Maidenhead United and Slough Town urge FA to reconsider scrapping cup replays

Maidenhead United and Slough Town put on a united front last week as they urged the FA and Premier League to rethink rule changes for the competition that were brought in without consultation with most clubs.

The changes will see FA Cup replays scrapped from the first round of the competition from the 2024-25 season, however, only the Premier League and FA had any say in the matter.

The current format has no FA Cup replays from the fifth round onwards, however FA have moved to eliminate them from an earlier stage due to ‘changes to the calendar driven by the expanded UEFA competitions.’

The changes come as part of a new six-year agreement between the FA and Premier League, however, Maidenhead chairman Peter Griffin said that a decision taken without the consensus of all clubs is not in the best interests of all. The first he and many other clubs heard about it was when the FA’s press release was released on Thursday.

Clubs across the country – including Wycombe Wanderers and Reading FC - have united to protest the decision and have called on the FA to have a rethink.

In a statement on the club’s website, Mr Griffin said: “The drama and excitement, alongside the opportunity to compete against EFL and Premier League teams whilst putting vital money in the club’s coffers are unparalleled.

“We are not dinosaurs or adverse to change and welcome innovation in making football and its competitions attractive, fresh, and modern, but always with a nod to the past.

“As a competition that attracts 700-plus entrants every year, how can it be right that these changes have been implemented without consultation other than with a small cohort of 20 clubs? 20 clubs that have so little in common with the rest of the football pyramid and no longer appear to value the most famous and celebrated cup competition in the world. 20 clubs that do not even feature in the early rounds of the competition which are affected by this upheaval so much.

“The strength and value of the football pyramid sadly seem to be continuously eroded and undermined by those who govern football, who clearly do not recognise or understand the value of consultation. This decision is simply designed to accommodate the new format UEFA competitions meaning more games and more money for the few, whilst reducing the opportunity for non-league clubs to play in dream away fixtures against higher-level teams and the benefits that come with that.

“Nothing compares to Maidenhead United’s first-ever televised match, an FA Cup replay against Port Vale, with commemorative scarves and mugs and a whole new generation of lifelong Maidenhead fans in the sold-out crowd.

“This cup means everything - if you can’t improve it by consensus with all then it’s not in the best interests of all.”

The concerns expressed by the Magpies’ chairman have been echoed by local rivals Slough Town and their player manager Scott Davies who said this season’s FA Cup first round replay with Grimsby Town was his ‘highlight’ of an impressive campaign.

Slough’s statement said that replays can be a ‘lifeline for lower league clubs’ and can also help level the playing field against clubs from a higher level.

“Replays have long been a lifeline for lower league clubs like ours, providing much-needed revenue, exposure, and the opportunity to compete on a level playing field with larger clubs,” the statement read.

“Removing replays not only diminishes the magic and tradition of the FA Cup but also deprives smaller clubs of a vital chance to generate income and showcase their talent.

“This wonderful competition means everything to the non-league ecosystem - not just financially, but in terms of the memories created which can last a lifetime. The fans who travelled to Grimsby this season for a first-round replay on a cold Tuesday night were a credit to our club and the National League South, but under the new format, experiences like this will be lost. Without earning a replay against Sutton United in 2018, we may not have had the experience of hosting League One side Gillingham in the second round.

“Of the 732 clubs to enter the 2023/24 competition, 712 play outside the Premier League. This decision demonstrates a total lack of awareness of what football in this country means to clubs outside the topflight.

“We urge the FA to suspend this change to the competition’s format until consultations are held with clubs in the EFL, National League and feeder leagues in the non-league pyramid, and more consideration is given to the importance of replays in preserving the spirit of the competition and supporting grassroots football.”