FA issue official statement following rule change backlash - fresh proposal will impact Newcastle United & co

The Football Association has responded to the backlash regarding the removal of FA Cup replays, claiming EFL and non-league sides will not lose out.

FA Cup replays have been scrapped from the fifth round onwards since 2018. As a result, Newcastle United’s fifth-round match at Blackburn Rovers this season went to extra time and penalties whereas previously a replay at St James’ Park would have taken place.

The format change will also see the FA Cup fifth round return to weekend matches rather than midweek fixtures.

Now, The FA have stated that a decision to scrap replays altogether has been made ‘in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded UEFA competitions’. For teams like Newcastle, the scrapping of replays will come as a welcome change given the already busy fixture schedule and possibility of European football.

But the apparent prioritising of big Premier League sides over lower-league sides was met with a significant backlash.

EFL chief executive Trevor Birch labelled the proposals as ‘frustrating and disappointing’ as FA Cup replays can often provide significant financial boosts to lower-league sides. The EFL are now seeking ‘appropriate compensation arrangements’ to make up for the potential lost revenue from cup replays being scrapped.

The FA statement has recognised the concerns, stating clubs will receive additional broadcast revenue while the competition’s prize money will be reviewed for the 2024-25 season.

“We have listened to the concerns expressed over the last 24 hours, and would like to outline the approval process which was undertaken for the 2024-25 professional game football calendar,” the statement read.

“We have been discussing the calendar for the 2024-25 season with the Premier League and EFL for well over a year.

“Removing Emirates FA Cup replays was discussed in the early meetings and all parties accepted that they could not continue. The discussions then focused on how to make all of our competitions stronger, despite having fewer dates available and wanting to maintain player welfare.

“The changes to the Emirates FA Cup achieve this by returning it to a weekend competition on every round, and ensuring that we have exclusive broadcast slots in an increasingly congested calendar.

“To clarify, we have also increased the number of Emirates FA Cup matches that will be broadcast in the early rounds, which will lead to additional guaranteed broadcast revenue for EFL and National League teams. Additionally, we review the prize money annually for the competition, together with representatives from the EFL and PL and will do the same for the 2024-25 season.

“The calendar for next season was approved by the Professional Game Board, which consists of four EFL representatives and four Premier League representatives, last month, and then by the FA Board, which includes Premier League, EFL, National Game and grassroots representation. This is the process we undergo every year to approve the calendar.

“We understand the concerns expressed over the last 24 hours, and we will be sharing more details with clubs very shortly to explain the additional revenue opportunities in the early rounds.

“We will keep this under review as the new calendar begins to ensure that EFL and National League clubs do not lose out.”

Newcastle and Premier League clubs currently enter the competition at the third round stage. Eddie Howe’s side reached the quarter-final of the competition this season before being knocked out by holders Manchester City.