The EFL, which represents teams from the Championship and Leagues 1 and 2, said the new format had been “agreed solely between the Premier League and the FA” and was “alienated in favor of other teams further up the pyramid”. “There is,” he claimed.
CEO Trevor Birch criticized the changes, saying: “This is another traditional source of income being lost to EFL clubs as the financial gap between the biggest clubs and those lower down the pyramid widens. ” he said.
National League CEO Mark Ives said: “We are not at any stage in support of abolishing FA Cup replays or anything else. It was a decision taken by the PGB.” EFL. ”
The FA refuted these claims, saying “all parties involved” agreed that a rematch “cannot proceed”.
Perhaps the biggest impact of removing replays will be the opportunity for lower league clubs to reap additional financial benefits.
Take Tamworth for example.
External football finance expert Kieran Maguire said a rematch at Spurs’ stadium would have generated around £800,000 in revenue from ticket sales and TV appearances. In the FA Cup, ticket sales are split equally between clubs, regardless of whether they play at home or away.
To put this in context, Maguire suggests that Tamworth’s annual wage bill was £1.1m, and their 2024 revenue was £1.6m.
Note that even with this change, the problem of fixture crowding still remains. Spurs may have avoided one game they were supposed to play last season, but they still face a hectic schedule when the next round is played.
The fourth round match against Aston Villa is due to take place on Sunday 9th or Monday 10th February, while they will face Liverpool in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on 6th February. Opponents Villa could face a Champions League play-off match on January 11 if they finish outside of the top eight in their Champions League group.
