IT IS that time of year again, when the FA Cup gets to the exciting stage and the little minnows battle it out with the big fish in front of big crowds.

Or do they? Having seen some of the attendances at some of the third round games, I'm not so sure.

Some clubs got a lot less than half their average home gates. Burnley only got 8,000. -- Manchester City could only get 19,000.

On the whole the attendances were poor, considering what gates were like years ago. I think admission prices have a lot to do with it.

Also the FA Cup is being spoiled by the TV companies who like to stagger the matches over four days -- Friday nights, Saturday lunchtimes, Sunday lunchtimes and Monday nights. What is wrong with Saturdays at 3pm?

Fans are fed up of being denied watching their team on a Saturday because Sky TV want games played on a Sunday lunchtime at 1pm.

I can remember last season doing nothing on the Saturday because I was up at 6.30am on a Sunday morning to go to Barnet for a 1.30pm kick off. What the heck is going on? Don't the fans ever get considered when a decision like that is made?

The gate at the Bradford City v Middlesbrough game the other Monday night was only 7,500 -- all down to it being shown on Sky TV.

Had it been on a Saturday, the game would no doubt have been more than double that.

The fans were not prepared to do a day's work and then drive through the rush hour traffic to get to Valley Parade and then drive back and get home late in the evening, and then get up for work the following day.

So they watched it on Sky TV, but what annoys me is that they were denied the chance of seeing their team live.

The average fan, who follows his or her team week in week out, is getting a raw deal and the sooner the TV companies realise they are spoiling the tradition of the FA Cup, the better.

Let's get all games back to Saturdays at 3pm, with only one match reserved for Sunday viewing and begin to treat the fans with respect.

M HIBBERT, Ivan Street, Burnley.