There has been talk of getting rid of them, as well as doing away with weekend FA Cup matches beyond the 3rd round and the two-legged league cup games. This is supposed to relieve the supposedly congested fixture schedule for the top teams at this time of year. My initial reaction was that I don't like the idea of scrapping replays, but maybe it would allow more unsuspecting teams the opportunity to progress first time around (converting draws to get the big-ticket replay into a lucky win). Weekend FA Cup matches remain important, I think, as do the two-legged league cup games towards the business end of the competition. What do you reckon?
Reduction to one replay was sensible as it speeded the competition up. In the past, there could be games from round 2 played at the same time as round 3 (for example). However, it is important to keep the one replay as a source of income for lower league sides and to maintain interest in the competition. If the top clubs want to avoid replays, perhaps they should play a strong side and win the game at the first attempt. Not so fond of 2 leg League Cup matches....wouldn't mind if that went.
Must have a replay. If the likes of Liverpool whinge because they've got to play another game against the likes of Exeter City then they should play a stronger team in the first place instead of insulting their opponents by playing their under 12s. While I'm in rant mode, they should move the semi finals from Wembley and reserve the stadium for the final.
They started the semi-final at Wembley nonsense when Arsenal drew Spurs and they whinged about needing more seats.
I am sure replays will go soon. They are a bit old fashioned, and it's the easiest way of taking some fixtures out the calender. Basically agree about not having SFs at Wembley, but it will never happen. The FA needs to play them there to pay for the stadium. It's probably contracted in for the next 1000 years anyway.
I am happy to stick with the current 1 replay system and have no sympathy for clubs, managers who complain about the congested football fixtures. Replays are good for fans and lower league teams who incedently play more league fixtures that the bigger clubs. Maybe the managers who complain about fixture congestion, fatigue and travel shouldn't take their players to Dubai for pre season.
I still miss the third and fourth replay games. It was an excellent system; the better team went through. Vin
Good man, I'm glad I'm not the only one. Time was, the First Division had 24 teams which meant 46 games before you started on the Cups. A few replays, a run in Europe and you could easily be looking at 60 games in a season, and that was with smaller squads, and only one substitution per game. The fact that the FA Cup was a trophy that every team actually wanted to win, because the final was one of the few games televised, and televised round the world, meant that teams didn't care about how many games they had to play to get to the final, and neither did the supporters.
It was and will continue until Wembley has been paid for several times over and they no longer think it's such a great idea.
I used to love the epics. That one we had with Forest (1963, when we got to the semis) which we finally won 5-0 was brilliant. In the first replay at the Dell we came back from 0-3 to draw. The fixture deserved to be played to a decision, not the lottery of a penalty shoot out. Even in the League Cup & FA Cup Final you could get replays - Everton v Villa in 1977 League Cup seem to last all season. But our view will probably not prevail. The owners who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing just see it as an inconvenience.
There would be little support for the return of more FA Cup replays as there is so much involved now. Almost all PL clubs fall into one or more of 3 groups i.e. are in Europe, fighting for places in the League (each worth a lot of money) or even more importantly fighting relegation. I'm against losing the single replay there is now as it can provide income to struggling clubs, is part of the Cup, and really has little effect on most teams. How many replays would a team be involved in, probably 0-2 in a season.
So what you're saying is, you want the status quo [no jokes please]. Multiple replays did muck up the season for some teams, but it benefited some others. It gave wintry nights, under floodlights, on crap pitches a bit of something special. It tended to level out the quality too because even the biggest teams just couldn't cope with all the competitions, which allowed others to concentrate their efforts into one competition. Which meant you ended up with Cup teams and diversity, far more than you see today. All the present day honing to the fixture list just makes it easier for the biggest clubs. We should resist it and request the return of multiple replays. Won't happen, of course.
Please not Status Quo ... We used to have clubs who were never going to win the League but were good Cup teams. The Albion was an obvious example. And that second replay on a neutral ground was brilliant. I have come to terms with that loss, but to scrap replays all together is an idea too far.
If they do away with replays, the next thing will be "we should hold the game at the largest ground, to maximise the support ....." - in other words, let's stop the minnows from playing at home (and, God forbid, possibly beating a prem or championship team) and make it more favourable for the "big clubs". Keep the replays and have the SFs the same as the other rounds ...................
Actually, if all FA Cup rounds were under floodlights midweek, it may give it some extra buzz.... Doesn't help with fixture pile Ups though
What is it with all this concern about fixture pile up? I don't give a monkey's if teams have to play more. It's more football to watch. What's wrong with that? The reason why they want to cut back on fixtures is simply so as to make it easier for the top teams to win and make it easier on their players. Bollocks, I don't care. Keep all the replays, even if it's just a way of getting small teams more than one chance to play a big team, by facing them in a replay. It's good for them and good for football. Jeez, must we tailor EVERYTHING towards the bigger clubs, who already have the balance well and truly tipped in their favour? Tell you what. Make the biggest teams play from the first round proper. That'll thin them out. Then their fixtures might not pile up so much. And yes, I include Saints when I'm talking about the bigger teams. Why oh why, the FA want to commit suicide with the FA Cup is beyond me. They make it weaker and weaker. Frankly, I find their reasoning staggering.
I too miss the two or three replays, I remember Ipswich Town versus Leeds United in the 1970s going to four matches before Ipswich won 3-2, but I must disagree with you about the old 'First Division' [if that is what you mean of course, because the 'new' Division One, replacing Division Two in 1992] it has never been 24 teams for 46 games, the most was a long period of 22 team for 42 league games until they changed it to 20 teams so the players could rest their poor aching legs and get more shopping and car-buying time...
