More than 100 clubs are backing the Mirror crusade to save the magic of the FA Cup. The game’s governing body meets on Friday to discuss the controversial axing of replays in the oldest tournament in the world.
A total of 119 Football League and non-league clubs across England and Wales have now signed up for our campaign. They line up alongside a group representing 600,000 fans and ex-England stars Peter Reid, Malcolm Macdonald and Paul Stewart.
The families of 1966 World Cup heroes Jack and Sir Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles also backed our crusade. And our bid to save replays came as minnows told of the vital funds raised for clubs, fans and their communities by a good FA Cup run.
Maidstone Utd owner Oliver Ash told how they made £800,000 this year as they beat Ipswich Town to make the 5th round. But an FA Cup run is really about the ‘fame and glory’ for the smaller clubs up and down the land. “It is the icing on the cake in the football calendar,” he said. “You are up against clubs you would not normally play against, in stadiums you would not usually visit.
“Players compete against the best in the world. The finances are a great bonus; it gives clubs the chance to fund special projects. We made £800,000 from our cup run this season which is a lot of money. But this is all about the dream of taking on the elite clubs, going to places like Anfield and Old Trafford.”
DON'T SCRAP REPLAYS! Join our petition to keep the magic of the FA Cup alive!
He told how Sutton United’s FA Cup run in 2017 contributed around £1m to work on their ground. “Our cup run will contribute directly or indirectly to the community work around the club,” added Mr Ash. “A number of community initiatives will be linked to the FA Cup.
“The Premier League is making all the decisions on this issue. The big clubs are bullying the smaller clubs on the traditions of the game. Why are they telling us what to do at Round One and Round Two of the FA Cup? It is ill-conceived. The inequality in society is seen in football now, the Premier League expect to buy their way to everything, it is obscene, it really is.”
Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, the campaign group backing our crusade, said 119 professional and non-league clubs had signed up, with only seven against. He added: “There is still time for the FA to overturn this decision.”
The FA Council, made up of 92 representatives from across the leagues and county FAs, meets at St George’s Park National Football Centre, Burton-upon-Trent, with the FA Cup on the agenda. More than 8,500 fans have signed the Mirror Save the Cup petition, backed by the Football Supporters Association, which has around 600,000 members. To join the petition, click here.
List of teams backing the Mirror campaign to save FA Cup replays
1874 Northwich
Accrington Stanley
Rushden & Diamonds
Totton
Wimbledon
Alfreton Town
Altrincham
Ashford United
Badshot Lea
Barrow
Basingstoke Town
Bedford Town
Blackpool
Bradford (Park Avenue)
Bradford City
Bristol Rovers
Burgess Hill Town
Bury
Bury Town
Cambridge Utd
Carlisle Utd
Charlton Athletic
Chatham Town
Cheltenham Town
Chester
Chorley
Cleethorpes Town
Colchester Utd
Congleton Town
Corby Town
Coventry City
Crawley Town
Crewe Alexandra
Darlington
Doncaster Rovers
Dorking Wanderers
Dover Athletic
Eastleigh
Ebbsfleet Utd
Enfield Town
Exeter City
Farnborough
United of Manchester
Gillingham
Grimsby Town
Hallam
Hanley Town
Hanwell Town
Hastings Utd
Havant & Waterlooville
Hendon
Hereford
Hungerford Town
Hyde United
Ipswich Wanderers
Kettering Town
Kidsgrove Ath
Kiverton Park
Lancaster City
Leyton Orient
Lincoln City
Macclesfield
Maidenhead Utd
Maidstone Utd
Mansfield Town
Merstham
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Morecambe
Nantwich Town
Newhall United
Newport County
North Ferriby
Northampton Town
Notts County
Oldham Athletic
Oxford United
Peterborough United
Plymouth Argyle
Pontefract Collieries
Port Vale
Portsmouth
Preston N.E.
Ramsgate
Raynes Park Vale
Reading
Rochdale
Rotherham Utd
Salford City
Salisbury
Scarborough Athletic
Scunthorpe Utd
Sheffield
Sheffield Utd
Shrewsbury Town
Skelmersdale Utd
Slough Town
Southall
Southampton
Stevenage
Stockport County
Sutton Utd
Swindon Town
Tranmere Rovers
Vauxhall Motors
Walsall
Welling Utd
Wembley
Weymouth
Whitehawk
Wigan Athletic
Witton Albion
Woking
Workington
Worthing
Wycombe Wanderers
Yate Town
Yeovil Town
York City
Andy Burnham, Manchester Metro Mayor and life-long Everton supporter backs the Mirror's campaign
"I am backing the campaign to highlight the importance of FA Cup replays on behalf of millions of supporters. Owners of English Football League clubs are adamant that these vital games, which can earn smaller clubs millions of pounds in TV rights and gate receipts, were dropped without fair and proper consultation.
"Lower league clubs in Greater Manchester and across the country are facing a daily battle for survival. To have the game’s authorities abruptly cut off that lifeline is beyond belief. It shows complete disrespect for supporters and the traditions of the FA Cup.
"I have joined up with the campaign group Fair Game to call on the football authorities to stand back and reinstate replays for the 2024/5 FA Cup. I understand the pressure on the football calendar caused by extra European games but it should not be the FA Cup that makes way. The FA council has a duty to protect it and they should vote to do so today, looking at other solutions that are available. There should then be a proper and respectful process for discussions and negotiations for the future. We applaud the Mirror for sticking up for clubs across the country who have been devastated by this.""
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.