FA get clear response to announcement that has enraged supporters on a sad day for English football

For the first time in its 153-year history, the FA Cup will have no replays once the first round proper begins in the 2024/25 season. In a new announcement made in collaboration with the FA and Premier League, some huge changes are set to come into affect over the coming seasons with one of those being the scrapping of replays.

Dedicated FA Cup weekends for the fourth round, fifth round and quarter-final will also come into play with no Premier League fixtures scheduled on those weekends. Alongside that, the Premier League have made the decision to scrap the winter break with a later August start date set for the 2024/25 campaign to allow every player a consecutive three-week break following this summer's European Championships.

The decision to remove replays will certainly please those teams competing in European competition with their respective scheduled facing the potential of being less intense. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was one in favour of scrapping replays for FA Cup fixtures and he somewhat got his wish with this season's competition removing that factor from the fifth round onwards.

«Yes, I was always,» Klopp said when asked if he was in favour of getting rid of replays. However, discussing the importance of replays to clubs in lower divisions, he added: «How often did it happen that a smaller club came through because of this extra game?

»I know there is money involved and that's how it is but you have to find solutions. Nobody wants to kill the smaller clubs; they have exactly the same right for existence as all of us." As Klopp states, the impact of this decision will be felt more on lower league clubs with opportunities to obtain vital revenue taken away.

With that in mind,football.london has provided some