The FA Cup Thread

[Flaggers]

The solution is:

If you want to declare yourself a big club that's fine, no replay.

If score is level at 90 mins, the big club goes out of the competition.

 

[Strummer]

Continuing the current run (last 30 years) that EVERY decision made by the bodies running football has been the WRONG decision.

Well, at least they are consistent!

 

[derbyshirered]

My biggest wish is that the FA and EPL will both collapse.

 

[Ian Moore Gone Little]

Another nail in the coffin of what made this competition great.

FA Cup replays scrapped from first round onwards

FA Cup replays will be scrapped from the first round onwards in the 2024-25 competition.

www.bbc.co.uk

No more replays.

Continuing the current run (last 30 years) that EVERY decision made by the bodies running football has been the WRONG decision.

Feels like we’re in Ze List territory again with this one. I’ll kick off with a few and then sit back and watch you all add your own favourites:

1. Letting the home team keep all gate receipts for league games instead of splitting them (probably more than 30 years ago, but still a factor), ie the authorities saying “We want the teams who are already bigger/richer to pull further away from the rest”. Not saying the split should necessarily be 50-50, but the away team should get something.

2. Increasing the number of substitutes several times over the years. I’d say it was about right when it was 2 plus a goalie if yours was injured or, at a pinch, the name-5-and-use-2 (or was it 3?) that used to be the practice in European games. It required astute decision-making by managers as to who to replace when and it didn’t hand an immediate advantage to the wealthy clubs who might have a bench full of internationals while their opponents had a bench with two goalies, a couple of youth team kids and someone coming back too soon from injury.

3. Not limiting the number of times teams can be shown in televised matches. A year or two ago I read that every single Manchester United FA Cup tie in the last however many years it was (and it was a lot) had been televised, so however good, bad or indifferent their seasons have been they have been given a steady stream of TV appearance fees to top up their coffers just for being Manchester United.

4. Playing FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley. Getting to Wembley used to be the/a pinnacle of players’ careers, a dream that everyone had and only a relatively small minority achieved and cherished.

5. Creating the “Champions” League then ensuring the bigger footballing countries could enter up to three teams that weren’t champions into it…

6. …and then rewarding teams’ failure in it with a totally unearned place in the later stages of another European trophy, with the specific aim of making the wealthy teams wealthy even when they don’t earn success on the pitch.

That’ll do for now. Over to you…

 

[Flaggers]

International breaks - a team losing its big stars every now and then was something of a leveller for the rest of the league

Drop-ball law. It didn't need changing at all. The new one is a lot worse than the old one.

Handball. Used to be "handled the ball and seeking to gain an advantage", Now it's utterly incomprehensible.

Offside. Nobody knows now. And the setup now, that you can have a free kick for a player being offside, but the free kick is in that player's defensive half of the pitch whould have been the signal to say "no, we really have f**ked this law, haven't we".

FIFA rescinding the rule that said "no player shall have an agent". That's what the PFA and similar unions were for.

FIFA rescinding the "bulk booking" procedure (referee surrounded by baying players could simply pull his yellow card out and wave it from one end of the mob to the other end and ALL players in the mob got booked. They changed it to "a player must be cautioned individually and must be told the reason for the caution". And they wonder why players surround referees....

The scrapping of the Cup-Winners' Cup

The European Champions' Cup becoming the bloated farce it is today with finals able to be between the teams that finished 4th and 5th in the same country.

I'll stop now before I blow a fuse

 

[Strummer]

Just FIFA, really.

They are supposed to be the guardians of football. Instead, they have done the opposite, and exploited the global reach and popularity of the game for profit.

 

[Carlos]

The money earnt from probably one single replay in the cup would have saved Hereford United.

No more needs saying other than that to show how f**ked this decision is

 

[Strummer]

The money earnt from probably one single replay in the cup would have saved Hereford United.

No more needs saying other than that to show how f**ked this decision is

You might remember from your time over here Carlos, but in the German Cup, when ties are drawn, the „lower“ ranked team gets the opportunity to host the tie, so that they get the bulk of the gate money.

If the lower-rank team chooses to switch that tie to the ground of the larger team, then they get the money still, even from the bigger stadium.

 

[Carlos]

You might remember from your time over here Carlos, but in the German Cup, when ties are drawn, the „lower“ ranked team gets the opportunity to host the tie, so that they get the bulk of the gate money.

If the lower-rank team chooses to switch that tie to the ground of the larger team, then they get the money still, even from the bigger stadium.

I do remember that mate, you can take any other countries FA really and it shits all over this one

 

[Flaggers]

Tranmere Rovers not holding back.

Club Statement: FA Cup replays

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.

www.tranmererovers.co.uk

"
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."

 

[valspoodle]

Anyone who cares for football should be against this crazy decision.

Once more the big clubs show they don't care about the FA cup.

If they haven't enough players to play the competitions they enter, then don't enter. Don't simply change the rules to suit a handful of clubs.

 

[Cloughie1975]

Anyone who cares for football should be against this crazy decision.

Once more the big clubs show they don't care about the FA cup.

If they haven't enough players to play the competitions they enter, then don't enter. Don't simply change the rules to suit a handful of clubs.

Yet another example of self interest I’m afraid,VP.

 

[Redemption]

Tranmere Rovers not holding back.

Club Statement: FA Cup replays

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.

www.tranmererovers.co.uk

"
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."

Mark Palios, former CEO of the The FA, is Tranmere's owner and Executive Chairman.

 

[Robertson]

A lot of this is to fit in yet more European group games in the Autumn that I don’t think anyone but Uefa actually wants or are interested in.

 

[Chappers85]

The EFL and non-league clubs should just refuse to enter and play in the competition until replays are reinstated for at least rounds 1-4. You can't run the competition without them, and if the FA try, it'll be an absolute farce.

 

[Otis Redding]

Totally fuc.king shameful.

 

[JonnoSnr]

Anyone who cares for football should be against this crazy decision.

Once more the big clubs show they don't care about the FA cup.

If they haven't enough players to play the competitions they enter, then don't enter. Don't simply change the rules to suit a handful of clubs.

Thing is though, most cup replays aren't big money spinning ties. As unfortunate as it is, the general public's view of the FA Cup is at an all-time low so loads of replays are played in front of low crowds. For every fairytale replay there are probably 30 replays between teams of roughly similar standing that neither wants.

I would guarantee that when we played Blackpool and Bristol City that both managers would've preferred the first game to have just gone to ET and Pens instead of a replay.

My big issue with this is that the top clubs moaning about the fixture list but now with the extended summer break will probably try and squeeze in an extra lucrative tour.

 

[T Francis]

This just smacks of another back door sneaky move by Sky to downgrade a tournament it doesn’t cover and give itself more scope to show Premier League games

 

[Berkshire Red]

Replays rarely helped the minnows, their best chance was always the first shot. A better distribution of the revenue is important, something similar to the German model would work.

 

[Flaggers]

Thing is though, most cup replays aren't big money spinning ties. As unfortunate as it is, the general public's view of the FA Cup is at an all-time low so loads of replays are played in front of low crowds. For every fairytale replay there are probably 30 replays between teams of roughly similar standing that neither wants.

I would guarantee that when we played Blackpool and Bristol City that both managers would've preferred the first game to have just gone to ET and Pens instead of a replay.

My big issue with this is that the top clubs moaning about the fixture list but now with the extended summer break will probably try and squeeze in an extra lucrative tour.

Replays rarely helped the minnows, their best chance was always the first shot. A better distribution of the revenue is important, something similar to the German model would work.

Thing is, though, for all the ones where the minnows only make a season's-worth of cash from a replay, there's the games where they make a season's-worth of money AND get a chunk of cash from the next round.


Denying replays is no different to saying "whenever a Premier League team plays one of the 'big 6' Premier League teams, the result shall be in the favour of the 'big 6' team.

But the results we remember, the results we cherish, and the results that have the most meaning would be the ones where eg Forest beat Arsenal, get a point against ManCity etc...

 

[Flaggers]

Let's always remember:

The FA Cup is a tournament by invitation.

I have strong memories of former Forest Secretary Paul White getting a panicky reminder from the FA that he hadn't replied to the FA's invitation to Forest to participate in that season's FA Cup Competition, and would he please get his thumb out of his arse and reply pronto.

If the "big" clubs don't want to participate then they don't have to.

Option 2 is that if a club doesn't want to have replays then they agree to bow out of the competition if they draw at 90 minutes with their opponents.

 

[Flaggers]

Bottom line:

If the "big 6" want to f*** off to a 'superleague' () then with the single proviso that they don't come back, ever, they can sod off tomorrow morning.

 

[duncanmckenzie]

The money earnt from probably one single replay in the cup would have saved Hereford United.

No more needs saying other than that to show how f**ked this decision is

The money earnt from probably one single replay in the cup would have saved Hereford United.

No more needs saying other than that to show how f**ked this decision is

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that some years ago when Burton Albion drew an F.A Cup game at Old Trafford it gave them the money to build their new stadium.

 

[Carlos]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that some years ago when Burton Albion drew an F.A Cup game at Old Trafford it gave them the money to build their new stadium.

I'm not entirely sure on that mate, I think the money earnt from the sale of the old ground (by perelli) paid for the new stadium

 

[YellowBelly Red]

This just smacks of another back door sneaky move by Sky to downgrade a tournament it doesn’t cover and give itself more scope to show Premier League games

And to piss off the BBC/ITV, where the FA Cup, is virtually the only domestic football that they show.