HARTY: On the FA Cup and Hartlepool's ineligible player

Regardless of who was in the final, armchair fans would sit down to enjoy hours of TV build-up on either side, before multi-million television audiences would watch the final, along with 100,000 spectators at the old Wembley stadium.

Obviously, times have changed. In fact, with the exception of Portsmouth, in 2008, no-one outside the alleged big four, has won the trophy since Everton in 1995. But when Chelsea face already-relegated Pompey on May 15, could some of the magic of the greatest competition in the world return?

Never mind the Hampshire club's obvious off-the-field problems, the current Chelsea side must start as one of the hottest favourites, perhaps since Liverpool took on then second division side Sunderland in 1992.

A one-off contest between perhaps the best and the worst team in the Premiership will certainly appeal to the neutral. But underneath the romance of this potential cup upset, there is also a school of thought that Pompey shouldn't actually be playing in the final.

It's well documented that Portsmouth, as a football club, have run up debts through transfers and player wages that they will never be able to re-pay in full.

If it's proved that they knowingly did this, and I cannot see how anybody can agree to pay the likes of John Utaka 85,000 a week, without there being a consequence, then isn't that almost flouting the rules!

While there is a debt culture within football, the overwhelming majority of teams that Pompey have lined up against this season have cut their cloth accordingly and run within their means. So, is playing a team that ran up unrepayable debts not a level playing field?

Clearly, the FA Premier League might have thought this as they docked Portsmouth nine points, but what about the teams they have played in this cup run?

Did everything suddenly become fair and above board because it was the FA Cup?

Spurs fans, especially, get a lot of stick. But, never mind an apparently perfect goal being disallowed on Sunday, perhaps they have reason to feel aggrieved at Pompey still being allowed to play in the cup with their current problems.

But, there is also a school of thought that might argue that some of Portsmouth's problems came as result of the actions of the man now sitting in the Spurs dugout? Footballing karma?

Who knows. But it certainly throws up a fascinating FA cup final and sadly, recently, those have been few and far between.

I cannot understand where there is any question over what should happen to Hartlepool for playing an ineligible player against the Albion on Easter Monday.

If it happened in the Sussex County League or the Worthing League, it would be an open and shut case. Three points to the other team regardless of circumstances.

The bottom line is Hartlepool fielded a player in their line-up who, due to suspension, was not allowed to play. The northern club can go on about clerical and human errors being the cause, but they broke the rules.

And perhaps this is another classic example of the Football League dithering when it clearly is an open and shut case.

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