Domestic Football is being squeezed out.

[davieG]

FA Cup: Reforms to the English football calendar could see third and fourth round replays scrapped

By Simon StoneBBC Sport

 

FA Cup third and fourth round replays and the two-legged EFL Cup semi-finals are expected to be scrapped as part of reforms to the English football calendar.

The changes will also see the FA Cup fifth round restored to a weekend slot.

Changes have been triggered by pressure on the domestic calendar such as the expansion of European competitions.

It is not yet known when the changes could come into effect, though a new TV contract is set to commence in 2025-26.

However, the domestic calendar will feel extra pressure from next season when the Champions League and Europa League first phases expand to 36 clubs.

Subsequent alterations to the Uefa match calendar mean the opening phase will cover 10 midweeks rather than the current six.

With Fifa's international match calendar not due to change until 2026, when the four games currently played in September and October will run across a single 16 day window, it leaves a maximum of 12 spare midweeks for domestic matches to be played if clashes with European club competitions - which Uefa frowns upon - are to be avoided.

In their 'invitation to tender' statement released on Wednesday, the Premier League confirmed five midweek rounds per season would be part of their offer to broadcasters for the four-year cycle that starts in 2025.

That is one more than this season, when matches are due to be played in November, January and April, in addition to the Boxing Day slot.

With spare midweeks needed for matches that have to be rearranged due to clashes with the FA Cup sixth round and semi-finals, plus the EFL Cup final - which are all played on weekends used by the Premier League - there is not enough space for the domestic calendar to remain as it is.

BBC Sport understands the answer is set to come through alterations to the two cup competitions.

The FA could give up third and fourth round replays in exchange for a return to a weekend date for the fifth round of the competition for the first time since 2019-20.

While many observers felt the EFL Cup semi-finals had to be shrunk from their current two-legged format if the competition was to be retained, the loss of FA Cup replays for top-flight teams will be lamented by some, even though they were scrapped in 2020-21 and 2021-22 due to issues created by the coronavirus pandemic.

There were six replays in both the third and fourth round of last season's competition. The FA removed fifth round replays from the schedule in 2017-18.

The FA has declined to comment. 

Its current broadcast deal with the BBC and ITV runs to 2025.

The EFL has just announced a five-year agreement with Sky that will end in 2029 and align with the next Premier League contract.

 

[The whole world smiles]

Fučk elite football, what a grubby, corrupt little business it's become. 

 

give me 3rd round replays, the magic of the cup, giant killings over West hame v molde 10 time a fučking season anyday. 

 

These oil rich, greedy corporations that the top clubs have become tried to steal the game in one go and failed now they are stealing peice by piece, year on year. 

[CosbehFox]

I’m as traditionalist as they come. Think the 3pm black out is a good thing. However I actually get this. I don’t think it’s the big benefit to many smaller clubs really. 

[HybridFox]

Another nail into the coffin of the game. Wish they f****d off to the super league. Delays the inevitable

Edited 19 October 2023 by HybridFox

[Gamble92]

11 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

I’m as traditionalist as they come. Think the 3pm black out is a good thing. However I actually get this. I don’t think it’s the big benefit to many smaller clubs really. 

Agree it's actually one of the few things that's maintained for actual moral reasons. However i don't think there's much substance behind it. Anyone can now watch games at 3pm and all you're doing is punishing fans in the UK. 

 

Its worse for us because we are one of the clubs who sell out every week so watching at home is the only way certain fans can. Seems silly for the club and the league as a whole to be missing out on money by encouraging streaming illegally.

[MPH]

1 hour ago, CosbehFox said:

I’m as traditionalist as they come. Think the 3pm black out is a good thing. However I actually get this. I don’t think it’s the big benefit to many smaller clubs really. 

?

 

The money a small club can get from an FA cup replay can pay  several large bills…

[filbertway]

9 minutes ago, MPH said:

?

 

The money a small club can get from an FA cup replay can pay  several large bills…

Well turns out I'm the idiot

 

Id offer the smaller club the chance to switch the tie if they're drawn at home.

Edited 19 October 2023 by filbertway

[ozleicester]

The game is nothing more than a profit centre for the corporates/owners. Any way to increase returns, meet kpi's and stick another $ in their pockets is a  good idea.

The ONLY way to stop it...is for fans to stop paying and stop accepting the profit based changes.

Cancel Sky, Protest at or by not attending games. stop spending.

[volpeazzurro]

12 minutes ago, ozleicester said:

The game is nothing more than a profit centre for the corporates/owners. Any way to increase returns, meet kpi's and stick another $ in their pockets is a  good idea.

The ONLY way to stop it...is for fans to stop paying and stop accepting the profit based changes.

Cancel Sky, Protest at or by not attending games. stop spending.

We know that's not going to happen though realistically. 😕 

[Sly]

I’d keep it the same personally. 
 

The elite squad have reserve players that all levels above non league. They’ve been hoovering up talent for years.
 

If anything it enhances the chances of giant killing though, which is good for the game. 
 

 

[Sir Shep]

I imagine this'll be unpopular but I think there's far too much football as it is, it dominates over other sports. Despite Leicester doing so well I'm still not as excited about the game as I was when I was younger. I don't even bother watching England nowadays. 

[Nalis]

I dont mind this as a standalone but its the direction we are going thats more worrying.

 

When will the league cup be scrapped or solely for teams not in europe?

 

When will the FA Cup start to get like the League Cup with premier league teams or teams in europe introduced only in the latter rounds?

[Nalis]

5 minutes ago, Sir Shep said:

I imagine this'll be unpopular but I think there's far too much football as it is, it dominates over other sports. Despite Leicester doing so well I'm still not as excited about the game as I was when I was younger. I don't even bother watching England nowadays. 

The laughable thing is how they bang on about player welfare in the same breath too.

Edited 20 October 2023 by Nalis

[Tommy Fresh]

11 minutes ago, Nalis said:

I dont mind this as a standalone but its the direction we are going thats more worrying.

 

When will the league cup be scrapped or solely for teams not in europe?

 

When will the FA Cup start to get like the League Cup with premier league teams or teams in europe introduced only in the latter rounds?

How it already is now then

[Nalis]

5 minutes ago, Tommy Fresh said:

How it already is now then

Meant even more so, as is 4th round entry or beyond.

[Tommy Fresh]

7 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Meant even more so, as is 4th round entry or beyond.

You said become more like the League Cup, where teams enter in the 2nd and 3rd round so they have to go through the same number of rounds as the FA Cup if you're a second round entry already.

[Nalis]

26 minutes ago, Tommy Fresh said:

You said become more like the League Cup, where teams enter in the 2nd and 3rd round so they have to go through the same number of rounds as the FA Cup if you're a second round entry already.

I probably should have been clearer, what I meant was entry into a round beyond the FA Cup 3rd round.

[StanSP]

7 hours ago, filbertway said:

Well turns out I'm the idiot

 

Id offer the smaller club the chance to switch the tie if they're drawn at home.

I think they do this in France. If a side two divisions below is drawn away, they'll swap it so they play at home. 

[Voll Blau]

The scrapping of FA Cup replays is a disgrace but I would reform the League Cup by saying no side who has qualified for Europe that season can enter that competition. It'd give more incentive for middling Premier League teams to take it seriously and guarantee a new European entrant every year. Oh, and it should be regionalised until the quarter-finals.

 

Of course, the clubs who regularly qualify for Europe would never go for that because - despite their whining - secretly they actually love the insurance that qualifying for Europe via the Cups brings if they have a poor league season. They're total hypocrites who just want to make these tournaments easier to win for themselves.

[Fox92]

As usual, something long standing is changed for those clubs with the money. Those clubs, ironically, who have the biggest and best squads capable of playing these games. These clubs rarely play their first team players in these competitions anyway.

It's a joke.

 

Players hide behind the "player safety" card now far too much, sorry I know people will disagree with that but when their club sends them round the World over summer, a time when they could be getting rest, they do it. More money you see.

 

Scrapping FA Cup replays is a disgrace. Two legged league cup semi finals are great as well, seen so many great results over the years in these sort of legs because clubs have to go for it.

 

 

[CosbehFox]

8 hours ago, MPH said:

?

 

The money a small club can get from an FA cup replay can pay  several large bills…

I don't disagree but how many teams does that occur within the third round? Be lucky if we get one occasion every year. The immediate thoughts of Exeter and Burton at Man U are a decent time ago now. 

 

Instead you have a load of poorly attended games on a January midweek - not every lower league team are lucky enough to get a decent draw. I'd imagine league 1/2 clubs lose money if they were to host a replay against most teams outside of the PL. Give you an example for the 4th Qualifying Round, I bet Chelmsford lost money from their trip up to Whitby in the week for their replay. 

 

Easy to get into the romance etc. but look at the replays from last year in the Third Round. 

 

WBA 4-0 Chesterfield - 12,638 - worth mentioning if it the original game went to extra time, Chesterfield were in a strong position. 

Accrington Stanley 1-0 Boreham Wood - 1,940

Wigan 1-2 Luton - 5,668 

Wolves 0-1 Liverpool - 30,948 

Swansea 1-2 Bristol City - 10,030

Leeds 5-2 Cardiff - 34,465 

 

Let's face it if the money was really there - especially seen the gate receipts rule change, the clubs would be putting up more of a fight. 

 

You forget as well for the lower league clubs - Christmas/New Year is their busy time of the year too and combined with call-offs/pitch maintenance, it's a run on their players as well. 

 

 

 

 

Edited 20 October 2023 by CosbehFox

[Oldblueyes]

Not keen on this option of swapping venues for the supposed smaller clubs in Cup competitions. Teams like Man U, Liverpool and Man C (who have enough of an advantage), would  hardly ever play an away game again.

[filbertway]

11 minutes ago, Oldblueyes said:

Not keen on this option of swapping venues for the supposed smaller clubs in Cup competitions. Teams like Man U, Liverpool and Man C (who have enough of an advantage), would  hardly ever play an away game again.

This did occur to me after suggesting it. Nobody wants to watch Man U v Scarborough, but everyone wants to watch Scarborough v Man U.

 

However hosting that game at home is probably worth 100k max (with the majority coming from TV). You play Man U away, you're probably looking at at least 500k if not more.

 

For the clubs it's winning the lottery, however it will remove one of the main things that actually makes the competition great. 

[Fox92]

34 minutes ago, filbertway said:

This did occur to me after suggesting it. Nobody wants to watch Man U v Scarborough, but everyone wants to watch Scarborough v Man U.

 

However hosting that game at home is probably worth 100k max (with the majority coming from TV). You play Man U away, you're probably looking at at least 500k if not more.

 

For the clubs it's winning the lottery, however it will remove one of the main things that actually makes the competition great. 

I'd like to think the bigger clubs would forfit their money to the smaller club anyway. Can't remember which club it was but a couple years ago Villa gave their receipts to the smaller club (I've got Carlisle or Accrington in my head).

[Daggers]

42 minutes ago, filbertway said:

This did occur to me after suggesting it. Nobody wants to watch Man U v Scarborough, but everyone wants to watch Scarborough v Man U.

 

However hosting that game at home is probably worth 100k max (with the majority coming from TV). You play Man U away, you're probably looking at at least 500k if not more.

 

For the clubs it's winning the lottery, however it will remove one of the main things that actually makes the competition great. 

Yeh, but everyone wants to watch outcomes like this…