On the face of it it seems a no-brainer. Whoever wins the FA Cup should surely be allowed to participate as a representative of England in the UEFA Cup.

But Cardiff are not an English football club, yet they are not part of the FA of their home country, where they would be able to enter the UEFA Cup every year.

They have always took steps to promote themselves as a Welsh club, yet they now want the priveliges of an English club....

So should they be allowed....?

Interesting article in The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/martin_samuel/article3578590.ece).

yes of course they should .

Whether or not they are in Wales, they play in the English League so should have the same privilege as all other English league teams if they qualify by winning the FA Cup.

Anyway, it's still a big 'if' at the moment, isn't it?

I've never understood (never asked either) why they're in the English league, why are they? I'm just curious.

Do Cardiff enter a club into the Welsh Cup?

Whether or not they are in Wales, they play in the English League so should have the same privilege as all other English league teams if they qualify by winning the FA Cup.

Cardiff are allowed special dispensation to play in the English league on the understanding that they are not permitted to replace an English team should they qualify for the UEFA Cup or Champions League. This is something Cardiff have always been aware of.

Would the FAW be lenient if an English side entered the Welsh Cup, won it, and denied a Welsh team entry into Europe?

You could argue that if they want to have a shot at the UEFA Cup, they should do so via the League of Wales. This is a league that Cardiff should have no trouble winning.

However, as they want a slice of the tv revenue and higher attendences of English football, they should accept the rules put in place not just by the English FA, but also FIFA and UEFA. It is those rules which prevent clubs qualifying for European competition through any league or cup tournament anywhere other than their home nation. Michel Platini seems to have forgotten about those rules....

The danger of changing those rules to allow Cardiff to compete in Europe is that it then reopens the door to 'Game 39' and the long mooted Old Firm entry into the Premier League. For me, Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham should be reintegrated into the Welsh league. I don't believe they should be in the English system, particularly when Wales has its own league.

But as you say, it's all a big 'if' at the moment.

I think in the past at least one English based club won the Welsh Cup and got into Europe as a result, but that was stopped. But, do Cardiff actually play in the Welsh Cup any more? And is there a UEFA spot from the Welsh Cup?

I think in the past at least one English based club won the Welsh Cup and got into Europe as a result, but that was stopped. But, do Cardiff actually play in the Welsh Cup any more? And is there a UEFA spot from the Welsh Cup?

No, Cardiff don't play in that cup. Hereford, Shrewsbury, and Chester at least have all won the Welsh Cup, but I'm not sure that at the time they won it, the Welsh Cup winners were even given a qualifying round place.

But yes, now there is a place given to the Welsh Cup winners in the UEFA Cup, but I think it's a qualifying round to the first round proper.

I think in the past at least one English club won the Welsh Cup and got into the old European Cup Winners Cup as a result.

Don't know but the ground probably wouldn't meet the regulations!

Cardiff are allowed special dispensation to play in the English league on the understanding that they are not permitted to replace an English team should they qualify for the UEFA Cup or Champions League. This is something Cardiff have always been aware of.

Would the FAW be lenient if an English side entered the Welsh Cup, won it, and denied a Welsh team entry into Europe?

You could argue that if they want to have a shot at the UEFA Cup, they should do so via the League of Wales. This is a league that Cardiff should have no trouble winning.

However, as they want a slice of the tv revenue and higher attendences of English football, they should accept the rules put in place not just by the English FA, but also FIFA and UEFA. It is those rules which prevent clubs qualifying for European competition through any league or cup tournament anywhere other than their home nation. Michel Platini seems to have forgotten about those rules....

The danger of changing those rules to allow Cardiff to compete in Europe is that it then reopens the door to 'Game 39' and the long mooted Old Firm entry into the Premier League. For me, Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham should be reintegrated into the Welsh league. I don't believe they should be in the English system, particularly when Wales has its own league.

But as you say, it's all a big 'if' at the moment.

Good Point

As Martin Samuel points out in that article .. Cardiff have always been very keen to promote themselves as not English, nothing to do with English, and never wanting to be anything to do with English. Now, all of a sudden, it suits them to pretend that they are, and they want the rules changed.