"The magic of the FA cup" is a phrase all football fans have heard of and over the years, we have seen some amazing cup upsets. From Wrexham beating Arsenal 2-1 in 1992 to Bradford beating Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in 2015 and many more.

The FA cup is the competition that most clubs not just dream about winning but drawing some of the biggest clubs in the English leagues.

However, on the 18 April 2024, the FA announced it's decision to abolish FA cup replays from the 1st round onwards.

This was a decision where only 20 of the 732 teams which compete in the competition were consulted about.

Since this announcement, many premier league managers such as Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have praised this decision by the FA quoting the decision was to "Protect our players" and that it was "Much better for the bigger clubs".

But myself and many other fans believe that this decision was not made to keep the integrity of the cup and to protect the financial sustainability of smaller clubs, this was made solely for the bigger clubs to benefit from a packed fixture list which the FA cup has not been the cause of.

Here are some examples posted by Yeovil Town of just how financially vital the FA cup and any replay fixtures can be to both EFL and Non-League clubs:

"The most recent study into the financial impact of the FA Cup was completed by Deloitte for the 2010/11 season and provided in January 2012. For example, the FA Cup revenue represented 70% of Havant & Waterlooville’s income during 2010/11.

There were 12 televised replays during 2010/11 which generated approximately £1.7m in broadcast fees. These fees will have substantially increased given there are an increased number of televised replays and the fixture fees are increased.

•Millwall – 2003/04 – Generated £300k in additional television receipts;

•Burton – 2005/06 – Generated £0.5m during a replay with Manchester United alongside £200k for television payments;

•Leyton Orient – 2010/11 – An additional £500k was generated due to the replay with Arsenal (when taken with the home fixture)".

But these aren't just statistics. These are real stories of just how important and impactful the FA Cup is financially to so many clubs and how in many circumstances, this revenue is why some of these clubs still exist today.

If you believe in the integrity of the FA cup, what this stands for and to protect the vulnerable but valuable clubs in our English Football Leagues please sign this petition so we can ensure our opinions are heard and that this magical cup isn't destroyed.

**if you can, please share this petition on your social media, with friends/family and on any fan groups.