Top flight want FA Cup ties moved to midweek

PREMIER LEAGUE clubs want the FA Cup’s third and fourth rounds to become midweek ties without replays, in a growing row over next season’s fixture list.

As revealed by Sportsmail last month, a stand-off is developing between the Premier League and the FA over the number of weekend fixture slots they can use next season, which is expected to be shortened due to this season overrunning.

Top-flight clubs will discuss next season’s fixture list on Thursday, with two alternative start dates of August 29 and September 12 under consideration, although both would leave them short of the 34 weekends required to complete a campaign. As a result, the Premier League are expected to demand that FA Cup replays are abolished from the third round onwards — the point at which the top two tiers enter the competition. The FA are prepared to consider scrapping replays, but will fight to protect third and fourth-round weekend ties. Weekend kick-offs are far more valuable to broadcasters and commercial partners, and are particularly important to

overseas media organisations, who have paid £800million for FA Cup rights until 2024. In addition to their contractual obligations to broadcasters, the FA will argue that they have already shown considerable flexibility by moving the FA Cup fifth round to a midweek slot last season, and will do so again by agreeing to remove the winter break after just one year. The FA have worked closely with the EPL to help facilitate the resumption of the domestic season, but the stand-off will be difficult to resolve. One possible solution is for the Premier League to offer compensation to the FA for passing up one or two of the weekends they use in the current format.