Replays in the FA Cup scrapped from next season. It removes a big money
Replays in the FA Cup — for so long a big money-maker and potential lifeline for lower-division teams in English soccer — have been scrapped from next season.
Organizers cited “expanded UEFA competitions” as the reason on Thursday.
Earning gate receipts and broadcast revenue from an extra game, especially against a top Premier League team, can be a game-changer for smaller clubs, bringing in as much as 1 million pounds ($1.25 million).
However, the FA Cup recently got rid of replays from the last 16 onward, and on Thursday said there won’t be any from the first round, removing a quirk of the competition.
Space on domestic soccer calendars is increasingly tight, even more so from next season when there will be an extra 64 games in an expanded Champions League and four extra midweeks during the season for European games. England is unusual in still having a second cup competition — the League Cup — too.