As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic which caused lockdown, the 19/20 Premier League season was delayed by a few months. Instead of ending in May, it took up until July for the competition to reach its end. To stay on schedule for next season, however, the Premier League is set to recommence in September, giving some players a matter of weeks to prepare. Now, to ‘ease the pressure on the football calendar,’ the FA have confirmed that there will be no FA Cup replays in the 20/21 season.
The decision will come as a relief for Premier League managers who have been given the shortest of turnarounds heading into the new campaign.
No FA Cup Replays in 20/21 Season
Schedule
Alongside the news of no replays, the FA have also confirmed the schedule for the FA Cup this season. The competition will start with an extra preliminary round at the start of September before the first round commences on the 5th September. The next three rounds will then be played on consecutive midweek dates from 15-16th September.
The final itself, which many Premier League sides will be eyeing up, will take place on the 15th May 2021.
Prize Money Halved
Despite the good news of the scrapping of replays, the FA also confirmed the disappointing news of the prize money being halved. This will be a major blow to many sides involved in the FA Cup, especially for those lower down in the Premier League table. The likes of Wigan Athletic have reached the summit of the competition, winning, at the time, money that was meant to set them up for the future.
Now, however, the prize money has gone from £3.6 million to £1.8 million to the disappointment of many teams.
It will certainly be an exciting competition now the replays have been put on hold ahead of the new season with the magic of the FA Cup still very much alive.
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