i'll take a stab at

PNE vs Arsenal BBC Monday Night

Man Utd vs Reading BT Sat eve

West Ham vs Man City BBC Sunday 4pm

Everton vs Leicester BT Friday Night

Chelsea vs Notts/Posh BT Sat early

gone for those 2 on BT as they are showing Leicester vs Chelsea the week after

Though they could easily take Brum vs Toon or Spurs vs Villa

Well yes.

If you look beyond the very big teams, it actually is (in my opinion) a fairly decent draw for TV.

Millwall v Bournemouth
Norwich v Southampton
Bolton v Crystal Palace
Preston v Arsenal

All these 4 ties feature a Premier League club, going away from home to a lower league club.

Then there is West Ham United v Manchester City, and Everton v Leicester City (it seems unbelieveable that Leicester City are the Premier League champions, but they are, and Everton are a team you would think would like to have a good cup run.)

Yes I am aware that sides like Bournemouth, Southampton and Crystal Palace are not the very big clubs, and might be a bit unfashionable, but I don't think anyone can deny that they would probably be good cup ties.

I get what you mean but there's no particular rivalry between those teams and the Palace and Arsenal games will probably be very one sided (not sure Millwall will put up much more of a fight against Bournemouth). Norwich v Southampton will probably be a decent game but there's nothing really about it - especially considering that the teams have played each other plenty of times recently.

What you really want from 3rd round times is big prem teams going to some obscure league 1-2 team, or a grudge/derby match between teams that haven't played each other recently, or something else that you can use to create a 'story' abut the game. Most importantly you want teams that really care about the game - which isn't the case for a lot of Prem/Championship teams.

I have a feeling that the BBC might go for Sutton v AFC Wimbledon. I know the rights are quite expensive to give up an all Prem tie but then they have a different perspective to the commercial channels.

The Headline on BBc Breakfast and also on their Text page is

Newport or Plymouth will go to Liverpool

Newspaper headline

Stam will return to Old Trafford


Anyone who is hoping that Liverpool and Man U will not be on TV are going to be disappointed

At least there is a reason in Man U v Reading being shown, the Japp Stam Return. His departure was a hard one, and Reading are doing well.

Not sure about Liverpool v Newport or Plymouth, it could be over in like 10 minutes, and Im guessing the viewers would then switch off, the neutrals anyway.

West Ham v Manchester City, is an obvious.

Preston v Arsenal

Think I would also go for Bolton v Crystal Palace,

I would expect Manchester United to be on TV, and probably Liverpool, and I can understand why they will be chosen. (But if anyone thinks that Palace and Arsenal games will be one sided, you would have thought that the Manchester United and Liverpool games would be as well, perhaps even more so.)

Sutton United v AFC Wimbledon is a local derby, but it seems as though this would be the perfect TV tie in the 1st and 2nd rounds, but not the 3rd when the Premier League clubs come into it.

I think some forum members have looked at the fact that Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea are all at home against lower league opposition, and automatically thought "dire draw." Not so sure I agree.

Just a reminder of the situation with third picks. I believe they alternate between BBC and BT, though in what fashion is not clear. Here are the first four picks made in the last two seasons with my guess as to who had third pick

2014-15

R3 - BT? (Wimbledon v Liverpool (BBC), Accrington Stanley or Yeovil v Man Utd (BT), Everton v West Ham (BT), Arsenal v Hull (BBC))

R4 - BT (Cambridge Utd v Man Utd (BBC), Brighton v Arsenal (BT), Liverpool v Bolton (BT), Doncaster or Bristol City v Everton or West Ham (BBC))

R5 - BBC? (PNE or Sheffield Utd v Cambridge Utd or Man Utd (BBC), Arsenal v Middlesbrough (BT), Aston Villa v Leicester (BBC), Crystal Palace v Liverpool or Bolton (BT))

R6 - BBC (Man Utd v Arsenal (BBC), Liverpool v Blackburn (BT), Aston Villa v West Brom (BBC), Bradford City v Reading (BBC))


2015-16

R3 - BBC (Exeter v Liverpool (BBC), Man Utd v Sheffield United (BT), Spurs v Leicester (BBC), Chelsea v Leyton Orient or Scunthorpe (BT))

R4 - BBC? (Derby v Man Utd (BBC), Exeter or Liverpool v West Ham (BT), Northampton Town or MK Dons v Chelsea (BBC), Colchester v Spurs or Leicester (BT))

R5 - BT? (Chelsea v Man City (BBC), Shrewsbury v Man Utd (BT), Blackburn Rovers v West Ham or Liverpool (BT), Bournemouth v Everton (BBC))

R6 - BT (Everton v Chelsea (BBC), Man Utd v West Ham (BT), Arsenal v Watford (BT), Reading v Crystal Palace (BBC))


It looks as though one gets R3 and R4 and the other gets R5 and R6 with these swapping each season. So this season, BT should have third pick in R3 and R4 this season. This makes their life easier as they can pick whichever of PNE v Arsenal or West Ham v Man City that the BBC don't pick, and still get Man Utd or Liverpool (my money would be on the former).

So my prediction is:

Saturday 12:30 - Liverpool v Newport of Plymouth (BT)
Saturday 17:30 - Man Utd v Reading (BT)

Sunday 13:30 - Everton v Leicester (BBC)
Sunday 16:00 - West Ham v Man City (BT)

Monday 19:55 - Preston NE v Arsenal (BBC)

EDIT: Can't have Liverpool and Everton at home on the same day.
EDIT 2: Swapped Sunday games as BT would take Sunday 16:00 with a third pick.

Surely if the BBC take Preston v Arsenal on Monday Night, BT would then take Saturday 17.30 (probably Man Utd) and Sunday 16.00 (Liverpool or West Ham)? Those are the two prime slots, so they should snap up both if left available.

Do the picks come with choice of available slot? I didn't look at that, but if so, swap the Sunday games.

I've always thought it was a case of make a pick, choose an available time slot.

So if Preston v Arsenal is picked first and put on Monday night, BT would still have Saturday 17.30 and Sunday 16.00 to put their first two picks in.

Everton and Liverpool cant both play on the same day

That's right, the broadcasters can show their pick whenever they want, as long as it fits in with the prescribed slots (which basically means it has to be shown that weekend and not the following Wednesday or anything) and it's not already taken. Of course, what is a good slot for BBC1 is not always the best slot for a subscription channel, and vice versa.

I always used to assume that there was some kind of gentleman's agreement that neither broadcaster would get all the prime slots - certainly before the Beeb started regular Monday and Friday night games - so the other one wouldn't be left with only daytime fixtures. That was how it usually happened in the last contract with ITV, bar I think one exception when ITV picked Liverpool vs Man U which had to be a lunchtime kick-off.


If that is the case, you may as well not have a competition and just give all the money to the lowest ranked team in it. The BBC's remit is not to be a charity.

I don't understand the suggestion that the Beeb shouldn't pick ties involving big teams because we see them every week. If you don't have Sky or BT you don't. The BBC's remit is to provide top quality sport for those who can't afford or don't want to pay for a subscription channel. How many live Man U and Liverpool matches are on free TV a season?

Personally I think that the BBC needs to take a compromise approach. Obviously if the all Prem tie is Liverpool v Everton or Arsenal v Utd then the BBC needs to take it. But with matches like Everton v Leicester I can see an argument that the corporation should maybe go for a lower league match.

BBC ONE will be taking a game on the Friday evening.
It is on BBC Media Centre programme info.

Thanks Jeffrey W - is that normally a reliable source? Or do the BBC put in place holders just in case?

Also, have their been occasions when both the Friday and the Monday slots have been used by one or both broadcasters?

we still waiting for 2nd round replay tv picks as there has bee no update on the matter so far

Cant See BBC Taking up Friday and Monday Slots, Primarly as it would upset Eastenders fans

Woe betide the episodes could be moved around in each week to show EastEnders on 4 weekday nights still.

I was thinking more BBC on Friday and BT on Monday.

You don't say!

There was an article not that long ago about the fact that every one of Man Utd's FA Cup ties has been televised since 2005 or something silly like that. Pretty sure that record is still intact.

That coupled with the Jaap Stam connection makes the Reading game a slam dunk selection.

Have a feeling Tottenham will request to move their game to Sun 8th. Not expecting it to be on television though. Still going with West Ham v Man City 4pm BBC One on the same day.

Yes I believe it was Exeter at home in 2004-05 that they were last not broadcast live in the FA Cup, and even then the away replay was shown live on the BBC. In the few years prior to that virtually all their FA Cup ties were shown live as well.

What is wrong with playing on Wednesday and then Saturday ??