While the majority of West Brom and Carlos Corberan’s focus will currently be directed towards their upcoming matches in the Championship, it won’t be long until attentions at The Hawthorns turn to the FA Cup.
West Brom are still yet to learn their opponents for their third-round clash, with Albion waiting to learn which of Aldershot Town or Stockport County will be making the trip to The Hawthorns in the first week of 2024.
One thing that Baggies’ supporters can now be sure of, is that they will have to make the trip to the stadium if they wish to see their side in FA Cup action after the FA confirmed on Thursday (7 December) which third-round matches had been selected for broadcast.
The #EmiratesFACup third round TV picks have been selected! 📺
ITV have opted to select the matches between Crystal Palace and Everton, Tottenham v Burnley, Sunderland v Newcastle and Wigan’s showdown with Manchester United, while the BBC will have Middlesbrough v Aston Villa and Arsenal v Liverpool.
All 12 of the teams that have been selected to have their games broadcast will receive a fee of £85,000 in addition to the prize money that could be obtained from the competition’s prize fund.
West Brom fans should be furious that their game has not been picked for broadcast when you consider that they could be facing a side from the National League or League Two’s table toppers in a match that has the potential to produce an FA Cup classic.
It seems ridiculous that both ITV and the BBC have instead picked a number of games between sides that already face each other twice a season. Supporters can watch Liverpool v Arsenal every few months on Sky, why do they need it again in the FA Cup?
That broadcast money will do very little to benefit the Premier League’s biggest clubs financially, whereas it could be incredibly helpful to West Brom considering their recent financial problems at The Hawthorns. Furthermore, it would be even more beneficial for Aldershot or Morecambe.
Whichever of the lower league sides progresses into the third round, they are unlikely to provide a huge financial boost to Albion. Neither side will bring with them the mass travelling support that a showdown with one of the big six Premier League sides would.
Just to compound the frustration for West Brom supporters, the FA have yet to publish the schedule for the remainder of the third-round matches, so there is every chance the Baggies could see their match moved to a different date or time than expected.
In other West Brom news, Jayson Molumby might have a chance to save his Baggies’ career after the latest news from The Hawthorns
