FA Cup: No no, no no no no, no no no no, no no - There's no replays!

[Alex_BCFC]

They should ban replays from R5. Or give clubs the option to agree before the game (ie not to replay). To ban all from R1 onwards is mental but I’m not surprised as football is run by the few at the top but sadly not for the many. 

[Jacki]

I think this is a horrendous decision. It's been made by the Premier League clubs purely due to their own agenda, without a second thought to the clubs lower down the pyrmamid who can earn life-changing amounts of revenue from a replay with one of the big clubs.

I get the argument about fixture congestion, but even that doesn't stack up when you hear that Newcastle and Spurs are flying to Australia about 2 days after the season ends for a money-spinning friendly. It's an absolute nonsense and the top clubs will do anything they can to maximise their own income without a second thought for those lower down.

It also takes away some of what was left of the magic of the cup... We were absolutely delighted with the draw at West Ham knowing we had a night at AG, in front of the cameras ahead of us. That got people talking about us in a way that rarely happens to us.... I had messages from people who live overseas that I hadn't seen in years and things like that just won't happen from next season.

Football is the worst for it, but all sports are going this way now. It's all about the dollar and the rich getting richer, and the essence of what makes sport so special is being eroded more and more over time. I for one am sick of seeing things like this and it will only get worse as time goes on. Sad. 

[IAmNick]

3 minutes ago, Robbored said:

The competition has to have the same regulations in every round. It wouldn’t be acceptable to introduce ‘no replays’ in round 3 when the big boys join in.

No it doesn't. 5th round onwards already has no replays.

[Davefevs]

Would be interesting to hear the EFL’s part in this (if at all), or at least their view.

I think it gets the potential of an ugly problem re the new EFL tv deal and now there won’t be any potential for too many games close together.

@ExiledAjax - I recall you have concerns about this on the tv deal thread.

[Atticus]

Disgraceful decision.

 

Interesting that they said "the fa and premier league"

 

More teams involved in the fa cup no?

 

And the chairman of Accrington said they weren't consulted on this at all. 

https://twitter.com/AndyhHolt/status/1780918644936990941?t=QWprSNWmUOl7UelR0729RQ&s=19

[Numero Uno]

If Premier League clubs didn't want replays then if they are drawn against lower league clubs in Rounds 3-5 the lower clubs should get choice of venue imo.

Edited April 18 by Numero Uno

[sh1t_ref_again]

Think its a good decision, lower leauge clubs have more chance of getting through, over 2 legs you would generally expect the higher team to progress, alwasy felt that replays were there to help the big teams get to the next round

[The Journalist]

8 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

If Premier League clubs didn't want replays then if they are drawn against lower league clubs in Rounds 3-5 the lower clubs should get choice of venue imo.

I like this idea - I think getting rid of replays makes a lot of sense, but from R1 onwards the team in the lower division getting to choose whether the game is played home or away would add an interesting element to it. If it’s two teams in the same league the tie just gets played as it was drawn.

[sephjnr]

There should have been a provision to guarantee home draws for non-PL teams vs PL. That would be much fairer to increase revenue instead of nebulous donations to 'grass roots', which I suspect is slang for 'bypass the other professional outfits and establish our own training facilities'.

[BigTone]

32 minutes ago, Robbored said:

If you want to be cynical - try this. To ease the financial plight of many lower league clubs the draw ‘randomly’  selects the PL clubs home to a lower league club……….. 

With all due respect Your Robboness that is a load of old bollycocks and you know it. At the end of the day then why fix what isn't broken.

Edited April 18 by BigTone

[steveybadger]

1 hour ago, Old School B block said:

Scrapping the Semi Finals being played at Wembley also please. Never agreed with that nonsense. 

Agree but believe it’s financial and contractual 

[Fpcity]

2 hours ago, wayne allisons tongues said:

All because the bigger clubs wanted less fixtures, voted for more European games, so the smaller teams miss out on extra income and the bigger clubs make more.

Sure I've seen a few teams playing friendly games abroad during breaks as well? 

[steveybadger]

11 minutes ago, The Journalist said:

I like this idea - I think getting rid of replays makes a lot of sense, but from R1 onwards the team in the lower division getting to choose whether the game is played home or away would add an interesting element to it. If it’s two teams in the same league the tie just gets played as it was drawn.

Think the lower ranked team is automatically at home in Germany? Although I like the uncertainty of not knowing at the draw whether you have more chance of a giant killing at home versus a trip to a big ground.

[ExiledAjax]

43 minutes ago, Robbored said:

If you want to be cynical - try this. To ease the financial plight of many lower league clubs the draw ‘randomly’  selects the PL clubs home to a lower league club……….. 

Cynical? The FA literally say the changes are driven by changes to the European calendar.

"In its current format, the FA Cup has no replays from the fifth round onwards, but the FA says the move to eliminate them from an earlier stage has been made "in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded Uefa competitions"."

No cynicism needed at all mate.

40 minutes ago, Robbored said:

The competition has to have the same regulations in every round. It wouldn’t be acceptable to introduce ‘no replays’ in round 3 when the big boys join in.

Are you serious? It's had no replays from 5th round onwards for the past few seasons.

[ExiledAjax]

36 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Would be interesting to hear the EFL’s part in this (if at all), or at least their view.

I think it gets the potential of an ugly problem re the new EFL tv deal and now there won’t be any potential for too many games close together.

@ExiledAjax - I recall you have concerns about this on the tv deal thread.

Can't imagine Rick Parry was allowed in the room tbh.

I can't remember my earlier concerns tbh. May not have been me?

I'd say btw, I'm not actually entirely against the concept of scrapping replays for the right reasons and with other changes made to ensure that lower league clubs still benefit from it. This is just such a transparent decision that they've not even tried to spin it or hide it

[Roadrunner]

So the premer league are telling the FA what to do.To make nit fairer all Premership clubs should come out of another bowl and they should all be the away team.

[Davefevs]

17 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Can't imagine Rick Parry was allowed in the room tbh.

I can't remember my earlier concerns tbh. May not have been me?

I'd say btw, I'm not actually entirely against the concept of scrapping replays for the right reasons and with other changes made to ensure that lower league clubs still benefit from it. This is just such a transparent decision that they've not even tried to spin it or hide it

I got the wrong “ex” it was @exAtyeoMax I meant.

[Robbored]

33 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Are you serious? It's had no replays from 5th round onwards for the past few seasons.

Shows how much interest I take in the FA cup EA.

[ExiledAjax]

4 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Shows how much interest I take in the FA cup EA.

You should apply for a job at the Premier League. You'd fit in well.

[Malago]

I’d go further.  Penalties after 90 mins.

Genuine question.  When games go to extra time, what percentage are decided during that extra time?  I would guess a lot less than 50%.

[Dredd]

What about the other 700 odd clubs who enter the FA cup? Why are they being dictated to by the Premier League, more than likely 6 clubs within the Premier League. It's a disgraceful decision. 
Should have let them **** off to their European Super League and left us to it. 

[cider hoss rules]

38 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

So the premer league are telling the FA what to do.To make nit fairer all Premership clubs should come out of another bowl and they should all be the away team.

The problem with that is there are only 20 PL teams, and a total of 64 clubs in the 3rd round draw.

Not sure how you can make a fair draw with that split.

If you have the lower league team the choice of home or away, at least it’s still a fair chance of drawing a top club for all.

[Wanderingred]

Some of City’s best ever moments have come in replays. Imagine if they never happened. All the things that made the FA cup special have pretty much all gone now. But at least Liverpool have time for their post season friendly in Malaysia.

[W-S-M Seagull]

The cynical side of me thinks this was quickly pushed through before the regulator is introduced. 

 

[Dredd]

How about if it's all square at the end of 90 mins after the first game the PL club can choose to forfeit the replay and go out of the competition. 

[Markthehorn]

7 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

The cynical side of me thinks this was quickly pushed through before the regulator is introduced. 

 

And with the offer of more money as well apparently.

[ExiledAjax]

32 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

The cynical side of me thinks this was quickly pushed through before the regulator is introduced. 

An interesting angle to it. The regulator won't have any direct influence on the calendar or on the rules of any competition, but I guess if the PL were going to try and use this extra £33m as leverage in a financial distribution negotiation then maybe they'd want it done before the Bill is passed?

What was your reasoning here?

[Davefevs]

40 minutes ago, Malago said:

I’d go further.  Penalties after 90 mins.

Genuine question.  When games go to extra time, what percentage are decided during that extra time?  I would guess a lot less than 50%.

Saw on Google that over the last 2 world cups and European championships 46% of ET were resolved in ET, so 54% went to pens.

[BigTone]

44 minutes ago, Dredd said:

What about the other 700 odd clubs who enter the FA cup? Why are they being dictated to by the Premier League, more than likely 6 clubs within the Premier League. It's a disgraceful decision. 
Should have let them **** off to their European Super League and left us to it. 

Exactly and how true is that sentiment !!!    I still live in hope.

Edited April 18 by BigTone

[North London Red]

I believe our game at Forest in early February will go down as the last ever FA cup replay. Aston Villa played Chelsea in a 4th round replay the same evening, but Chelsea won that in 90 minutes whereas our game went to extra time and penalties.