FA Cup replays must remain – let’s not devalue the grand old competition any further

It is always an iconic weekend in the football calendar – the third round of the FA Cup, arguably still the greatest knockout football competition on the planet. And yet again it didn’t disappoint.
By Ian Hart
Published 11th Jan 2024, 12:00 BST
Updated 11th Jan 2024, 12:04 BST
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Well in the main…

The Albion faithful, nearly 4,000 strong, travelled to the Potteries to see their side take on Stoke City last Saturday.

But despite the city being the spiritual home of both Sir Stanley Matthews and Gordon Banks, the locals didn’t embrace the cup, with row upon row of empty red seats the backdrop to an exciting game which Albion won 4-2 – the 30,000-seat stadium only just over a half full.

Pervis Estupinan celebrates scoring Brighton's first goal at Stoke with teammate Joao Pedro | Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesPervis Estupinan celebrates scoring Brighton's first goal at Stoke with teammate Joao Pedro | Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Pervis Estupinan celebrates scoring Brighton's first goal at Stoke with teammate Joao Pedro | Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
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On the flip side, the following day, Bristol City took 9,000 to the London Stadium to see the Robins take on West Ham, who ‘played ball’ with tickets starting at £10 for adults and a quid for kids.

In an environment in which we’re forever being told it’s not about the fans any more with rising ticket prices, clubs had a perfect opportunity to follow West Ham’s lead and go with an attractive ticket price for live football.

Some did, some didn’t, and I’m sure that was a factor in the range of attendances across the 32 ties.

They were all played against a backdrop of moves in certain quarters to see FA Cup replays, potentially a huge income stream for smaller clubs, scrapped.

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Clearly some tinkering is required, though I’m not sure a seeding policy, with all the EPL teams avoiding each other until the later rounds, is the answer.

As a fan, I think replays should remain as they are now, right up to the later rounds.

A rule stopping wholesale team changes would help – maybe no more than six changes from a club’s previous line-up might be a solution?

And perhaps the biggest carrot would be the FA Cup winners having the chance to take on the team finishing fourth in the EPL for that final Champions League place?

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The financial implications of that would see the majority of EPL clubs taking the cup very seriously.

As for the Albion, there’s no fears RDZ isn’t taking it seriously. Albion have a winnable fourth round tie at Sheffield United and could find themselves in the last 16 again.

Should we dare to dream both in Europe and the FA Cup?

Related topics:AlbionStoke CityWest HamRobinsBristol City