General FA Cup replays scrapped next season

[Concretebob]

thin end of the wedge I fear,I hope my fears are unfounded, but...... PL U23s entering into the lower league football league trophy competition was supposed to be a trial , & look how that is/was currently ( CV19 situ may see it shelved, the competition) I don't trust the FA or EFL to 'look after' anyone but PL clubs interests

Yeah totally agree we cannot trust anyone in charge of football!

 

[Scotchegg]

as @Concretebob points out above on this thread, if its only for one season, then reluctantly Id say fair enough (through gritted teeth), but the likelihood is it will become imposed permanently (to accommodate PL clubs European adventures/ aspirations).... most of us know the FA are untrustworthy to say the least, and EFL are not fit for purpose IMO

Change is inevitable! That's life. The league cup and multiple replays you spoke about have been gone for years. Did it change our experience against Sunderland which went straight to extra time and penalties? Or against Birmingham a few years back when Sercombe scored in the 120th minute? The game adapts and I think this something that we'll soon get used to.

 

[horseman]

Change is inevitable! That's life. The league cup and multiple replays you spoke about have been gone for years. Did it change our experience against Sunderland which went straight to extra time and penalties? Or against Birmingham a few years back when Sercombe scored in the 120th minute? The game adapts and I think this something that we'll soon get used to.

so a meaningless cup game v Oxford and meaningless champions league game in Lithuania what's the difference please?

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Change is inevitable! That's life. The league cup and multiple replays you spoke about have been gone for years. Did it change our experience against Sunderland which went straight to extra time and penalties? Or against Birmingham a few years back when Sercombe scored in the 120th minute? The game adapts and I think this something that we'll soon get used to.

Half the fun of the FA Cup is watching big 'uns against little 'uns! And when a small club plays a big club there are several reasons that is a good thing. The players get to pit themselves against those higher up the food chain, it is special for the spectators and for the smaller club it can be a financial lifeline - especially if they manage to get a draw in the first match. The TV money and the extra ticket money as well as the publicity - it's all invaluable. Replays can give a smaller club all of that.
Of course we can 'adapt' - we will bloody have to - but because we 'can' doesn't mean that we ought to have to. Replays are an integral part of the competition and losing them would devalue it.

 

[Sarge]

Half the fun of the FA Cup is watching big 'uns against little 'uns! And when a small club plays a big club there are several reasons that is a good thing. The players get to pit themselves against those higher up the food chain, it is special for the spectators and for the smaller club it can be a financial lifeline - especially if they manage to get a draw in the first match. The TV money and the extra ticket money as well as the publicity - it's all invaluable. Replays can give a smaller club all of that.
Of course we can 'adapt' - we will bloody have to - but because we 'can' doesn't mean that we ought to have to. Replays are an integral part of the competition and losing them would devalue it.

And to add to those good points .... PL clubs , more or less since the inception of the PL and all its obscene riches, until the Semi finals, have invariably fielded 'weakened' teams , disrespecting their opposition and their oppositions supporters. Fa could and should have insisted on some ruling to stop PL teams putting out a totally different starting 11 to their previous league game... they didn't, kowtowing to the PL clubs as per, sadly

 

[horseman]

And to add to those good points .... PL clubs , more or less since the inception of the PL and all its obscene riches, until the Semi finals, have invariably fielded 'weakened' teams , disrespecting their opposition and their oppositions supporters. Fa could and should have insisted on some ruling to stop PL teams putting out a totally different starting 11 to their previous league game... they didn't, kowtowing to the PL clubs as per, sadly

not forgetting Manure taking the pis* by not entering and going for the money in a meaningless game abroad

 

[Scotchegg]

This is the beginning of the end of football as we know it and was in the pipeline long before covid and people are swallowing it hook line and sinker

No it's not!

We we're told that the PL would kill off lower league football, and nearly 30 years on it's possibly even stronger.

We were told that the Championship would become PL2 with it being a closed shop with no relegation/promotion and it hasn't happened.

We were told that the loss of replays in the league cup would kill it, but tell that to anyone who went to the West Ham, Sunderland or Man City games?

We have been told that under 23 teams would kill the check-a-trade shite, but it is barely any different.

Football, like so many institutions, has to change to survive. And a one-off adaption to cup competitions, that may or may not become permanent, isn't as serious as seeing clubs going out of business.

 

[mooro]

The worry isn't the coming season - I can see why they've done it.
The worry is the inevitable 'It worked well this season so we have decided to retain it permanently' rubbish they will come out with this time next year. Thus further diluting our football heritage in favour of the Prem clubs.

Like the five subs rule?

 

[dickwalton1964]

Back in the 70’s and 80’s they played 42 games a season in top flight. FA cup and League Cup replays went on forever, seem to recall Leeds v Leicester going to about four or five replays. European trophies were no different, season always finished on time, pitches were crap, steak and chips was the pre match meal and a metatarsal hadn’t been invented. God knows what’s happened in the intervening 40 years and internationally we are more crap now than we were back then.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

If they are to scrap replays then IMO they should then have it where any premier league has to be the away team. At least then it would give the lower ranked teams a slight advantage.

 

[SteMerritt]

If they are to scrap replays then IMO they should then have it where any premier league has to be the away team. At least then it would give the lower ranked teams a slight advantage.

They do exactly that in the Copa Del Rey...

How a radical new format has re-energised the Copa del Rey

Football associations around the world, with cups that are struggling to recreate the magic of old, might be wise to take note of the new Copa del Rey

thesefootballtimes.co

 

[Malc]

A verry sensible set-up there in Spain.

 

[Junior_1]

not forgetting Manure taking the pis* by not entering and going for the money in a meaningless game abroad

As forced into by the FA...

 

[Steve Gilbert]

As forced into by the FA...

how were they forced into it?

 

[SteMerritt]

how were they forced into it?

They were pressured into it by the FA as they thought it would help with the World Cup bid. It didn't. Although note my use of the word 'pressured' instead of Junior's 'forced'.

I am no Man Utd fan, far from it, but this does tend to get 'forgotten' by people who just want to beat them with a stick for everything. If they had refused to go, the same people who now accuse them of devaluing the FA Cup would be accusing them of selfishly skuppering our World Cup bid. It was a bit of a no-win situation.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

If they are to scrap replays then IMO they should then have it where any premier league has to be the away team. At least then it would give the lower ranked teams a slight advantage.

Fine if it’s for one season and behind closed doors, but long term that takes away from a small team going to an Old Trafford or the Emirates and making a lot of money from the gate receipts surely?

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Fine if it’s for one season and behind closed doors, but long term that takes away from a small team going to an Old Trafford or the Emirates and making a lot of money from the gate receipts surely?

Yes.

 

[MarkG]

I wonder if the Premier League said in return for scrapping replays, we will increase solidarity payments to L1 by £2M per team, L2 by £1M, Conference by 500K and Conf N and S by 250K. Would the clubs vote for it?

 

[SteMerritt]

I wonder if the Premier League said in return for scrapping replays, we will increase solidarity payments to L1 by £2M per team, L2 by £1M, Conference by 500K and Conf N and S by 250K. Would the clubs vote for it?

I don't think it would take that much money to be honest, enough chairmen out there who'd snap your hand off for half that amount.

 

[tonyw]

If they are to scrap replays then IMO they should then have it where any premier league has to be the away team. At least then it would give the lower ranked teams a slight advantage.

Although if you did that, then you'd remove the chance of a bumper payday for lower league teams.

I know that teams like Exeter & Burton have made genuinely transformative (for that season at least) amounts of cash from a trip to Old Trafford in recent seasons.


On the general point - it is the correct call for this season. They need to be trimming games from the schedule and Cup replays are obvious cuts.
But like everyone else, I fear the Premier League will resist bringing them back in future seasons, and then another great English footballing tradition that benefits lower league clubs has gone, in favor of what's best for the moneyed elite.