The EFL insists it made no agreement to the FA and Premier League’s decision to scrap replays in the FA Cup. All FA Cup ties will be decided on the day from first round onwards from now on but the decision was made without consultation from most of the clubs who take part in the competition.
The cup was launched in 1871 but replays were scrapped from the fifth round onwards in 2018. The FA claims the decision to remove replays from earlier stages has been made “in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded UEFA competitions”. The Europa Conference League was introduced in 2021 and the number of teams in the Champions League group stage rises from 32 to 36 next season. How this affects League One clubs and below in the opening rounds of the FA Cup remains unclear.
The EFL has today released a blistering statement condemning the move, saying: “This latest agreement between the Premier League and the FA, in the absence of financial reform, is just a further example of how the EFL and its clubs are being marginalised in favour of others further up the pyramid and that only serves to threaten the future of the English game.
“The EFL today calls on both the Premier League and the FA, as the Governing body, to re-evaluate their approach to their footballing partnership with the EFL and engage more collaboratively on issues directly affecting our clubs.”
The change is part of a six-year agreement between the FA and Premier League and is said to be worth “an additional £33m for grassroots football on top of the £100m it currently gives to good causes each season”.
The FA claims the calendar was approved by the Professional Game Board, which includes four representatives from the EFL and four from the Premier League.
But the EFL say: “The PGB is there to make technical decisions across the game as opposed to key policy decisions such as competition changes or formats. Any decisions taken on the calendar involving EFL representatives are in no way an endorsement of the joint deal agreed between the FA and Premier League that imposes changes to the FA Cup competition format in isolation.
“As part of the discussions the EFL representatives did challenge the position and were told that Clubs would be comfortable with no replays. They were effectively advised that, as a result, of it being an FA competition, the fixture list needed to be agreed as presented. It is also important to note that this matter was not discussed by the FA Cup committee, a separate group that oversees the competition across the professional and national game.”
Clubs down the pyramid have come out strongly against the initiative.
Mark Robins, whose Coventry City side take on Manchester United in a semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, said: “It’s difficult because you look at it and those clubs, the grassroots, the EFL and below are all part of the pyramid which needs to feed each other – and eventually feeds the Premier League.
“There are other things which could have happened like replays up until the third round, which doesn’t impact on the bigger clubs.”
A statement from Tranmere Rovers added: “The decision, and the way it was taken, demonstrate a total lack of respect for the football pyramid and its fans. We condemn the changes wholeheartedly and urge the FA to suspend them immediately until all stakeholders in the game are properly consulted.”
Stoke City’s post-ward FA Cup replay record
1946/47: Third round – 1-0 win (h) vs Tottenham. Fourth round – 3-2 win (h) vs Chester
1948/49: Fourth round – 1-0 win (a) vs Blackpool
1950/51: Third round – 1-0 win (a, but played at Victoria Ground) vs Port Vale
1951/52: Third round – 3-1 win (h) vs Sunderland. Fourth round – 1-0 loss (h) vs Swindon.
1953/54: Fourth round – 3-1 loss (a) vs Leicester.
1954/55: Third round – 1-1 draw (h) vs Bury, 3-3 second replay draw (n) vs Bury, 2-2 third replay draw (n) vs Bury, 3-2 fourth replay win (n) vs Bury.
1955/56: Third round – 3-0 win (h) vs Exeter. Fourth round – 2-1 win (h) vs Leicester.
1957/58: Third round – 3-3 draw (a) vs Aston Villa, 2-0 second replay win (n) vs Aston Villa.
1959/60: Third round – 3-1 loss (a) vs Preston.
1960/61: Third round – 1-0 win (h) vs West Ham. Fourth round – 0-0 draw vs Aldershot, 3-0 second replay win (n) vs Aldershot.
1961/61: Third round – 5-2 win (h) vs Leicester.
1963/64: Fourth round – 1-0 win (h) vs Ipswich. Fifth round – 2-0 loss (a) vs Swansea.
1964/65: Fourth round – 1-0 loss (a) vs Manchester United.
1968/69: Fourth round – 3-0 win (a) vs Halifax.
1969/70: Third round – 3-2 win (h) vs Oxford.
1970/71: Fourth round – 0-0 draw (a) vs Huddersfield, 1-0 second replay win (n) vs Huddersfield. Fifth round – 1-0 win (a) vs Ipswich. Semi-final – 2-0 defeat (n) vs Arsenal.
1971/72: Fourth round – 2-0 win (h) vs Tranmere. Quarter-final – 2-1 win (h) vs Manchester United. Semi-final – 2-1 loss (n) vs Arsenal.
1975/76: Third round – 2-1 win (h) vs Tottenham. Fifth round – 2-1 loss (a) vs Sunderland.
1980/81: Third round – 2-1 loss (a) vs Wolves.
1982/83: Third round – 3-2 win (h) vs Sheffield United.
1984/85: Third round – 3-2 loss (h) vs Luton Town.
1986/87: Third round – 1-1 draw (h) vs Grimsby, 6-0 second replay win (h) vs Grimsby
1987/88: Third round – 1-0 loss (a) vs Liverpool.
1988/89: Fourth round – 2-1 loss (a) vs Barnsley.
1990/91: First round – 1-0 win (h) vs Telford.
1991/92: First round – 2-1 loss (a) vs Telford.
1992/93: Third round – 4-1 win (a) vs Bath City. Fourth round – 1-0 loss (h) vs Oldham.
1994/95: Third round – 2-0 loss (a) vs Nottingham Forest.
2000/01: First round – 1-0 loss (a) vs Nuneaton Borough.
2001/02: Second round – 3-0 win (h) vs Halifax
2003/04: Third round – 1-0 loss (h) vs Wimbledon.
2005/06: Third round – 1-1, 5-4 win on penalties (a) vs Tamworth.
2007/08: Third round – 4-1 loss (a) vs Newcastle United.
2009/10: Fifth round – 3-1 win (h) vs Manchester City.
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