AHEAD OF THE GAME

PREMIER LEAGUE SET TO PAY IF CUP REPLAYS ARE SCRAPPED

THE FA and EFL will demand compensation from the Premier League before they agree to scrap FA Cup third and fourth-round replays in a bid to ease the fixture congestion caused by the mass cancellations that have followed the death of the Queen.

Replays in early rounds of the competition have been abandoned in each of the past two seasons due to the interruption triggered by Covid-19 and the FA and lower division clubs are concerned about losing crucial ticket and television revenue, with overseas broadcasters certain to demand rebates.

FA Cup replays can be a crucial source of income for EFL clubs, as they receive a facility fee if the match is shown live on television as well as half of the gate receipts, making it a huge money spinner if they are drawn away to a Premier League club.

There have been no formal talks as yet about scrapping Cup replays and the dates remain in the calendar, but the FA are likely to come under considerable pressure from top-flight clubs to drop them.