FA Cup FA Cup 2024/2025

[Northstandboy]

The EFL should vote whether to endorse the new format competition.

The FA have sold the new rights to TNT for £264 million over 4 years. Add the BBC deal plus the hundreds of millions for worldwide sales. The FA would have a lot of disgruntled TV companies if the fixtures were halved!

 

[Oxymoron]

Would love us to be the front runners and come out saying we will boycott it.

Unfortunately you can't boycott it, you have agreed to enter as a condition of being a member of the FA. Worst case is that you get expelled which would mean you could not play any club that was a member.

Unilateral action will achieve nothing. It needs the EFL to lead - maybe a legal challenge would be appropriate, although I can see the PL just threatening to withdraw their "solidarity payments" effectively killing that idea stone dead.

 

[holdsteady]

Unfortunately you can't boycott it, you have agreed to enter as a condition of being a member of the FA. Worst case is that you get expelled which would mean you could not play any club that was a member.

Unilateral action will achieve nothing. It needs the EFL to lead - maybe a legal challenge would be appropriate, although I can see the PL just threatening to withdraw their "solidarity payments" effectively killing that idea stone dead.

Well the EFL clubs could just breakaway, I believe 22 clubs did that in the past and the FA just went with it.

 

[Oxymoron]

The FA encouraged it! They viewed the Football League as a threat to their position as overall arbiters of football in England. By having a separate body under their wing, they substantially weakened the League's powers over how the game was run - divide and conquer and all that.

What they didn't foresee was Premier League doing a deal with BSkyB behind their backs, which gave it financial freedom from the FA. The FA is the governing body for football in England and theoretically the EPL has to answer to them but I'm afraid that the tail very much wags that dog.....

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Oxford United should make a statement condemning this decision today.

The simple fact that the EFL and its club membership were presented with a fait accompli on this is disgraceful enough by itself.

As to our particular supporters then the simple recollection of one game - Oxford v Newcastle February 2020 - on national terrestrial TV as well - fuels the outrage.

Heritage of the competition , financial recompense for small clubs…..

All in the bin. Upsetting.

 

[holdsteady]

The FA encouraged it! They viewed the Football League as a threat to their position as overall arbiters of football in England. By having a separate body under their wing, they substantially weakened the League's powers over how the game was run - divide and conquer and all that.

What they didn't foresee was Premier League doing a deal with BSkyB behind their backs, which gave it financial freedom from the FA. The FA is the governing body for football in England and theoretically the EPL has to answer to them but I'm afraid that the tail very much wags that dog.....

At the begging it was called the FA Premier League if I remember correctly, they quickly dropped that on one of the name changes.

 

[MustardYellow]

If Premier League teams want less games, why not just stop replays between PL teams?

They're boring as f**k for starters (we really don't need more Wolves vs Brighton's) and would free up TV room for replays of the more interesting ties involving lower league clubs.

PL vs PL - no replay
PL vs lower league - replay
Lower league vs lower league - replay

A compromise.

 

[WEYellow]

Would expect a statement to be released by the club soon...

 

[Paul Cannell]

Oxford United should make a statement condemning this decision today.

The simple fact that the EFL and its club membership were presented with a fair accompli on this is disgraceful enough by itself.

It's a 'fait accompli' dear. From the French language.

Nevertheless I appear to be in agreement with you. Truly terrible times.

 

[Grumpy Git]

This is yet another money grab from the Premier League.
If they don’t want replays, then play your under 21’s not your first team squad.
The FA are showing they are as corrupt as FIFA.

 

[OUFCGav]

Everyone saying that this will hurt the smaller clubs - do you mean that if you manage to hold a bigger side to a draw at home you miss out on a big payday in an away replay at a large ground?

If that is why then isn’t there an argument that it could actually see more smaller clubs going through, though? If you’re at home to a Man City, Arsenal or Liverpool and it’s a draw then yes you get a replay at their place and a big payday but realistically you’re never going to win that game. It’s a way of making sure that the big clubs almost certainly go through, as if they draw first time around they get another crack at it. If it’s a one off tie and the draw goes to penalties however… the smaller club has a much better chance of going through to the next round (and getting the prize money) surely?

the prize money doesn't necessarily equal the income from a trip to a top PL team. Almost 20 years ago Exeter made over £600k from their trip to Old Trafford.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

In rounds 3, 4 and 5 the Premier League side should only be entitled to 15% of the gate receipts, not 50% (after deduction of the FA cut). In the event that Prem side plays a Prem side in these rounds then 70% of the gate receipts goes into a central pot and gets divided equally between the other non Prem teams in that round.

Something even more radical - because Prem sides don't want a replay then if the game ends in a draw after 90 minutes the non Prem side is awarded the win as the Prem side has effectively forfeited the game by not wanting it to continue.

 

[Oslernorth]

I think there’s a missed opportunity here.

They should keep the replays, whist allowing replay dates to clash with European competitions. If a club is held to a replay, they have the option to concede the tie without breaking cup competition rules.

This will mean either, top clubs put out a first 11 team to avoid the replay. Bringing back glamour to the competition.
Or it helps the lower league side financially by progressing to the next round if the replay is conceded

 

[SteMerritt]

I think there’s a missed opportunity here.

They should keep the replays, whist allowing replay dates to clash with European competitions. If a club is held to a replay, they have the option to concede the tie without breaking cup competition rules.

This will mean either, top clubs put out a first 11 team to avoid the replay. Bringing back glamour to the competition.
Or it helps the lower league side financially by progressing to the next round if the replay is conceded

I think there is a UEFA rule which would stop FA Cup games clashing with their tournament, there certainly is with regards EPL games.

 

[McXal]

Would expect a statement to be released by the club soon...

Am I unreasonable in feeling a little irked that we’ve not already got on the front foot and released one?

The fact that we’ve sat in silence feels a little to me like we’re complicit in the kind of corporate, profiteering mentality which has led to decisions like this.

I’m not saying that’s the case by the way, I’m genuinely questioning whether I’m right to feel irritated that we aren’t one of the teams looking to rock the boat and challenge this a little more.

It’s this kind of stand off-ish, ‘take the money and run’, silent compliance, bowing to the whims of the PL which has left us stuck with the farce of U21 teams in the EFL Trophy, a crap tv deal which is going to be utterly awful for EFL fans who actually want to attend games next season (particularly in the Championship but also at L1/2 level) etc

 

[WEYellow]

Am I unreasonable in feeling a little irked that we’ve not already got on the front foot and released one?

The fact that we’ve sat in silence feels a little to me like we’re complicit in the kind of corporate, profiteering mentality which has led to decisions like this.

I’m not saying that’s the case by the way, I’m genuinely questioning whether I’m right to feel irritated that we aren’t one of the teams looking to rock the boat and challenge this a little more.

It’s this kind of stand off-ish, ‘take the money and run’, silent compliance, bowing to the whims of the PL which has left us stuck with the farce of U21 teams in the EFL Trophy, a crap tv deal which is going to be utterly awful for EFL fans who actually want to attend games next season (particularly in the Championship but also at L1/2 level) etc

Absolutely not, as is always the way with this bunch - bare minimum reactiveness.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Absolutely not, as is always the way with this bunch - bare minimum reactiveness.

I think our club management instinctively feel more comfortable with and side with big business - with other guys in suits - rather than with fans or grassroots organizations.

 

[Concretebob]

OUFC need to release a statement on this.

It's a totally s**t decision and the fact EFL and non league clubs has no say whatsoever is disgraceful.

The U21s should be kicked out of the EFL Trophy in response.

 

[tonyw]

It’s this kind of stand off-ish, ‘take the money and run’, silent compliance, bowing to the whims of the PL which has left us stuck with the farce of U21 teams in the EFL Trophy, a crap tv deal which is going to be utterly awful for EFL fans who actually want to attend games next season (particularly in the Championship but also at L1/2 level) etc

And if you read the EFL statement about this FA decision, they basically admitted that they agreed to the removal of Cup replays - but had understood that this would be part of a broader deal where the amount of money being handed down by the PL, and the terms of that (e.g. parachute payments) would be agreed.

They're only acting pissed off now because the couldn't get that deal done, it's going to the Independent Regulator, and they're not getting a big pile of cash in return for losing replays. The EFL don't seem to give a damn about traditions themselves, as long as they get paid.

Money and greed is ruining football. The sooner the rich Premier League clubs **** off to a European Super League, the better.

 

[Essexyellows]

Would expect a statement to be released by the club soon...

Or not............... seems a simple copy & paste from the other EFL clubs was too hard.

I suppose its a matchday and they might have forgotten..............................