Donny - Rovers and Races, not Osmond

HERE we are arriving in sunny Doncaster. Me and Mat (he tells me one 't' and not two) - your Birmingham Post, Mercury and Mail team for today.

We're feeling good. No injuries to speak of, although Mat has a bruised finger nail which could impede writing later on.

Dozens and dozens of Villa supporters are outside the local Beefeater pub enjoying a pre-match pint.

A race meeting is on just down the road. Perhaps we should have gone there instead?

That's not because an FA Cup fourth round tie isn't one to savour.

Of course it is. Villa have not been at the last 32 stage for quite some time - twice since the Wembley Final of 2000 isn't what records are made of.

No, it has more to do with comments by Sir Alex Ferguson which have appeared in the morning papers.

Ferguson appears to think that Manchester United are bigger than the oldest competition in the book.

So why should thousands of Villa fans have made the 83 mile trek to Doncaster? If it means little to Fergie, then does it mean much at all to Martin O'Neill.

Of course it does. O'Neill fielded eight-elevenths of a full team at Gillingham in the last round, and I would assume it would be six or seven elevenths this afternoon because of the Portsmouth game on Tuesday.

But Ferguson's comments about the possibility of playing extra-time after an initial 90 minutes to escape the rigour of replays, make my blood boil.

This from the manager of a club disgracefully allowed by the FA not to take part some years back.

The Manchester United boss, so the story goes, discovered a 128-year-old law that means replays can be avoided - and apparently tried to invoke it for today's fourth-round clash against Spurs.

Fergie argued: "It is in the articles of the Association that both teams can apply to have the game decided first time.

"The criticism would be we are not adhering to the principles and spirit of the FA Cup.

"But why have the FA got it in there? It is their problem. We will investigate it."

The FA confirmed the rule exists, but quite obviously as a help for small clubs faced with outlandish transport costs: "This rule is aimed at the preliminary rounds to help teams with geographical distances", said a spokesman.

Villa will play Doncaster at Villa Park on Wednesday week if this afternoon cannot throw up a winner.

If we all took Ferguson's stance then the attendance would be one man and a dog. A competition of such stature deserves more respect.

Bring back immediate replays, that's what I say.

When Villa played Doncaster five times over 16 days in 1955 there were two winners: Doncaster and ultimately the paying public.