No more replays anymore

[onefinfrandsen]

1 hour ago, SatanGreavsie said:

And Soton even though we lost. Astonishing turnout. 

Forgot that one, on the football special from Bolton station.

[Jol_BWFC]

30 minutes ago, Mounts Kipper said:

Fuck me comparing the piss pot trophy to what was the best cup comp in the world. Ridiculous. 

You are living 30 years in the past with rose tinted glasses. The FA Cup is now just bang average.

[Traf]

2 hours ago, Marc505 said:

Just noticed final has gone to penultimate weekend of PL on a permanent basis as well, making the finale of the league the main event of the season not the cup final.

Must be time for game 39?

[MancWanderer]

10 hours ago, mickbrown said:

Death by a thousand cuts. 
 

Just fuck off

Indeed

[Take Hunt Off]

During the Luton cup game (attendance 11k ish) I was explaining to my grandson that cup games back in the day attracted larger crowds than league games as the FA cup was considered to be the ultimate prize. The rot set in about the same time as the Premiership started & the likes of bluenose playing reserve sides (remember his 2nd eleven losing to York City at Old Trafford) of course that became the norm & very soon they were all at it , us included .

Fast forward thirty years & it’s really gone to the dogs , with attendances for the early rounds barely registering above 6k . Consigned to the past the excitement,unpredictability, spontaneity & downwright enjoyment of the competition reduced to a almost obligatory attendance from diehard fans.

 

[Rival Son]

Accepting this will be a minority opinion, but I’m fairly comfortable with these changes, for a couple of reasons.

First, the restoration of all rounds to weekends is very important step to restoring the eminence of the competition.

Secondly, the scrapping of replays will increase the chances of upsets.

This latter point is important in the debate. Surely, the primary aim of all clubs should be to progress as far as possible in the competition. As stated, these changes enhance the chances the lower level clubs of doing just that.

However, most of the arguments against the changes seem to be based on clubs losing a pay day, rather than an opportunity to deliver a better result.

It seems the financial self-interest position is as relevant to smaller clubs, as it is to bigger clubs.

[Not in Crawley]

Look at it this way.

The only teams who like the FA Cup are those at the bottom and those at the top.

It's changed (and no it didn't die when United left it for a season)

Football has changed. I remember being a Coventry 'fan' because I had a Coventry racing bike in 88

The FA Cup Finial will always be special, not having replays won't stop that.

[desperado]

8 hours ago, Rival Son said:

Accepting this will be a minority opinion, but I’m fairly comfortable with these changes, for a couple of reasons.

First, the restoration of all rounds to weekends is very important step to restoring the eminence of the competition.

Secondly, the scrapping of replays will increase the chances of upsets.

This latter point is important in the debate. Surely, the primary aim of all clubs should be to progress as far as possible in the competition. As stated, these changes enhance the chances the lower level clubs of doing just that.

However, most of the arguments against the changes seem to be based on clubs losing a pay day, rather than an opportunity to deliver a better result.

It seems the financial self-interest position is as relevant to smaller clubs, as it is to bigger clubs.

Very good counter argument.

Im somewhere in the middle, can see both sides. 

[MickyD]

Today, I stand with Tranmere. (But only today!)

Quote

 

Tranmere Rovers condemn the disgraceful decision taken by The FA and the Premier League to change the format of the FA Cup, including the scrapping of replays.

There was no consultation with Football League clubs, National League clubs or grassroots clubs to whom the competition represents not only their best opportunity to create life-long memories for supporters but also a hugely important source of income. We also understand that FA Council members were not consulted about the changes.

The decision, and the way it was taken, demonstrate a total lack of respect for the football pyramid and its fans. Football belongs to all of us and decisions should not be taken in back room deals in which only the very wealthiest clubs are allowed to participate. It is yet another eloquent example of the 19th-century governance that means that football simply cannot regulate itself and needs the Independent Football Regulator to have real teeth.

We condemn the changes wholeheartedly and urge The FA to suspend them immediately until all stakeholders in the game are properly consulted.

 

Hopefully other non-Premier League clubs (and maybe some Prem clubs as well) will also call the FA out on this. 

[mickbrown]

Every team outside the prem should boycott it next season. 
 

If the FA have so little regard for lower league clubs so as not to even consult them, let them see how their precious competition fairs without them. 

[Farrelli]

The FA Cup is just not the same anymore. Keeping replays isn’t really going to change things although they should give financial compensation to every team below championship.
 

It was inevitable they would scrap replays as the top sides have enough games and are primarily focused on the prem and Europe.
 

The game has changed. We could no longer be competitive in the premier league without a billionaire backer.  Championship is our limit sadly and there is nothing wrong with that.

[mattbwfc19]

plenty of clubs are releasing statements opposing the decision to scrap replays, hope we do the same. Madness that a cup competition involving 700+ teams has been changed to accommodate just the top 20 teams.

i wish that the European super league never got scrapped in the first place and the top 6 clubs just fucked off, we'd be better off without them at this point.

[Cheese]

1 hour ago, mattbwfc19 said:

plenty of clubs are releasing statements opposing the decision to scrap replays, hope we do the same. Madness that a cup competition involving 700+ teams has been changed to accommodate just the top 20 teams.

i wish that the European super league never got scrapped in the first place and the top 6 clubs just fucked off, we'd be better off without them at this point.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/24264399.bolton-wanderers-ceo-slams-fa-cup-replay-axe-disgrace/

[mickbrown]

Needs some form of collective action. 
 

Boycott it

[DirtySanchez]

3 hours ago, mickbrown said:

Every team outside the prem should boycott it next season. 
 

If the FA have so little regard for lower league clubs so as not to even consult them, let them see how their precious competition fairs without them. 

FA now saying they did discuss it and it was all agreed

FA Cup replays scrapped: The Football Association says 'all parties accepted' decision - BBC Sport

[mickbrown]

5 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

FA now saying they did discuss it and it was all agreed

FA Cup replays scrapped: The Football Association says 'all parties accepted' decision - BBC Sport

You’d think the chief exec old Tranmere would know if they were spoken to or not. 
 

Smells fishy this

[MancWanderer]

Hearing that it wasn’t discussed with the FA Cup Committee who actually run the competition. Don’t know if that’s definitely true or just a rumour 

[Marc505]

14 hours ago, Traf said:

Must be time for game 39?

Wouldn't be surprised to see this rear it's head again at some point.

These officially branded PL pre-season tournaments they keep having in US won't cut it for long. They'll want competitive matches, and  I feel it'll only take the pressure of a couple of PL teams owners if they want it.

Fulham v Brentford in the Rose Bowl 💥

[Marc505]

15 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

You’d think the chief exec old Tranmere would know if they were spoken to or not. 
 

Smells fishy this

Aye I agree. Announce some radical changes, have a huge blow up about it and then row back on them under pressure... but not all the way, so some changes get through

[ianofcleveleys]

13 hours ago, Rival Son said:

Accepting this will be a minority opinion, but I’m fairly comfortable with these changes, for a couple of reasons.

First, the restoration of all rounds to weekends is very important step to restoring the eminence of the competition.

Secondly, the scrapping of replays will increase the chances of upsets.

This latter point is important in the debate. Surely, the primary aim of all clubs should be to progress as far as possible in the competition. As stated, these changes enhance the chances the lower level clubs of doing just that.

However, most of the arguments against the changes seem to be based on clubs losing a pay day, rather than an opportunity to deliver a better result.

It seems the financial self-interest position is as relevant to smaller clubs, as it is to bigger clubs.

Good balanced summary. Sadly, a topic I'm not that exercised about really, a product of how, for me, the comp has been allowed to decline too far for these bits of tinkering and window dressing to be likely to have much positive impact

They're contradictory in part anyway, on the one hand let's restore their importance by scrapping midweek rounds so the focus is all on it at weekends, yet one round is going to be played over six days 'to allow for widest possible consumption of it'. So, we can all get the beer and crisps out for a night of unadulterated pleasure watching Stoke and Brentford slug it out on a Monday night in front of about 8k at the Britannia. 

I can see the upset about scrapping replays amongst the smaller League 1 / 2 clubs and those in National League structure, but for ones like us I'm not sure the managers and players will be that arsed, regardless of what club officials may trot out. Less need to 'manage the minutes' will no doubt be welcome. Some of our key players have at least featured in 11 or 12 games of cup football this season. 

The EFL's collective angst about the changes is on fragile ground while the EFL Trophy continues. It is a waste of time and energy in the modern game and of very little financial benefit to any clubs other than those who get to at least the semis. League Cup and FA Cup are plenty to be going on with. 

I too remember the Newcastle trilogy with fondness, and the White Hot era, but the game's now rightly or wrongly almost wholly geared towards league success nowadays 

[Marc505]

9 minutes ago, Marc505 said:

Wouldn't be surprised to see this rear it's head again at some point.

These officially branded PL pre-season tournaments they keep having in US won't cut it for long. They'll want competitive matches, and  I feel it'll only take the pressure of a couple of PL teams owners if they want it.

Fulham v Brentford in the Rose Bowl 💥

Edit - thinking about it i know how they'd do this. They'll set it as a "derbies" round, and chaff like Fulham v Brentford will be the earlier kick off first part of a double header culminating with Arsenal v Spurs.

Newly promoted Bolton v yo-yo side Burnley as the appetiser for United v City at MetLife Stadium.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

4 minutes ago, Marc505 said:

Edit - thinking about it i know how they'd do this. They'll set it as a "derbies" round, and chaff like Fulham v Brentford will be the earlier kick off first part of a double header culminating with Arsenal v Spurs.

Newly promoted Bolton v yo-yo side Burnley as the appetiser for United v City at MetLife Stadium.

You've gone a bit chemtrail!

[Marc505]

1 minute ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

You've gone a bit chemtrail!

Gimme a break I've just come out of dentists so I'm in that hour or so phase afterwards where you're a bit delirious because the pain is finally over but you've paid £150 for the privilege.

[Zico]

I reckon there's more chance of a cup upset from a one legged tie decided on pens than over two legs 

[MickyD]

Keith Hackett responds:

The FA should re-think their crass decision to end replays in the FA Cup.
Throughout my active career in officiating I always looked forward to my appointments in The FA Challenge Cup.
Football clubs at all levels of the game love their participation and the boost it gives to their finances. The cup often brings in new supporters. I have officiated many FA Cup replays and those games under floodlight are very very special.
The FA appear to have failed to recognise fans and their participation and support for the cup which often sees families and local communities involvement,
That 100th FA Cup Final Replay played on that Thursday evening is etched in the minds of many people who watched that game.
I was just so lucky to be involved.
The FA have made a disastrous decision to end replays which will impact n the competition and cannot be right.
Professional clubs and their Administrators who may well have influenced this poor decision have large squads and appear to have a lack of understanding of History and Legacy of The FA Cup and the emotion of all participants,
The players, the fans, the media.
To grassroots clubs like my own this welcome opportunity to play in the competition and earn much needed revenue is a lifeline.
Matchday sponsors, ball sponsors. Increased gate revenue, Refreshment sales up etc.
Earning that replay against a club higher in the pyramid is a fresh challenge and another revenue stream plus the prize money for a win.
Coach companies receiving a boost to their income along with services up and down the motorway.
The FA need to revisit this and put the game ahead of their finances.
Pity the New Regulator is not in place, May I suggest this rushed decision make fit because this new position will shortly be filled.
My choice for that role would be
ANDY BURNHAM who would ask the appropriate questions.
What are your thoughts?