A COMPREHENSIVE 5-0 thumping in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley is probably one of the lowest moments for any football fans.

There can surely be no worse feeling - but the pain etched across the face of Owen Coyle and the opposite reaction of most Burnley fans towards the plight of their former manager at least proves one scientific point.

The sensations of pain and pleasure are, in serious boffin speak, part of a continuum and there has always been strong evidence for connections between the neurochemical pathways used for the perception of pain and those involved in the perception of pleasure and other psychological rewards.

The delight from Burnley fans certainly gave evidence to that theory from the men with beards.

In other words, as Coyle suffered Burnley celebrated.

Bolton were horrible on the big day and their fans must have suffered on the long journey home.

That, of course, is a journey that should not have been made. The semi-finals should not be played at Wembley, the national stadium should be saved solely for the showpiece final.

And while we are talking about cashing in, the decision to screen the Stoke v Bolton game on ESPN is also just wrong. The FA Cup should be free to air. It is the greatest knockout on the planet but by putting games on satellite TV the powers that be are once again chipping away at the traditions of the game.

We have already seen the Cup final staged the same day as Premier League fixtures - that is madness and the TV rights are equally wrong.

The Bolton game should have been available to all - and could well have attracted record audiences in Burnley.