Non-league fans back keeping replays in FA Cup qualifying rounds

Non-league football fans have given their backing to keeping FA Cup replays in the qualifying rounds.

The Football Association announced in April that replays were being scrapped from this season’s first round proper onwards.

Any move to extend that to the qualifying rounds – including the final round where National League clubs enter – would likely face fan opposition based on the results of a new survey conducted by the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).

Eighty-five per cent of the 750 non-league fans surveyed supported retaining replays. Ninety per cent gave the extra revenue generated as a reason, while tradition was cited by 85 per cent of those who supported keeping replays.

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Six in 10 supported keeping them because they saw them as the fairest way to settle a tie.

Of the much smaller group who were opposed to keeping replays, they cited difficulties in arranging the matches at short notice (54.6 per cent) and fixture congestion (52.2 per cent).

Meanwhile, the National League has confirmed details of a new 32-team knockout competition starting next month featuring Premier League 2 teams.

Sources insisted there would be no impact on the EFL Trophy, which also features Premier League under-21 teams, either in terms of that competition’s future or in fixture clashes.

The competition comes with a combined prize fund of £1million, to be shared only among National League clubs, who will also keep all gate receipts.

There has been speculation that the competition is an effort by the Premier League to win the National League’s support in trying to limit the scope of the new independent regulator, and for the move to scrap replays from the first round.

Premier League chief football officer Tony Scholes insists the purpose of the competition is to get the league’s young stars more exposure to playing against first-team opposition.

National League chief executive Mark Ives added: “This new competition presents another exciting chapter in our partnership with the Premier League.

“Our sides will have a great opportunity to compete against some of the best academy players in the country. We’re excited to be working closer with the Premier League on the operational side of the new competition and look forward to continuing our valued partnership further.”

But the National League’s move to welcome the new competition was criticised by Matt Uggla, co-owner of York City, one of a number of clubs who will not be taking part.

Uggla wrote on X: “Thought the whole reason [for] not having FA cup replays was too many fixtures….. But I guess that only applies to the prem teams.

“At least be honest about your reasoning, your masters said jump and you said how high.”