Aunty Beeb shame football family by snubbing FA Cup magic at Bradford City

Once again, the nation will be treated to the sight of Ron Vlaar strutting his stuff. And that, according to the Beeb's football boss, is what the FA Cup is all about.

That was the bizarre logic behind the latest hole-digging exercise explaining away their decision not to show City live in the last round.

According to the blog from the BBC's football lead executive Mark Cole, their audience research says fans want a mix of David and Goliath cup ties and all-Premier League ties.

For those who can't afford subscription to sports channels, he wrote, it's been great to be able to see live international stars like Alexis Sanchez, Angel Di Maria and Steven Gerrard "all as part of the licence fee".

Fair enough up to a point – but then he adds Alex Song and Ron Vlaar to that list.

Now, I've got nothing against Mr Vlaar, who is obviously a decent centre half and probably a very nice chap.

But surely nothing screams the magic of the FA Cup more than a Dutch defender in a team who never score any goals!

Mark Lawn isn't everyone's cup of tea but his answer on numerous media appearances summed up exactly what the rest of the nation will be thinking: "They just don't get it."

What the BBC response clearly spelled out was their obsession with concentrating on teams from the top division. They can't show them live every week, so jump at the chance whenever it becomes available.

Hence the reason they steered clear of Valley Parade last time, even after what went on at Chelsea.

It was that pesky fourth-round replay at Craven Cottage that scuppered City's hopes. How could the Beeb possibly risk showing a match between one team from League One and another from the Championship?

What a nightmare scenario it would have been for the corporation if it had been Fulham, not Sunderland, on the receiving end at Valley Parade on Sunday.

You can just imagine the stuffed suits in the boardroom shuffling and squirming at the prospect of broadcasting a match featuring NO Premier League sides! "Excuse me, Rupert, but how can we expect anyone to watch this when there's no Ron Vlaar...?"

Again, as Lawn stated, they just don't get it. People don't watch the FA Cup to see two teams from the lower end of the Premier League, who for years have treated the competition – certainly in the earlier stages – as something their designer shoes trod in.

Cole even highlighted the fact that both Aston Villa and Leicester, their choice over the City game, picked full-strength sides as a major reason for broadcasting it. Managers go with their best teams, shocker!

But it's the pure hypocrisy of the BBC that really stinks.

It's the way that they led their trailers for the fifth-round games with Andy Halliday's goal at Stamford Bridge.

It's the way that Martin Keown tried to claim on Sunday's Match of the Day that the TV snub had almost played its part in City's success by creating a siege mentality.

And it's the way that 24 hours after Cole's "explanation" was published, they once again blanked the Bantams by taking Villa again as their second pick.

No Premier League opponent? No show from Valley Parade then... just as we told you last round.

Meanwhile, rivals BT Sport have pulled off a blinder by milking their coverage for all its worth.

Nobody is being naive here. They are showing the City game because it was the only one left – like the kid in the playground with two left feet and the biggest belly.

But what a PR masterstroke to immediately trumpet that it will be available free to view for anyone who has a Sky subscription, not just those who take the BT channels as extra.

All right, the viewing figures will still be well down on what the Beeb would offer, but it was a very clever way to turn any potential negative into an immediate positive.

It clearly struck a chord with the City fans at Leyton Orient in midweek.

"Are you watching BBC," was the anthem against Sunderland; the night air of east London three days later was filled with a chant of "I'm BT til I die" from the travelling Bantams.

It's not about the money but the principle.

The cash will be the same, whatever the channel. A cool quarter of a million in the bank is a tidy sum alongside the considerable prize money that this wonderfully remarkable journey to within one stop of Wembley has already generated.

But let's not forget that the nation's broadcaster, the one that takes our annual licence fee, have turned their noses up at City once more. Remember that, if the magical mystery tour extends to take in another trip to "that London" in April.

If you want the magic of the FA Cup, stick to Dynamo. The BBC just don't get it.