Friday Freebie: FA Cup backlash is plain to see
How not to read a room
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There’s only one topic that it can be this evening, the most hotly contested thing that’s been blowing up my Twitter timeline and WhatsApp groups for the past 48 hours or so.
In case you’ve missed it or had your heads stuck in the ground for a good couple of days the FA bless them announced some radical changes to the FA Cup via the Premier League telling them what the competition should look like going forward.
To say it provided a fair bit of outcry, anger and more resentment to England’s top league and their erstwhile servants of the FA is probably a fair reflection.
A short recap then of what they agreed between themselves:
No replays full stop from the 1st Round Proper of the competition, something that was already in force from round four.
The return of the  5th Round to the weekend, a weekend that begins on something like Friday and runs to Wednesday apparently.
A £33 million pound solidarity payment is to be paid and shared out to compensate for the loss of the replays.
TV coverage to be increased to showcase more clubs and more games, games now settled on penalties on the day.
The s*** hit the fan the moment the statement was released across social media and if the Premier League thought they saw some backlash from their ill-fated dalliance with the European Super League, then what followed was quite something.
I’ve been quite vocal across Twitter (@trevk37) the last two days because I believe passionately every club underneath the Premier League has been treated with such contempt that what will follow for the FA will be nothing short of embarrassment of not being able to control what appears to be a very unruly child.
Quite why the Premier League are dictating the future direction of the competition they merely compete in should really come as no surprise, the FA have been spineless since the top level’s new incarceration in 1992.
The last look I saw it was the FA Cup, not the Premier League Cup but with gutless leadership they bend over and allow 20 clubs to talk for the many. Only in the last 48 hours they found out they don’t.
Let’s be honest though, it’s the sneaky six as they’re known pulling the other 14 clubs along, clubs who at any point could well be relegated back to the EFL and lose out, the same clubs who are against the EFL having any more money yet they could be sailing that boat at any time in the near future.
There is no care for those clubs, the six will get their Super League way at some point, it can’t be ignored. What this shows is it’s their way only and no worries over who is trodden on along the path.
Widespread condemnation of the decisions made were heard loud and proud from the EFL down to the lower levels of the non-league pyramid, the EFL nor the National League consulted on plans that affect their clubs and not of those in the top division.
And for good reason because they know they would have been shouted down across a table for devaluing a cup competition that is known about across the world and being seen for all their greed.
Clubs came out in force yesterday with statements from all levels of the game, others took to social media to air their views and not one was seen in agreement, just anger and resentment.
732 clubs participated in this season’s competition, taking out the 20, sharing £ 33 million between the remainder works out at around £47,000 per club.
Now for those non-league clubs at the very bottom it’s a huge sum of money and probably a big chunk of turnover for them. But, take that further up the food chain to the National League or even the EFL and put that up against a replay against a top level side, TV coverage, the exposure, the sightlines of being in front of the media, that money is a poor substitute.
Many will argue how many replays actually take place per year against the backdrop of all this. It might be many one year, it might be a few the next. The point is just a few of these massively help the much smaller clubs and by that I mean the likes of Cray Valley PM who took Charlton Athletic to a replay at home.
Hands up how many of you had actually heard of the Millers before Steve McKimm’s side drew 1-1 at The Valley, secured money from that, followed by TV coverage, a capacity crowd and a ton of exposure they wouldn’t have got if settled on the day.
What you have to remember is that moment has set the club up for the next few years if spent wisely and correctly, but more importantly it put their name on the lips and into the minds of many more than they can possibly achieve at Isthmian League level.
Remember as well the memories created for players and fans alike, the magic and romance of the FA Cup that’s been devalued over the last 20-30 years, it’s still be for lower league and non-league players.
The second statement released on Friday suggested the EFL were consulted over the changes, an ever overcrowded fixture calendar to blame. But, let’s be frank here, PL clubs don’t touch the first two rounds, EFL clubs never complain about the amount of fixtures going around, they weren’t properly consulted as clubs because it was known the majority if not all would rebel and not accept.
The Premier League are used to getting their own way. That Super League idea, that isn’t going away despite what you think, their greed knows no bounds and to hell with the rest of the footballing pyramid.
The next step will be where do the clubs go from here. Some are suggesting a boycott of the competition next season, it would look very silly across the world with only 20 clubs in it next year.
Many suggest non-league clubs would miss out on money. Well, none of it is guaranteed for you to win past one round, that single round payment at the very lowest levels will not make or break a season. It would send a very strong message that the collective aren’t to be walked over like the FA are, why should 20 clubs ignore the views of 712 other stakeholders in the competition?
I complained this season when TV companies ignored the non-league clubs for one of the earlier rounds, picking the easy ties to broadcast just for figures and quite frankly turned out to be the most boring games of the round in some cases.
Increasing TV slots is not the answer as a form of compensation because let’s face it they aren’t going to add a dozen new slots along side the existing ones, it’ll be a couple more which amounts to the same if they showed midweek replays because they won’t believe they’ll get the viewing figures.
What’s the Premier League’s answer to anything? Throw money at it, namely £33 million which goes nowhere going back to the calculation above.
I’ve no idea yet how they plan to divide it, if they did it equal amongst the lot then some clubs wouldn’t even need to bother having a cup run for the cash they get, especially those who generally have a poor cup record.
This though goes deeper than getting rid of cup replays, it’s a dictatorship, it’s pure contempt for the rest of football and another step closer to a monopoly.
Don’t be surprised to see the PL or the Super League become an NFL style model, that must be their ultimate aim. The cream is all for them, the dregs at the bottom of the cup left for everyone just to leave a sour taste in the mouth.
Whatever the Premier League think this is not going away. They didn’t read the room with the Super League, quickly denounced by their own fans, this won’t be any different.
Interesting days and weeks are ahead to see the EFL and non-league clubs proceed forward, the battlelines are drawn, which side are you on?
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As usual Trev almost all which needs to be said you have laid out for us and I think you have my views already on Twitter ( x ). However there is one point which makes my blood boil over this and that is the very people who are trying to force this on teams who do take the FA Cup seriously are the same clubs who disrespect the competition in the first place by putting out under strength side at least until the later rounds but still charge there ever so loyal fans top dollar ticket prices for the support they still expect. In other words they are devaluing a competition the do not bother to take seriously in the first place. So another suggestion, why not they withdraw from the competition and let the teams who value it take part on the terms which suit the competition best.
Since I sent the email on the recent FA Cup decision we have heard from our Chairman on the subject.
Now I for one think a lot of TK and think we are very fortunate to have him when you look at others in the same position, some not that far away. One of the things I like he is a fan first and a Chairman second or that is how I see him. On this occasion however we very much part company as I think he has managed to completely miss the point. The PL/EFL solution to what they see as the problem is only one part of the problem the second and for me almost the more important point is it was made without any reference to the majority of clubs and people it will effect. If they see they can get away with this approach what next will they railroad through and this is the point TK has missed or at least has made no reference too. What ever we may think of what they are trying to do the message is you DO NOT on this or any other occasion take decisions without proper consultation of all and everybody involved. Back to you MR Chairman.