FA Cup Quarter-Final Replays To Be Scrapped From Next Season

 

Replays for FA Cup quarter-final matches will not be used from next season, the Football Association has revealed. In a move approved by the FA board on Thursday, the last-eight stage of the cup competition will revert to a sudden-death format over one weekend in a bid to ease English football's congested fixture list.

Martin Glenn FA chief executive said “The Emirates FA Cup remains at the heart of English football and this change adds to the excitement of the competition and will benefit the wider game in general. With great attendances and TV figures, this season has confirmed the cup's special status - underlined by great stories culminating in Manchester United's triumph at Wembley last Saturday. In a demanding calendar and with increased pressures on fans, it is important we move with the times and consider new innovations such as last week's successful non-league finals day which saw 50,000 fans at Wembley for the Vase and Trophy. While fully respecting tradition and history, this new development will help the cup retain its status as a much-loved and world-renowned competition”.