Call for Government Intervention: FA Cup Replays Cancelled to the Dismay of Clubs

2024-05-01 13:31:04

London (Reuters)

The Fair Game group and clubs across the country have called on the government to intervene after replays of the FA Cup were canceled.
More than 20 club presidents have sent a letter to the British government, after the Football Association announced last month that the match replay system would not be applied from the first round, due to a schedule of matches charge.
Smaller clubs say replay matches are a major source of revenue, while conservatives say abolishing the system would diminish the appeal of the world’s oldest knockout tournament.
The English Club Association, which runs the second, third and fourth divisions, said it had not approved the changes and that the English Football Association and the Premier League had accepted them.
The English Football Association said the new schedule was approved by a committee made up of representatives from the English Premier League and the English Club Association, and was approved by the English Football Association after consultation representatives of the National League and lower level competitions.
Four-time FA Cup winners Bolton Wanderers are one of the clubs who signed the letter to Culture, Media and Sport Minister Lucy Fraser in support of calls for the amendment, which would require approval from a majority of clubs before any changes to the competition.
The letter read: “We want to save the FA Cup. The FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world, and the decision to cancel first round replays damages its reputation and does nothing to protect the current football system. dear to all of us. The impact of the English Premier League on this decision is another example of the growing division in football, which has led to growing gaps between different levels at all levels. Clubs participating in the FA Cup were not consulted. . You have let down our clubs and the supporters.
There are currently no replay matches from the fifth round, but the cancellation of this system from the first round has angered clubs at the bottom of the pyramid.
Mark Robins, who led second division Coventry City to the semi-finals, described the decision as a blow, while there was also sympathy from Premier League coaches.
Manchester United manager Eric Ten Hag called the move “very sad for the culture of British football”.
Niall Cooper, CEO of the Fair Game Group, said the anger over the decision was huge across the board.
He explained: “The new regulatory body must step in to put a stop to these ideas that are damaging the history of the game.”