FA Cup Changes

[Sutekh]

They should just play the whole tournament in one day.

Play it indoors too, to counter any weather issues.

[Winston Biscuit]

another step towards me turning away from football tbh

[Stranded]

EFL claiming they weren't fully consulted and will be demanding compensation for their clubs due to lack of replays.

[Stranded]

Having no replays is madness. Lower league/non league side who are lucking enough to make it past round 1 need that income.

Completely agree however, this is a knock on of the UEFA land grab, adding 2 extra games to the group stage.

So why have they taken replays away for round 2? I kinda get taking the replays away after round 3, nobody really needs to see West Ham v Brighton in a gripping 4th round replay.

Its clubs in League 1 and below I feel sorry for. Say by some miracle Gateshead go away to Newcastle in round 3 and get a draw. They could then take Newcastle back to their place, sell it out and finance their entire club for about 6 months off the back of one game.

For me this move kills whatever magic was left of the FA Cup.

Because they want to be able to badge it as an "improvement" to the FA Cup - they can't do that if they don't bring in the change to the whole of the competition from the First Round proper.

[Loafer]

another step towards me turning away from football tbh

what other sport will you take up?

[Winston Biscuit]

another step towards me turning away from football tbh

what other sport will you take up?

kabadi

[Loafer]

another step towards me turning away from football tbh

what other sport will you take up?

kabadi

bowls for me

[Franchise FC]

another step towards me turning away from football tbh

what other sport will you take up?

kabadi

Used to really enjoy Kabadi when it was shown on a Sunday afternoon

[Pepe the Horseman]

what other sport will you take up?

kabadi

Used to really enjoy Kabadi when it was shown on a Sunday afternoon

Another great sport ruined by $ky

[Pepe the Horseman]

I see there's a petition going around to reinstate the replays. Has an online petition ever worked for anything?

[Pepe the Horseman]

Tranmere not holding back

Tranmere Rovers condemn the disgraceful decision taken by The FA and the Premier League to change the format of the FA Cup, including the scrapping of replays.

There was no consultation with Football League clubs, National League clubs or grassroots clubs to whom the competition represents not only their best opportunity to create life-long memories for supporters but also a hugely important source of income. We also understand that FA Council members were not consulted about the changes.

The decision, and the way it was taken, demonstrate a total lack of respect for the football pyramid and its fans. Football belongs to all of us and decisions should not be taken in back room deals in which only the very wealthiest clubs are allowed to participate. It is yet another eloquent example of the 19th-century governance that means that football simply cannot regulate itself and needs the Independent Football Regulator to have real teeth.

We condemn the changes wholeheartedly and urge The FA to suspend them immediately until all stakeholders in the game are properly consulted.

[Winston Biscuit]

I see there's a petition going around to reinstate the replays. Has an online petition ever worked for anything?

I hate online petitions so much. One of the worst minor things about the Internet era.

[Loafer]

Wasn't it Burton or newport or soneb recently who got a money spinning (h8 that phrase) replay against man United?

[Clyde1998]

Wasn't it Burton or newport or soneb recently who got a money spinning (h8 that phrase) replay against man United?

Cambridge? Although that may have been ten years ago.

[Hendo]

Call it 'The Ninety'.

Wembleys, surely?

[WestYorksRoyal]

Plenty of EFL clubs speaking out against this. Any chance of a U turn? Or at least a statement that the plans are paused and subject to consultation?

[RG30]

All a massive overreaction. Let's be honest unless you get a big club in a replay they are massive loss makers for the majority of clubs and inconvenient for teams, players and fans. Just take our match at Eastleigh this season. We'd have had to push back the Oxford (H) match by a week to fit the replay in.

I also note our last home midweek replay attracted a crowd of 4.5k. Hardly the magic of the cup was it.

[Snowflake Royal]

Disgraceful if no consultation.

And if you remove replays, I think where there is a side in a lower division against a side in a higher one, the lower division side.should get to choose whether they play home or away. So they actually improve their chance of a big pay day if they want it.

Tbh, I'd rather have the FA Cup with replays and no Pcunt FC than no replays and Pcunt FC.

Oh, and if you withdraw from it, you withdraw FA jurisdiction and can go create your own league, and can't compete in UEFA tournies. And your players can't participate in Imternationals.

[WestYorksRoyal]

All a massive overreaction. Let's be honest unless you get a big club in a replay they are massive loss makers for the majority of clubs and inconvenient for teams, players and fans. Just take our match at Eastleigh this season. We'd have had to push back the Oxford (H) match by a week to fit the replay in.

I also note our last home midweek replay attracted a crowd of 4.5k. Hardly the magic of the cup was it.

I suspect had they consulted properly they could have won the argument. The anger is the PL dictating to the pyramid, which was always going to provoke a furious reaction.

[Stranded]

As with most things in the world, it would be much easier if people were honest. The PL don't want their team to play less games, they just want them to play different "higher value" ones.

As has been said, the FA and PL have just decided this is the way forward without obvious consultation - if they had, and put forward the plans suitably it would likely have got buy in from all.

Even in the early rounds, there aren't really any major money makers (I know it is relative) Cray Valley got a home replay against Charlton which will have brought in massive earnings for them. Outside of that, Slough earnt a replay at Grimsby - they travelled all the way to Cleethorpes to play in front of only 800 more people than saw the home game (3079 v 2250) that is hardly the dream or a money maker.