A lower-league club boss has called for protests over the decision to scrap all FA Cup replays and warned the Premier League will 바카라strangle바카라 the pyramid without a strong independent regulator. (More Football News)
Replays have been abolished from the first round onwards from next season as part of a minimum six-year agreement between the Football Association and the Premier League.
The matches have long been a part of FA Cup tradition 바카라 with the first replayed final taking place in 1875 바카라 and have in some cases been highly lucrative for lower-league clubs.
It has long been expected that the expansion of UEFA club competitions would lead to their abolition at least from the third-round stage, but Tranmere vice-chair Nicola Palios fears this move could be the thin end of the wedge.
바카라The FA and the Premier League have reached an agreement to suit themselves further at the expense of the rest of the football pyramid,바카라 Palios posted on X.
바카라Bring on the regulator and make sure it has some teeth before the Premier League strangle the pyramid.
바카라Seven hundred and twenty-nine teams compete in the FA Cup. Why is its format being dictated by the Premier League who represent circa three per cent of them? Why were EFL clubs not given a say? Why is the EPL even dictating whether replays are allowed in rounds they don바카라t participate in? Protest is needed!바카라
Next season바카라s domestic calendar 바카라 including the changes to the FA Cup 바카라 have been approved by the FA바카라s Professional Game Board, which includes EFL representation.
The EFL has not yet commented on the matter.
The agreement also includes fifth-round ties reverting to a weekend slot, having been played in midweek for the last five seasons. The FA Cup final will also now be played on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham insists the move, which will mean up to an extra £33million for the pyramid, strengthens the FA Cup.
Andy Holt, the chairman of Accrington, wrote on X: 바카라Why would the hapless FA scrap early-round replays that can be lucrative to minnows? A chance to change their financial fortunes? Against EFL clubs? I expect nothing less of Masters and co Premier League buying the game into a format that suits their needs.바카라
Niall Couper, the chief executive of the Fair Game football reform group, described the move as 바카라short-sighted바카라 and as 바카라another nail in the coffin for the already crumbling football pyramid바카라.
FA sources have challenged the notion that replays are major revenue earners for lower-league clubs. Of the 19 third and fourth-round replays in the last 10 years where an EFL side was away, 12 had an attendance of over 25,000. Only a very small percentage of first and second-round replays over the same period achieved attendances of over 7,000.
Nevertheless they remained popular among fans, with 69.5 per cent of those taking part in a Football Supporters바카라 Association survey last summer believing they are an important part of the FA Cup. The FSA, which had been involved in talks with the FA over the FA Cup바카라s format, has not yet commented.
Freeing up first and second-round replay dates would help to create room for any expansion of the EFL Trophy, which has been under discussion between the Premier League and the EFL. The former is keen to give top-flight clubs바카라 young stars more opportunities to play in competitive matches.
However, with talks over a new financial settlement between the EFL and the Premier League stalled, it is unclear when 바카라 or even if 바카라 such an expansion would take place.
The Professional Footballers바카라 Association said the move highlighted the knock-on impact to domestic football of changes agreed at the international level.
바카라What football needs is a collective approach to a properly thought-out global fixture calendar 바카라 not a fight for available dates,바카라 PFA chief executive Maheta Molango said.
바카라(The agreement) shows how decisions that are made at an international level have a knock-on impact which affects clubs, and players, throughout the pyramid.
바카라The current unsustainable approach to the calendar needs to be seen as an issue for every club at every level if we want to continue to protect our domestic competitions.바카라
