FA increases prize money to help clubs compensate for the loss of replays

An extra £2.44million in prize money is being awarded in the first three rounds of this season’s FA Cup to help compensate clubs for the loss of replays, the PA news agency has discovered.

The Football Association announced in April it was scrapping replays from the first round proper in the current campaign onwards as the domestic game seeks to tackle fixture congestion created by the expansion of international tournaments such as UEFA’s competitions.

The FA insisted at the time it would seek to compensate clubs for the loss of revenue generated by replays, which have been a traditional mainstay of the competition.

Figures seen by the PA news agency show there will be an extra £760,000 of prize money available in round one, £560,000 in round two and £1.12million in round three, with fees also being paid to losing clubs for the first time.

First-round winners will bank £45,000, up from £41,000, and losers will get £15,000.

The prize pot in round two has increased to £1.9m, and second-round winners will now receive £75,000, up from £67,000. Teams losing in round two will receive £20,000.

In the third round the prize fund now stands at £4.48m, with winning teams receiving £115,000 instead of £105,000, and losing teams receiving £25,000.

All the extra funding – which takes the prize money on offer between the first round and the final to £20.3m – has been concentrated on the first three rounds in recognition of the loss of replays.

It is the result of an agreement reached by the FA’s professional game board, which features equal EFL and Premier League representation.

EFL clubs are understood to have been notified, and the FA is set to confirm the details to all participating clubs later this week.

There are no changes to the prize money on offer from round four onwards.

The draw for the first round has been scheduled for October 14, with ties set to be played over the weekend of November 1 to 4.

Replays have long been a part of the competition’s heritage, with the first replayed final taking place in 1875.

There were calls for clubs to stage protests against the decision, and clubs wrote to then Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer on May 1 asking for replays to be reinstated.

They called for an amendment to the Football Governance Bill requiring a majority of eligible clubs to consent to any major changes to the FA Cup.

However, while no clubs have yet spoken publicly about the new prize money arrangements, it is understood the feedback has been extremely positive so far.

The FA has not commented but is understood to be pleased at the outcome reached, having promised that lower-league clubs would not miss out.

The EFL declined to comment.