EFL clubs will “resist” Premier League attempts to scrap FA Cup replays - unless they get financial guarantees.
Premier League clubs will meet on Wednesday and also discuss big changes to the Carabao Cup as part of the “New Deal for Football” negotiations. It is designed to ease the overcrowded fixture list for Premier League clubs with an expanded 36 team new-look Champions League format starting in 2024.
But Gillingham chairman Paul Scally has insisted EFL clubs will be against scrapping FA Cup replays permanently because they can provide a cash windfall for League One and Two clubs. Scally even suggested the cash from third and fourth round replays can be enough to keep some hard-up clubs from going bust.
Scally said: “We will resist it. I don’t know what the EFL position will be but I can’t believe they will be in favour of it. There’s got to be a ‘for life’ deal put in place and if there’s some conditions that we can live with then so be it, but it’s got to be for our benefit. We definitely cannot just scrap replays and the League Cup because it’s the difference between survival for some clubs.”
The Premier League discussions are still at an early stage as they explore different options to try and ease the fixture backlog for clubs and also find a closer working relationship with the EFL. Former Sports Minister Tracey Crouch’s fan-led review called for an independent regulator and also demanded Prem clubs provide more cash for the rest of the football pyramid.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should FA Cup replays be scrapped? Let us know in the comments section
This could be a compromise if the Premier League can provide more revenue for the EFL outside of solidarity and parachute payments. Premier League bosses regularly complain about too many games yet the Champions League group stages will see teams play ten games rather than the current six. It could lead to clubs in Europe wanting to field under-21 teams in the Carabao Cup while the Football Association got rid of third and fourth round replays in the past two seasons to ease congestion through the Covid pandemic.
However, they have been reintroduced this season and do provide a financial lifeline for League One and Two clubs and, despite the strain on the Premier League fixture list, the FA has no intention of scrapping them this time.
It is a long term idea to try and find a compromise between the Premier League and EFL and Prem bosses do point towards a willingness from EFL chief Rick Parry to find a financial deal which benefits the 72 clubs.
Meanwhile, Premier League clubs are also expected to ratify punishments for hooligans at Wednesday’s meeting with a minimum 12-month ban expected for any supporter who enters the field of play as part of a new football-wide crackdown on crowd trouble.
