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Huge changes made to the FA Cup leaves fans and lower league clubs furious

Huge changes made to the FA Cup from the 2024/25 season leaves fans and lower league club furious as the FA release a statement.

The FA confirm, in agreement with the Premier League, that all rounds played on weekends, the fourth, fifth and quarter-finals weekends are exclusive of EPL games, there is no replays from first round proper, cup final weekend are exclusive of EPL games and the Premier League is to increase funding to football pyramid.

But the main takeaway of this is replays being scrapped from the first round proper, and it’s angered fans who say the competition is losing it’s magic.

FA STATEMENT:

The FA and the Premier League have reached a new agreement which will strengthen the Emirates FA Cup format with new and exclusive calendar windows.

The agreement, which is for a minimum of six years, starts next season. All rounds of the Emirates FA Cup will now be played on weekends, including the fifth round which has been played in midweek for the last five seasons.

The fourth and fifth rounds and the quarter-finals all will be exclusive of Premier League fixtures for the first time, and the fourth round will have an extended window from Friday to Wednesday to allow fans to watch consecutive days of Emirates FA Cup football.

From the first round proper, the competition will be played without replays. The current format, which has no replays from the fifth round onwards, has been extended throughout the ‘Competition Proper’ in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded UEFA competitions.

The Emirates FA Cup Final will now take place on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, on an exclusive Saturday with no Premier League fixtures taking place on the same day. Additionally, there will be no Premier League games on the Friday night before the Final, to allow focus on the build-up to the showpiece event.

Separately, the Premier League has increased funding to the football pyramid, providing up to an additional £33 million for grassroots football on top of the £100 million it currently gives to good causes each season.

The League will provide up to £133 million per season from the 2025-26 season, maintaining existing commitments and enhancing support to key areas of the game. The Premier League currently gives away £1.6 billion every three years – 16 per cent of its total revenues – to all levels of men’s and women’s football, and this new money will provide significant support to a range of areas as the game continues to grow.

This commitment will see increased investment to both the Football Foundation and Premier League Stadium Fund to develop facilities at lower league clubs, improving the playing and spectator experience, as well as clubs’ financial sustainability. The funding will also create more opportunities for people with a disability to play football, and support the ongoing development of the girls’ game.

It will also enable the leagues in the men’s and women’s football pyramid to continue to develop, in line with the FA’s new National League System Strategy. The Premier League currently provides similar support within the women’s game through an existing £21 million investment.

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Our chief executive, Mark Bullingham, commented: “The Emirates FA Cup is our biggest asset and generates over 60 per cent of our revenue to invest into the game, so it is critical to secure a strong format for the future.

“This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the Emirates FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.

“The new schedule ensures the magic of the Cup is protected and enhanced, while working for the whole of the English game. The longer summer period also allows a much-needed player break before the start of the next season.

“We have also agreed new funding for the grassroots game, disability football and the women’s and girls’ game. All football begins at the grassroots, and this is recognised by the Premier League with very welcome additional financial support.”

Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters, added: “The Premier League is proud of the investment it provides to all levels of the game and this new agreement with the FA will see us enhance our support into grassroots football. This will improve facilities for communities and lower league clubs across the country, through the Football Foundation and Premier League Stadium Fund.

“Throughout our discussions, both parties have been committed to enhancing the scheduling of the Emirates FA Cup, a hugely important domestic competition with a storied history.

“The FA and the Premier League have worked in partnership to deliver more exclusive weekends without compromising the excitement of knockout football and this has been achieved at the same time as allowing us to ease fixture congestion generally.”

The first year of the new format for the Emirates FA Cup forms part of the overall calendar which has been approved by the Professional Game Board [The FA, Premier League, EFL]. The new schedule also allows the late May Bank Holiday weekend to be ringfenced for the EFL play-off finals at Wembley Stadium connected by EE.

The 2024-25 FA Community Shield will take place on Saturday 10 August 2024, the Saturday before the start of the Premier League season.

The mid-season break is removed from the calendar to allow a mid-August start date for the Premier League. This longer summer break allows all Premier League clubs to be better able to ensure that players get a consecutive three-week break in the summer. This takes into account expert advice from medical and technical departments, which values a longer period of complete rest in the summer rather than a short break in the winter.

The agreement has been approved by the FA Board and the Premier League Board and shareholders.

“A significant loss” – Dorking’s Marc White ‘nails it’ reacting to FA Cup replays being scrapped

Huge changes made to the FA Cup leaves fans and lower league clubs furious…

@Staceywestblog: Fuck off dropping replays in the first and second rounds. Utter rubbish. Ruining the competition.

@ruhul_cse: Disgraceful to drop replays so early in the competition

@rhyswebs: Oh they’ve done it then. I fucking hate football now it’s just absolutely full to the brim of cunts who only care about the bank accounts of the big boys. The first 2 rounds are literally for league one and below why the fuck are the premier league getting involved?????

@RichFay: 729 teams compete in the FA Cup, yet the future of it is being dictated by an elite minority with a selfish agenda. You can’t claim an ‘increased support for grassroots football’ when there are no replays from the first round onwards. A disgraceful decision.

@BeddowsTom: Dreadful decision to scrap replays! They make the FA Cup what it is.

@SteveGrant1983: So the PL whining has paid dividends, no replays in the entire competition proper from next season. A scandal.

@Gandermonium: Absolute disgrace. Once again, the sport & competitions in this country being fucked around with for the benefit of basically 6 clubs…

@groundhopper23: Well well. Fancy that. The FA have (as predicted) binned replays to squeeze in the additional European schedule. Don’t dress it up as something to be celebrated. More watering down of the importance of the FA Cup.

@ChloeDigby: As a @StockportCounty fan, every year you dream of holding a big team to a draw at home & then earning a replay at OT or similar. Those nights & the share of the gate receipts is what keeps fans and clubs alive.

@drfc_ben: Absolutely pathetic, teams at the top only care about 1 thing. Embarrassing greedy cunts

@bmussell1997: No more nights like Luton at home, or Scunny away. All because select few don’t want to play extra games. Scandalous decision.

@DanClarkPR: Where’s the input and consultancy from the EFL, and all the non league bodies. Why only the Premier League involved? They’re ruining a great cup and reducing the opportunities for many great stories to be made. Our best ever FA Cup game was a Wimbledon replay.

@thescreenster: Scrapping replays? So much for the magic of the cup! Love how they’ve tried to justify it with the extra games in European competitions. Maybe managers should think about using their full squad rather than complaining their players are tired and picking the same 11 every game

@JLamps79: Doesn’t really make sense. Prem clubs not involved until R3 anyway, so why ditch replays completely?

@JoshuaKing32: Cowardly from the FA, favouring the top 20 teams and reducing the ability for teams further down the pyramid to capitalise on a replay

@matthewjamesali: Ahh, looking after the big 6 yet again. The sooner they fuck off to the Super League the better. Shameful decision.

@Readingfanman: The FA and the Premier League have agreed…. But screw the rest the 660 teams playing in the competition hey. No replays from R1 onwards when the money actually makes a difference, but keep them in the qualifying round where the prize money isn’t big. Real big brain stuff.

@BenjaminJames27: The Premier League leading the changes on a competition that directly benefits clubs further down the pyramid is everything wrong with football currently. It’s great to beat a big club; it’s almost better to take a big club to a replay.

@Jamie_Hodder21: Pathetic. If a non league/lower team get drawn at home against a bigger team and get a draw against all odds they deserve the big day out at a bigger stadium. Sometimes a replay can pay for a non league clubs entire season. They didn’t get their super league so they do this.

@JakeEnglish_: Getting rid of replays is an absolute joke. Cowardly from the FA giving in so easily – English football is a lot more than just the top 20 teams.

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