Club statement: FA Cup replays

Mansfield Town Football Club was left bitterly disappointed to learn of the decision taken by the FA and the Premier League to abolish replays in the Emirates FA Cup, without consultation of the current 72 EFL clubs.

As football’s oldest cup competition, the FA Cup has provided some of the game’s most iconic stories and upsets in its 153-year history.

Replays have been an important part of the history of the competition, providing lower league clubs with the opportunity of creating lifelong memories for supporters, players and staff.

Moreover, the abolishment of replays has harmful financial affects to the English football pyramid. Lower league clubs will now miss out on fairytale trips to big away stadiums in replays – removing the potential of achieving more revenue from the reverse fixture.

As a club that plays its home matches at the world’s oldest professional ground, we are a club steeped in tradition. Tradition is something the FA Cup has always prioritised and something that must be protected.

History has shown that misjudged decisions – made without proper consultation – can be overturned, so we hope that the parties involved in abolishing replays reconsider and reverse the rule change.