just say ā€˜chill out, just wait.ā€™ It’s early, but we’re showing that we’ve got the depth in the squad to fill holes when there’s niggles. But there’s something else that’s driving the team and it’s Scott’s ability to manage teams that he has at the club well. He gets on very well with them as a kind of like a working kind of colleague-friend relationship but doesn’t cross the boundaries. They don’t ever really cross over. He knows when he needs to step back and be manager but he knows when to step forward and put that metaphorical arm around the player.

“I see that. I’ve only been involved a little bit more now in the last couple of years on the commercial side but it’s fun. It’s form to take into a cup tie and we’re going to compete and they’re going to be stunned a little bit because we’re going up there to beat them.

“It’s a powerful statement,” Bliss added on being top of the league. “It really is, bearing in mind, as I mentioned, we’re one of the lower budgets in the league.

“But, interestingly, a friend of mine last weekend, he said it doesn’t matter how much you pay. If they want to play for you, they’ll play and I think that’s what we’ve ingrained into every player that comes in. We go and meet them, all the staff, we introduce ourselves, let them know our role, welcome them into the club and then we build that relationship.

“It’s not to get too excited on where we are at the moment because as I said, we’re all sportsmen in our family and we’ve seen it all.

“I think the proud moment is just being here, you know? When we won the league a couple of years ago, it’s just psychologically and physically stepping out at the moment and looking at Dad out on the pitch with Dennis who’s the club president, 95 last week. That’s the proud moment. Understanding where the clubā€™s come from. 25, 30 years ago getting 200 people in and then seeing 11, 1200 people a week now coming through to watch our football. That’s awesome.”

You can read more by clicking HERE.

Here’s how fans reacted with the Weston-super-Mare director baffled at his side’s FA Cup tie with Bristol Rovers not being televised…

@brimmo_:
Still canā€™t believe that the tv stations have ignored Rovers v Weston game
Local Derby
Massive chance of upset (Rovers might win)
Non League side on incredible run
League side in disarray
Hallmarks of a classic

@EdRollsOff: Bristol Rovers Vs Weston-super-Mare on TV would have been what the FA cup is all about. But you picked fucking Harrogate Wrexham? Well done for getting it completely wrong again

@Ryann_BRFC_95: Harrogate vs. Wrexham, both EFL clubs, League 2 fixture last year and Non-League not long before that – Selected for TV. Bristol Rovers vs. Weston-super-Mare, both teams within the BS postal region, ‘giant killing’ potential, first ever competitive meeting – Not selected for TV.

@WayneJWFC88: The likes of Hednesford, Rushall and Weston-super-Mare and they pick a ridiculously boring game in Harrogate and Wrexham šŸ™„šŸ˜‚ comical

@TatTrove: Would have loved to watch Weston on telly

@_____Phil_____:
Slowly killing the magic of the cup!
Why show league side v league sides! We want giant killings! The money is penuts to then!
How your not showing Bristol v Weston is a surprise.
Some decent ties with step 6/7 clubs ignored again!

@justinbcfc92: Itā€™s an absolute travesty that you have picked Harrogate Wrexham over Bristol rovers Weston super mare! Absolute farce that is

@Finlay_Rufc5: Seem to be doing your best to destroy the magic of the FA Cup. We donā€™t need to see every game Wrexham play thereā€™s so many better matches you couldā€™ve chosen. Give non league sides the platform they deserve

@DarthGoose13: Wankfest over Wrexham continues.

@groundhopper23:
Curzon v Mansfield
Rushall v Accrington
Worthing v Morecambe
Boreham Wood v Orient
Maidenhead v Crawley
Woking v Csmbridge
Bristol Rov v WSM
Even Wimbledon v Milton Keynes
Any of those would be a better choice than bleedin’ Wrexham v Harrogate. Obsessed? Surely not.

@DeadlyTheRoadie: Whereā€™s Bristol Rovers vs Weston? Oh we have to show Wrexham šŸ„±

@JballJon: Thought it would have been a Tv game

@McShabby: Wrexham? The Chesham v Lincoln game could have been a Sunday game and Bristol Rovers v Weston on the Monday night

@TVickers1:
Of course ITV choose Wrexham to be on TV.
What about:
Bristol Rovers v Weston Super Mare
Curzon Ashton v Mansfield
Southend v Charlton
Weā€™ll decide to put a league 2 club against a league 1 club so we can talk about Ryan Reynolds the whole 90 minutes.

@TrueGrassroot: A total disgrace. Curzon Ashton versus Mansfield & Bristol Rovers v Weston Super Mare is actually what the FA Cup is about, but they donā€™t care.

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