FA Cup replays: The arguments for and against

A striker repairing the nett earlier kick-off, a goalkeeper playing the time aft his spouse gave commencement and a man-of-the lucifer show from a centre-back with a penchant for 'Maradonas'.

Tamworth's third-round necktie against Tottenham was the essence of the FA Cup. It had everything.

Well, astir everything.

The non-league broadside kept the Premier League large boys astatine bay for 90 minutes astatine the Lamb Ground and astir deed a giant-killing victor successful the seventh infinitesimal of wounded time.

In the erstwhile 154 years of the FA Cup, they would person earned a money-spinning replay astatine Tottenham's stadium to gain the nine a once-in-a-generation fiscal windfall.

But not this year. Instead, the crippled continued and Spurs' prime told successful extra-time arsenic Ange Postecoglou's broadside sealed a 3-0 win. Tamworth became the archetypal large victims of the FA's determination to scrap replays successful the FA Cup.

A erstwhile alteration saw replays from the 5th circular and beyond removed for the 2018-19 run past successful 2024 the FA announced that replays were to beryllium scrapped from the archetypal circular onwards.

The determination was portion of a caller six-year statement betwixt the FA and the Premier League which besides included the FA saying much matches from the earlier rounds would beryllium broadcast to make "additional guaranteed broadcast revenue" for EFL and National League teams.

A further alteration was to determination the last to the penultimate play of the Premier League play and support that time escaped of Premier League fixtures.

Mark Bullingham, CEO of the FA, said astatine the clip that "the caller docket ensures the magic of the cupful is protected and enhanced, portion moving for the full of the English game".

The main origin enactment arsenic an mentation was fixture congestion.

The FA said the determination to destruct replays from the archetypal circular onwards was made "in airy of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded Uefa competitions". It was added that "all parties accepted [replays] could not continue".

The FA said discussions were held to find however competitions could beryllium made stronger, yet with less dates disposable and each the portion keeping subordinate payment to the fore.

Certainly, players astatine the apical level look a busier fixture database - the Champions League and Europa League formats person been expanded meaning 2 other group-round matches and a revamped Club World Cup volition present diagnostic 32 sides, including Manchester City and Chelsea this summer.

In September, Manchester City midfielder Rodri said players were adjacent to going connected strike successful protestation astatine the summation successful games. Later that month, the Spaniard tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), ruling him retired for a minimum of six months.

A abstracted statement enactment by immoderate is that the removal of replays gives clubs little down the shot pyramid a greater accidental of progressing arsenic they mightiness scope penalties oregon triumph successful extra-time, alternatively than starting a crippled anew successful a replay.

Tamworth, for example, bushed League One broadside Burton Albion successful the 2nd circular connected penalties to set-up their necktie against Tottenham.

Those successful favour of the changes mightiness reason that Tamworth's chances of reaching the 3rd circular were improved by scrapping replays.

The EFL, representing sides successful the Championship and Leagues One and Two argued the caller format was "agreed solely betwixt the Premier League and the FA" and they were being "marginalised successful favour of others further up the pyramid".

Criticising the change, CEO Trevor Birch said: "This is different accepted gross watercourse mislaid for EFL clubs astatine a clip erstwhile the fiscal spread betwixt the biggest clubs and those further down the pyramid is widening."

National League CEO Mark Ives said: "We person astatine nary signifier voiced our enactment for the scrapping of FA Cup replays oregon otherwise. It was a determination made by the Professional Game Board (PGB) which is made up of the FA, Premier League and EFL."

The FA refute these claims, saying "all parties" were successful statement that replays "could not continue".

Perhaps the biggest ramification of removing replays is the accidental for clubs successful little leagues to person an other fiscal windfall.

Take Tamworth, for example.

According to football concern adept Kieran Maguire, external, a replay astatine Spurs' stadium would person earned them astir £800,000 done summons income and TV money. In the FA Cup, summons income are divided arsenic betwixt clubs, careless of whether you play astatine location oregon away.

To enactment that into context, Maguire suggests Tamworth's yearly wage measure is £1.1m and that their gross successful 2024 was £1.6m.

It is worthy noting that adjacent with the change, issues of fixture congestion remain. Spurs whitethorn person avoided 1 lucifer they would person faced successful erstwhile seasons, but they inactive look a engaged docket erstwhile the adjacent circular is played.

Their fourth-round necktie against Aston Villa should beryllium held connected either Sunday 9 oregon Monday 10 February, but they look Liverpool successful the EFL Cup semi-final 2nd limb connected 6 February. Opponents Villa could person a Champions League play-off fixture connected 11 January if they decorativeness extracurricular the apical 8 successful the Champions League group.

Speaking aft his side's win, Tottenham brag Ange Postecoglou was sympathetic to Tamworth's concern but said it was "impossible" for his broadside to play a replay.

"I get the sentiment, but astatine the aforesaid clip I've been banging connected astir little games truthful it is simply a balancing act," helium said.

"The mode the calendar is astatine the moment, it would beryllium astir intolerable for america to acceptable different crippled in. We are already struggling to acceptable it each in. I surely judge successful the contention and what it does connection each portion of the shot pyramid, and I deliberation it should beryllium protected."

Tamworth manager Andy Peaks said: "To instrumentality a squad to extra-time, it is unbelievable. I americium immensely proud. I conscionable said 'don't beryllium disappointed, due to the fact that we astir created past there'."

Former Premier League victor Chris Sutton said connected 606 that helium believed the determination to scrap replays had risked damaging the "fairy tale" of the FA Cup.

Macclesfield brag Robbie Savage said: "With the lucrative quality of a replay - who does it payment [there being] nary replays? It benefits the bigger clubs, doesn't it? The magic of the FA Cup has been each astir replays and giant-killing. It's ridiculous. Bring backmost replays."

Former Tottenham and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told Football Daily: "For Tamworth to spell backmost to Tottenham [in a replay] the gross it brings, the acquisition it brings. If you don't privation an other crippled Tottenham, marque definite you triumph successful 90 minutes!

"I don't caput having the replays, I deliberation there's thing peculiar astir getting to 90 minutes, get a gully and get yourselves distant to a large club. Finance omniscient it could support that nine afloat for 5 oregon six years."