Moving goalposts

If, at the start of the football season, the idea had been voiced that a fourth division side would reach the League Cup final it would have been laughed at. In Scotland the odds were probably shorter than in England thanks to my beloved Rangers’ current plight, but even so it would still have been remarkable achievement. South of the border Bradford City did make it to the final though, and by the time this issue goes to press they may well have even won the competition! Before the semi-final I was trying to explain the ‘magic of the cup’ to my girlfriend (mainly to justify watching the match) and found myself explaining that cup competitions are great because, “the best team doesn’t always win”. I recounted the history of the competition, the formations of the teams and tactics used and thought I had done a good job of explaining it all, but it was clear she just didn’t understand football.