TERRIBLE ANNOUNCEMENT ; FA official announcement confirms major shake-up as Aston Villa & West Ham impacted due ….
Following the announcement that they will be eliminated starting in Round One of the upcoming season, Newcastle United will not be required to participate in FA Cup replays.
According to a new deal struck by the FA and the Premier League, it will “strengthen the FA Cup format with new and exclusive calendar windows.”
All FA Cup matches will take place on weekends, with Premier League games not taking place on the fourth, fifth, or quarterfinals weekends. As for the final, it will now take place at Wembley on a Saturday, the last weekend of the Premier League season, when there are no Premier League games scheduled on that day.
The decision to remove replays from the actual first round has caused the most controversy and infuriated supporters of non-league teams. Due to schedule modifications brought about by the expanded UEFA tournaments, the current format—which does not feature replays starting in the fifth round—has been prolonged throughout the entire “Competition Proper.”
Although there are concerns over how non-league clubs will be impacted financially, it’s claimed the Premier League has increased funding to the football pyramid, providing up to an additional £33million for grassroots football on top of the £100m it currently gives to good causes each season.
The league will also provide up to £133mi per season from the 2025-26 season, maintaining existing commitments and enhancing support to key areas of the game. The Premier League currently gives away £1.6 billion every three years – 16 per cent of its total revenues – to all levels of men’s and women’s football, and this new money will provide significant support to a range of areas as the game continues to grow.
FA chief executive, Mark Bullingham said: “The Emirates FA Cup is our biggest asset and generates over 60 per cent of our revenue to invest into the game, so it is critical to secure a strong format for the future.
“This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the Emirates FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.
