The FA Cup replays for this season have been stopped after the fifth round, as announced by the FA. The decision to eliminate them from an earlier stage was made due to changes in the calendar driven by the expanded Uefa competitions. The FA chief executive, Mark Bullingham, emphasized the importance of the FA Cup as a significant asset and highlighted that the agreement with the Premier League strengthens the tournament and gives it exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar. In response to the changes, Tranmere Rovers co-chairman, Nicola Palios, expressed concerns about the format and decision-making process for the FA Cup.
She voiced her discontent on X (formerly known as Twitter) questioning why the format is being dictated by the Premier League, which represents a small percentage of the participating teams, and why EFL clubs were not given a say. She also raised the point of the Premier League deciding whether replays are allowed in rounds they don’t even participate in. Meanwhile, the community members are offered various benefits such as competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from the organizers and their partners. Additionally, members are given the option to leave the community at any time by clicking on their name at the top of the screen and choosing “Exit group”.
