Football's Moneyed Goliaths Win Another Round
The decision to scrap FA Cup replays removes a revenue opportunity for lower-league English clubs.
Hereford United celebrate beating Newcastle in 1972.
Photograph: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
One of the most memorable goals in English FA Cup history came in a February 1972 replay when Hereford United footballer Ronnie Radford ran forward on a muddied field and drove the ball 30 yards (27 meters) into the top corner to equalize against top-tier Newcastle United, sparking a pitch invasion by home fans of the non-league club. Hereford went on to win and knock out Newcastle, a team containing six internationals, in perhaps the greatest-ever FA Cup upset. It will never happen again.
The Football Association and Premier League have agreed to scrap FA Cup replays from next season, sparking a cacophony of outrage from lower-league clubs, commentators and fans. Ties will henceforth be decided by penalty shootouts when teams are still level at the end of extra time. The decision was a “disgrace,” the chief executive officers of lower-tier Bolton Wanderers and Tranmere Rovers said, decrying what they described as a backroom deal reached without consultation. Trevor Birch, CEO of the English Football League, which represents professional clubs outside the Premier League, called the abolition of replays “frustrating and disappointing.”