Are there replays in FA Cup third round ties? Premier League clubs spearhead major rule change
Today at 12:22 PM
The FA Cup third round is nearly over but teams across the country have been denied a chance to force a famous replay.
This stage of football’s oldest cup competition is where Premier League sides enter and traditionally serves up several famous upsets.
The third round marks the start of clubs from the EFL and non-league turning their dreams of going on a cup run into a reality.
Historically, lower-division teams battled in hopes of securing at least a draw against Premier League giants with the financial reward of raking in gate receipts and TV revenue from a second fixture highly lucrative.
The FA Cup has since undergone numerous revamps to modernise the tournament in recent years that have changed the essence of the third round.
Are there FA Cup replays?
No, FA Cup replays have been removed from the competition from the first round proper onwards as of the start of this season.
League One Peterborough’s chairman and talkSPORT regular Darragh MacAnthony told the EFL to ‘have some minerals’ and challenge the FA and the Premier League on their decision.
League Two Tranmere Rovers‘ executive chairman Mark Palios also rung up talkSPORT’s White and Jordan show to express his dismay at the situation.
The FA responded to the backlash with a statement claiming that ‘all parties accepted’ replays could not continue.
The governing body highlighted ‘player welfare’ and a ‘congested calendar’ were partly behind the reason for their decisions.
The EFL rubbished this claim though, releasing their own statement and claiming the decision was made ‘solely by the FA and the Premier League’.
So, as with the case with the first two rounds, third round games that are level after 90 minutes go to extra-time and penalties.
Tottenham were taken the distance by non-League Tamworth and forced extra-time after a goalless 90 minutes.
However, with no replays. the Premier League stars of Spurs showed their quality and eventually ran out 3-0 winners.
The same event happened the day prior after League One Reading took Championship promotion favourites Burnley to another 30 minutes, only to eventually fall to defeat.
League Two Doncaster Rovers were a rare beneficiary of the new rules, having beaten Championship Hull on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
What has been said?
Non-Premier League clubs were told to boycott the FA Cup by talkSPORT host Andy Goldstein, who labelled the decision to scrap replays as ‘disgusting’.
“I don’t really care what the FA and the Premier League’s reason for scrapping replays is,” Goldstein said on talkSPORT Drive.
“I’m guessing they’re trying to make space in the calendar right,” co-host Darren Bent interjected.
Goldstein continued: “I think it’s to do with that. I think it’s to guarantee all the games up to round five can be played on weekends.
“I don’t really care about that, right, because by scrapping replays, it’s really simple, you just take away the opportunity for small clubs to make some money and lots of it.
“We know how hard it is to keep the clubs afloat in the Championship and in League One and Two. It’s practically impossible right, to make any kind of profit.
“I just think you’re giving clubs a lifeline by giving them the opportunity to have a replay at a massive club in an FA Cup third round and you’re taking that away from them.
“I don’t see the benefits. I understand the benefit for the bigger clubs. If you’re Man United, you’re Chelsea or Liverpool and you play any kind of European football at your doorstep, the last thing you want is a replay.
“I totally get it. But it’s the big clubs getting bigger and the smaller clubs getting smaller.”
“Now, if that’s true [that the EFL weren’t consulted on the replay decision], which of course, I’ve got no reason to doubt it, that is honestly disgusting,” Goldstein added.
“I honestly think all of the EFL clubs should boycott next year’s FA Cup.”
When Bent wasn’t sure a boycott was the answer, Goldstein continued: “No but I’ll tell you why. Because they will boycott it, then, of course, the FA are in a world of trouble because it devalues their brand.
“Then they have to reassess this decision. Then, what they should do is bring in the EFL to vote for it.”
FA Cup third round draw in full
Thursday, January 9
- Sheffield United 0-1 Cardiff City – FT
- Everton 2-0 Peterborough United – FT
- Fulham 4-1 Watford – FT
Friday, January 10
- Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 Portsmouth – FT
- Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham – FT
Saturday, January 11
- Bristol City 1-2 Wolves – FT
- Middlesbrough 0-1 Blackburn Rovers – FT
- Birmingham City 2-1 Lincoln City – FT
- Liverpool 4-0 Accrington Stanley – FT
- Leicester City 6-2 Queens Park Rangers – FT
- Exeter City 3-1 Oxford United – FT
- Reading 1-3 Burnley – AET
- Norwich City 0-4 Brighton – FT
- Preston North End P-P Charlton Athletic
- Chelsea 5-0 Morecambe – FT
- Bournemouth 5-1 West Brom – FT
- Sunderland 1-2 Stoke City – AET
- Brentford 0-1 Plymouth Argyle – FT
- Nottingham Forest 2-0 Luton Town – FT
- Manchester City 8-0 Salford City – FT
- Leeds United 1-0 Harrogate Town – FT
- Mansfield Town P-P Wigan Athletic
- Coventry City 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday – AET (Coventry win 4-3 on penalties)
Sunday, January 12
- Hull City 1-1 Doncaster Rovers – AET (Doncaster win 4-5 on penalties)
- Tamworth 0-3 Tottenham – AET
- LATEST Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United – live on talkSPORT
- Newcastle United 3-1 Bromley
- Ipswich Town 3-0 Bristol Rovers
- Crystal Palace 1-0 Stockport County
- LATEST Southampton 2-0 Swansea City
Monday, January 13
- 19:30: Millwall vs Dagenham & Redbridge – live on talkSPORT
Tuesday, January 14
- 19:45: Mansfield vs Wigan
- 19:45: Preston vs Charlton
- 19:45: Leyton Orient vs Derby
