EFL: FA Cup replay decision was agreed solely by FA and Premier League – Sky Sports
Football
FA Cup replays from the first round proper have been scrapped from next season; all rounds will be played on weekends, exclusive of Premier League fixtures; the final has been moved to penultimate weekend of season; Premier League to increase lower-league funding to £133m per season
Friday 19 April 2024 15:36, UK
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The EFL says the decision to scrap FA Cup replays from next season was “solely” agreed between the FA and Premier League.
The FA and the Premier League revealed on Thursday they had reached an agreement for a different format from the first round with “new and exclusive calendar windows” which had been agreed upon “in light of changes to the calendar, driven by the expanded UEFA competitions”.
The FA’s statement said the Professional Game Board (PGB), which has four EFL representatives including its chair Rick Parry, and the FA Board had approved the overall calendar for next season containing the changes.
However, the EFL has since moved to distance itself from the decision saying that its representation on the PGB in agreeing to the 2024/25 fixture calendar was “in no way an endorsement of the joint deal agreed between the FA and Premier League”.
The EFL said its representatives “did challenge the position and were told that clubs would be comfortable with no replays” and revealed that the matter was not discussed with the FA Cup committee, a group that oversees the competition.
The EFL’s statement read: “The agreement which now sees the abolition of replays from the competition format was agreed solely between the Premier League and FA. Ahead of the deal being announced there was no agreement with the EFL nor was there any formal consultation with EFL clubs as members of the FA and participants in the competition.
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“In September 2023, the EFL did initially discuss with clubs potential changes to the FA Cup format but only as part of a wider and more fundamental change to financial distributions. As is now clear, there has been no movement in this area since September.
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“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.”
Following a backlash from EFL and non-League clubs, the FA released a further statement on Thursday morning with more details over the approval process for the decision in which it said “all parties” accepted replays needed scrapping.
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“Removing Emirates FA Cup replays was discussed in the early meetings and all parties accepted that they could not continue,” the FA statement said. “The discussions then focused on how to make all of our competitions stronger, despite having fewer dates available and wanting to maintain player welfare.”
It added: “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.”
Sky Sports News has approached the Premier League for comment.
“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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, the Government is demanding answers from the FA and Premier League over the replay decision.
A Government spokesperson said: “David and Goliath fixtures are part of the magic of the Cup and we know that replays have been a welcome source of income for smaller clubs throughout the years.
“These are, however, decisions for the football authorities, but it is clearly incumbent on the FA and Premier League to explain this decision and why it is in the interest of fans.”
The Football Governance Bill will be debated for the first time in Parliament on Tuesday but according to the Government spokesperson, a regulator would have no say when it comes to the football calendar.
“I don’t think the regulator will have a role in the sporting calendar,” they added. “This is one for the football authorities.”
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham on FA Cup changes:
“The Emirates FA Cup is our biggest asset and generates over 60 per cent of our revenue to invest into the game, so it is critical to secure a strong format for the future.
“This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the Emirates FA Cup and gives 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. The longer summer period also allows a much-needed player break before the start of the next season.
“We have also agreed new funding for the grassroots game, disability football and the women’s and girls’ game. All football begins at the grassroots, and this is recognised by the Premier League with very welcome additional financial support.”
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