The English Football Association (FA) said on Thursday that as part of a six-year agreement with the Premier League to improve domestic competitiveness, FA Cup replays will no longer be used in the first round of the following season.
The FA also announced that starting with the upcoming term, all FA Cup rounds will take place on weekends. Premier League games will not be played during the fourth and fifth rounds or the quarterfinals.
“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 Football Association stated.
“The 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.”
In order to create a longer close-season break and enable the Premier League to begin in mid-August, the mid-season break was also eliminated from the schedule.
Commentators criticized the progressive removal of replays from the later FA Cup rounds, claiming it was just another step toward undermining the significance of the oldest domestic club competition in the world.
Smaller teams that were selected to face elite opponents at home in the FA Cup have previously benefited monetarily from obtaining replays.
CEO of Fair Game Niall Couper stated, “Scrapping FA Cup replays from the first round proper deprives lower league clubs of a much-needed source of revenue.”
“This is a short-sighted move that does nothing to strengthen the game. It is another nail in the coffin for the already crumbling football pyramid.”
The FA Cup was reinforced by the new deal between the FA and the Premier League, according to Mark Bullingham, CEO of the English Football Association, which also granted “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,” he stated.
Trevor Birch, the CEO of the English Football League (EFL), called the announcement “frustrating and disappointing.”
“This is another traditional revenue stream lost for EFL clubs at a time when the financial gap between the biggest clubs and those further down the pyramid is widening,” he stated.
Tranmere Rovers, a League Two team, released a statement in which they said they “condemn the disgraceful” modifications.
It stated that no engagement had taken place with grassroots organizations, Football League teams, or National League clubs, for whom the competition constituted a “hugely important source of income.”
League Two team Grimsby Town also backed the request for a hold off on changes until after consultation, and the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) acknowledged the pressure the fixture list puts on elite teams but expressed concern that the move would “diminish the magic of the competition.”
The Premier League will contribute an extra £33 million ($41.15 million) to the English football pyramid as part of the arrangement, with the goal of advancing the grassroots game.
“Our domestic calendar has been put under extreme pressure by the expansion of UEFA competitions and ultimately this represents another lost traditional revenue stream for EFL clubs at a time when the financial gap between the biggest clubs and those further down the pyramid is growing bigger than ever,” Trevor Birch, chief executive of the EFL, said.
“We will now be discussing the implications for EFL clubs and seeking appropriate compensation agreements.”
Teams in lower levels currently get cash from the Premier League totaling £100 million ($124.33 million).
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters stated, “This [investment] will improve facilities for communities and lower league clubs across the country, through the Football Foundation and Premier League Stadium Fund.”
The FA Cup semifinals of this season will take place this weekend. On Saturday, holders Manchester City will play Chelsea, while on Sunday, Coventry City will play Manchester United.