This weekends drama shows how awful it was for the FA to remove replays from the FA Cup and fans are not letting it slide.
Over the weekend we saw multiple non-league sides go toe to toe with some of the biggest clubs the EFL, but miss out on the chance of earning a triumphant replay.
Arguably the most notable of these was Weston-Super Mare FC who took local rivals Bristol Rovers all the way to extra time and it’s fair to say that the non-league clubs fans were aggrieved at the fact they couldn’t have a replay they played so hard to get.
Weston fan Rob Layton, like most, disagrees with the FA’s ruling out of replays.
“The big clubs do not enter until the third round of the fa cup, so why stop replays before then? I would argue that if they are worried about overburdened players they could use squad players in the early rounds. I am happy to concede no replays in the later rounds when generally only the big teams remain. Success in the fa cup for non league clubs is as much about the money it can generate as it is for the glory.” It’s clear to hear how frustrated this has left Rob.
In previous years games like these would have ended as a draw but feel like a victory for the underdog as they would have earnt either a trip away to a bigger side or to host a bigger side bringing in good publicity, more money and more eyes to watch the club.
“The Weston players, some at the end of their playing career, played a fantastic 90 minutes against Rovers and many would argue deserved a win. But a replay at home would have been a suitable reward for their efforts, not only giving them another chance to cause a glorious cup upset, but also bringing in vital revenue for the club.” Rob explains.
For me, what Rob says here encapsulates all that is magic about the magic of the cup, but that magic has been wiped away now.
“This decision to stop replays has cheated Weston of this.”
Even Bristol Rovers club president Wael al-Qadi feels frustration over this decision by the FA.
Surely more needs to be done to give lower league teams just as much power as the multi billion pound businesses that play in the premier league. Why does their opinion seem to matter more than the rest of the footballing pyramid?
Both journalists and fans seem to be on the same page here…
Fellow sports Journalist Freddie Owers (@Freddieowers) is very stark with his assessment of the removal of replays.
“I think the scrapping of FA Cup replays is a crying shame for all teams outside of the premier league. The loss of the possibilities that replays offer to small teams is massive and the effects that the money these fixtures brings cannot be understated. I think it is a decision to benefit premier league teams, which disregards the standpoint of all other clubs in the English pyramid.” Owers claims
Freddie isn’t the only journalist who see’s it this way.
I can’t recall a decision to be more overwhelmingly opposed by fans than this one, yet their calls go un-heard. It’s time to give power to the fans and to the lower league clubs because if not, we may see the death of prestigious tournaments such as The FA Cup as we know it.
What are your thoughts on this and do you think it’s too late for the FA to go back on their decision?
