FA Cup third and fourth-round replays are expected to be scrapped in the coming seasons, according to the BBC.
The move, which would be a huge blow to lower-league clubs, has been in the works for years now ever since the removal of replays from the latter rounds of the world’s oldest domestic competition.
The reasoning behind it has come from the top of the game, with the footballing calendar supposedly too full to comprehend replays. The FA had already scrapped fifth-round replays back in 2017.
In an aim to supposedly soften the blow, it has been reported that the fifth round of the competition could be moved back to the weekend, replacing the current midweek spot it holds at the end of February or the start of March.
UEFA’s increased Champions League and Europa League schedules come into effect from next season, so a change was always on the horizon. That means that ten midweek spots will be taken by European games, an added four compared to the current plan.
There are six rounds of qualifying before the first-round proper of the FA Cup, with the extra preliminary round beginning on the opening weekend of August. This was the same weekend the EFL season began and a week before the top-flight campaign got underway.
It’s not the first time that talk of changes to the FA Cup has occurred, with alterations rumoured a little over three months ago in a report by The Daily Mail. It was also speculated that all replays would be abolished, early rounds played in midweek and that the FA Cup final would be played on the same weekend as Premier League fixtures.
The big impact this actually has is on football outside the top flight, with the likes of Cambridge United enjoying a money-spinning replay at Manchester United eight years ago while Lincoln City knocked out Ipswich Town in a third-round replay in 2017 on their record-breaking run which culminated with a quarter-final tie at Arsenal.
Writer’s View
This is yet another decision that has been spearheaded by the top clubs with absolutely no consideration for the rest of the footballing pyramid. It’s hard to find sympathy for such a decision when the new Champions League format comes into play next season, especially when the majority of the criticism is aimed at England’s domestic competitions.
One way to appease lower-league fans, if this move went ahead, would be to let the lower-ranked club have the chance to decide where to play the game. At least then they would have the option of a potential TV game at home or a trip to one of English football’s best sides. The potential financial impact that an FA Cup replay has cannot be understated. It can go as far as keeping some clubs in business. With all that has happened in football in the past few years, that should mean something.
