FA Cup format 2024-25 season

[silent majority]

Some of you may know that there are planned changes to the FA Cup format for season 2024/25 and the FSA are meeting with the FA to put across the fans views on those changes. The reasons why and the proposed changes are;

It's clear that the 2024/25 season is going to be challenging in terms of scheduling. Specifically, changes to the formatting of European competitions means finding additional mid-week slots, which will inevitably affect scheduling in the latter stages of the Men's FA Cup. In order to fit these requirements into a fixture calendar, and conscious of the impact on player welfare, the FA is considering changes to the Cup, reportedly including:

1. Removing replays from some or all of the rounds. Games would either go to extra time and golden goal, extra time and penalties or straight to penalties
2. All 5th Round matches to be returned to weekend fixtures
3. An adjustment to the distribution of the prize money in favour of the earlier rounds in order to compensate for the removal of replays

We are being asked for the VSC response to those changes, and I will pass on those responses if you could respond to the following questions;

1) Please describe the impact on supporters of removing replays from the Men's FA Cup entirely?

2) Please describe the impact on supporters of retaining replays up to and including the 3rd round, but removing replays from round 4 onwards.

3) If replays were removed,  what would be your preferred way of determining the winner?

a) Extra time and penalties
b) Extra time golden goal
c) Straight to penalties
d) No strong opinion

4) What would be the implications for supporters, if all 5th round FA Cup fixtures were moved to a weekend?

5) What is your view on the proposed redistribution of prize money in favour of the earlier rounds?

6) Is there anything else you would like to say about the Men's FA Cup for the 24/25 season?

[DRFC_AjA]

You're wanting those reposnses here or messaged directly?

In case here...

Regarding questions 1 to 3.....if teams in the same division are drawn together then replays should be scrapped altogether. No fan, player, manager, club wants to play the same team 4 times in a season.

4) FA cup should always be at the weekend. Having this midweek round is another example of downgrading the competition

5) good

6) cup semis not at Wembley. Less prem v prem matches being the live TV choice. The armchair plastic fans have enough of that already

[Retdon1]

1 + 2 - no opinion either way

3. Straight to Pens

4. FA cup games should always be at a weekend

5. Good idea

6. FA cup semi finals should not be at Wembley. Use 1 stadium in the North and 1 in the South

[roversdude]

Guess I’m a traditionalist I like replays and think they should be retained throughout.
If no replays ET then pens
Games to be played on weekends
Greater distribution of prize money
Move semifinals away from Wembley

[Chris Black come back]

The absolute consensus among supporters in England is that semi finals should not be played at Wembley. This farce has gone on for way too long and is symptomatic of both the total disregard of supporters and also the cloth-eared nature of those running the game. Stop. Playing. Semi. Finals. At. Wembley.

Also, we need to provide the FA Cup winner with an ECL spot, and take this away from the EPL.

[richtherover]

I would vote for anything that does no favours for the Premier league teams and their relentless greed. Games should always be at the weekend and the 3rd round draw should be on the Monday lunchtime, (Apologies if they've reverted to that). Replays are a godsend to us lower league clubs - remember Exeter clearing all their debts with a replay against Man U, (who we would have got if we'd beaten Exeter, but that's history). We can't go back to the days of 4 or 5 replays agreed, but the FA Cup has already become so diluted that it lost it's "magic" years ago. I'm old enough to remember Rovers bringing mighty Liverpool back to Belle Vue for a replay, albeit on a weekday afternoon during the three day week.
Semi finals should absolutely not be at Wembley. The Final should be for some players the highlight of their career, and not to remember it as a losing semi-finalist. Same too for the semi-final winners, who must think reaching the final is no big deal as they've already been there and done that. We're not short of world class stadiums to host the semi's, or is it just a case of the F. A. trying to squeeze out every last drop. What about the supporters? For some it's a once in a lifetime adventure. Do they really want to do it twice in the space of a month or so?
At the end of the day I suppose it's all about money and that won't change. It used to be the best competition in the world so sad to see most Premier league clubs treating it like the Watney Cup. (OK, I am an oldie!)

[Bills view]

The replays help the smaller clubs. You can draw at home and then have a life changing experience at a big ground in front of a big crowd.

You also stay in the next round draw which again is part of the magic. It helps you dream.

Another point, going to extra time in the first game benefits the bigger clubs especially over the non-league ones. Fitness and fatigue will play out.

Replays should stay.

[DearneValleyRover]

1) it only helps greedy prem clubs and puts European competition as more valuable.
2) Only benefits prem teams, they shouldn’t be scrapped round 4 onwards
3) A
4) All rounds should be at the weekends
5) it should but likely the prem teams would treat the competition with even more contempt.
6) Semi-finals no longer at Wembley. If the Prem teams want less games exclude them from the EFL cup then have a one off game at the end of the season between the winner and the 6/7 placed prem team for the European place

[Colin C No.3]

The FA Cup is no longer the premier competition it once was. Multiple European competitions for Premiership clubs have hastened its demise.

1 & 2. Replays for lower league clubs who make it to the 3rd proper can be a financial lifeline for them should they draw a Premiership club with revenue from ticket sales, TV monies & the chance to see your team possibly play at a ‘top venue’ if you draw the first leg at home.
As has been stated by another poster, I would remove a replay for teams in the same division. Costs of travel for clubs & supporters negate any benefits of a replay.

3. Straight to penalties. Lower league clubs don’t have the squad or depth quality/quantity of clubs in the higher divisions.

4. FA Cup games should all be played at the weekend (bugger Skys kick off times of six o’clock on a Monday evening). How are supporters expected to travel north to south, south to north at those times AND all weekend kick off times should be 3pm.

5. Absolutely! The Premiership clubs get their fair share of TV revenue already along with parachute payments for 3 years for relegated clubs.

[pib]

1) Please describe the impact on supporters of removing replays from the Men's FA Cup entirely?
It would rob lower league/non-league supporters of opportunities to visit grounds that might be a "once in a lifetime" opportunity, and would also deny those clubs the revenues associated with that. In a game that is increasingly pandering to the financial wants of the top handful of elite clubs over the "magic" of football for lower-level clubs, I feel like this is one of the last things we have that we can preserve before the game becomes even more sterile and even more centred around the Champions League (or whatever elite European competition comes along next)... We've already gone too far in that direction IMO - sadly there is no going back from that, but we can try to preserve what is left.

2) Please describe the impact on supporters of retaining replays up to and including the 3rd round, but removing replays from round 4 onwards.
As above really. Look at Maidstone United this season. Why the arbitrary cut-off of the third round? This could impact clubs and supporters in the same way in round 4 onwards as it could in rounds 1-3.

3) If replays were removed,  what would be your preferred way of determining the winner?
No strong opinion, would prefer replays to stay as far into the competition as possible.

4) What would be the implications for supporters, if all 5th round FA Cup fixtures were moved to a weekend?
Agree with everyone else - they should always be on a dedicated weekend. Moving them to midweek devalues the competition and on balance is probably less convenient for most supporters.

5) What is your view on the proposed redistribution of prize money in favour of the earlier rounds?
Good idea.

6) Is there anything else you would like to say about the Men's FA Cup for the 24/25 season?
Agree with others - semi-finals not at Wembley, and prioritise more "interesting" ties (i.e. teams from different leagues (bigger the gulf the better), or local derbies) for TV picks. I know this will probably never happen though because they simply want to maximise TV audiences, so they pick clubs with the biggest fanbases. Personally, if it's Tottenham vs Man City for example, I won't watch it because there's very little intrigue there.

[Chris Black come back]

I get the emotional point about the replay but if you are drawing at full time you go to penalties, if no replay. That’s a total lottery but it gives the lower league club in that scenario a decent shot of progressing to the next round, where there is obviously a pay day. They pretty much all get annihilated in the replay situation anyway, even if there is another gate to have.

[Hounslowrover]

Replays retained, weekend fixtures. If no result in replay, straight to penalties.
Good idea to redistribute prize money.  Definitely no semi finals at Wembley.
In France I think where there is a league or two difference, the lower team gets to play at home, perhaps it could be used for the third round only.

[ForsolongaRover]

I think that “Golden Goal” deciders should be given a try as an alternative to penalties. It is a proper contest with an emphasis on attacking, so more reflective of skill than the nervous worry for players and fans of a penalty shoot out.

[wilts rover]

1. It demeans the matchday experience for a fan from a lower league club who are drawn against a team from a higher league. Either they will miss seeing their team at the away teams stadium - or miss seeing that team at their ground. It is unlikely that this 'increased compensation' will make up the financial loss from being drawn against a PL team.

2. As above. With the addition that it further demeans the competition by having different rules for different rounds. Do it from 5th round onwards when it is mainly PL teams left - and lower league teams will have won 4 games by then - if necessary.

3. c) straight to pens

4. Preferable. It is easier to make the time available to attend.

5. There should be greater distribution of prize money in English football already.

6. No

[Bentley Bullet]

Play extra time with no offside rule, first goal wins.

[Padge_DRFC]

No replays just get the game sorted on the day. They'll probably stop replays from round 3 where any money can be made. Pointless in round 1 and 2 in quarter full stadiums

[drfchound]

Play extra time with no offside rule, first goal wins.

That would be an interesting thing to do BB.

[normal rules]

Get rid of replays if teams are in same league. If rovers got to say round three against a big hitter at home and drew, we would all want our cup final away surely?

Extra time with golden goal. If still a draw after that, then pens.

More distribution of winnings for lower rounds. Perhaps some form of weighting based on which tier in the pyramid the club is from. So a lge 2 club making round four gets more than a championship club.

Semi finals not at Wembley. Ever. Wembley is for finals. Simple.

[DRFC_AjA]

I seem to remember when Wembers was built there were headlines that it was so over budget that they'd have to have semis there for decades to pay for it. Plus the FA will just hide behind the fact more fans can get in since it's bigger capacity. Forget screwing over northern fans with their 5pm kick offs and travel

Still, I bet that's one of the biggest things to come out of this survey across fans of all teams. No semi at Wembley