The FA Cup third round gets underway this weekend as Premier League and Championship clubs enter this year’s competition for the first time and 32 fixtures are played.
The competition has stayed true to form, with several potential giantkillings on the cards: League Two Swindon Town host Premier League leaders Manchester City, National League Chesterfield visit European champions Chelsea and sixth tier Kidderminster Harriers – the lowest ranked club left in the competition – host Championship Reading.
A notable change in this year’s competition, however, has resulted in replays being removed from the third and fourth rounds just as they were last season. Replays have been part of the FA Cup ever since its beginnings in the 19th century.
However, ties will now be settled by extra time and penalty shootouts if teams remain level after 90 minutes have been played.
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Why have replays been removed?
The FA made its decision in mid-December as the disruption brought by Covid-19 to English football was beginning to increase.
The emergence of the Omicron variant has seen matches postponed across the pyramid as players and staff have been forced to self-isolate.
These fixtures will eventually have to be replayed and it is feared that the combination of these re-arrangements with FA Cup replays could lead to unmanageable fixture congestion, potentially threatening the fulfilment of the season.
In a statement, the FA said: “This exceptional decision was approved by the FA Board on Friday 17 December and has been taken in the wider interest of English football to alleviate the possibility of fixture congestion, following several postponements in recent days and continued uncertainty ahead due to Covid-19.
“Ties in the third and fourth rounds of this season’s competition will be played to a finish on the day, with extra-time and penalty shootouts if required.”
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While purists may take a dim view of any changes to the long-established traditions of the FA Cup, it is clear that the FA took the entirety of the English football calendar – rather than just one competition – when making its decision.
Premier League clubs, particularly those with European commitments, will undoubtedly be pleased to see reduced fixture congestion and fewer matches in a competition which is not their priority.
For lower-league and non-league clubs, however, the changes mean that the chance of memorable trips away to larger clubs and grounds, being broadcast live on television and extra earnings from ticket sales, merchandise and sponsorship are all reduced.
Just as the benefits and meaning of the FA Cup are much more pronounced for these clubs, so are the drawbacks of missing out.
Is it a permanent measure?
The FA has stressed that its “exceptional” decision is not permanent and it plans to reintroduce replays next season.
But Covid-19 is anything but predictable and there is no guarantee that the emergence of a new variant as, or more, transmissible than Omicron might necessitate similar restrictions being introduced in the future.
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