Reports suggest that the Football Association (FA) plans to distribute an additional £2.34m in prize money for this season’s FA Cup, marking the first year without replays.
Under the new structure, an additional £760,000 in prize money will be allocated for the first round, along with £560,000 for the second round and £1.12m for the third round, when teams from the Championship and Premier League join the knockout competition, according to PA.
This extra prize money aims to compensate clubs for potential losses following the FA’s decision earlier this year to eliminate replays from the first round onward, a move that faced significant criticism, particularly from lower league clubs.
At the time of the announcement, Sheffield United Manager, Chris Wilder expressed a sentiment widely felt across the English football system in an interview: “As always the game is dominated and dictated by the big boys,” he declared.
The FA Cup is open to all teams down to Level 10 of the football pyramid. While lower league clubs may not anticipate winning the tournament, a successful cup run can significantly impact their prospects for future success.
A crucial element of a successful cup run is the opportunity to face a Premier League club at its home stadium, as this allows for shared gate revenue, with replays historically playing a significant role in facilitating such games.
However, towards the top of the football pyramid (the top six-eight clubs) the total number of matches each season is being increased. This is down to the expansion of European competitions and other tournaments, such as FIFA’s Club World Cup.
Many clubs, including Sheffield United, felt that this decision favoured a select few over the majority. This opinion led several clubs to reach out to former Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, urging her to advocate for the reinstatement of replays in the forthcoming Football Governance Bill.
The new Labour government has indicated that it will amend the bill, which has yet to be presented in Parliament, but it remains uncertain whether replays will be included in those changes.
This adjustment by the FA seems to have stemmed from an idea proposed by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, following the decision to eliminate replays. While there is no evidence of his involvement in the allocation of this additional prize money, it could be seen as an attempt to address concerns and smooth over tensions before any potential government intervention.
Reacting to the scrapping of replays in April, Burnham said: “We amend the Football Governance Bill, which is in the Commons on Tuesday, to require that any domestic cup competition can only be changed with a majority vote of all clubs eligible to enter it. Write to your MP today and ask them to support it!
“If the big clubs still want their way, they would have to negotiate a compensation package with those who might miss out. If we can secure cross-party support for this, it could be law before the start of the 24/25 FA Cup.”
