robf

To allow anyone who hasn't seen the various statements today I can offer a summary below. As usual I may well be wrong on some facts but as I see it... 1. The FA issued a statement saying the EFL were consulted on the changes: a) Negotiations that have been going on for a year b) It was approved by EFL representatives. In the words of the FA statement "The calendar for next season was approved last month by the Professional Game Board, which consists of four EFL representatives and four Premier League representatives and then by the FA Board, which includes Premier League, EFL, National Game and grassroots representation. This is the process we undergo every year to approve the calendar." 2. The EFL have now issued a statement challenging that: a) FA Cup changes have been part of negotiations over financial fair play but nothing was agreed. b) The approval of the four EFL people who are on the Professional Game Board is NOT consulting all the clubs. The Game Board is merely there to sign-off on the fixture list, they are not there to agree a change of format. The EFL statement says that even then, when those people voiced concern, their comments were brushed aside - "As part of the discussions the EFL representatives did challenge the position and were told that Clubs would be comfortable with no replays. They were effectively advised that, as a result, of it being an FA competition, the fixture list needed to be agreed as presented." If the EFL is right then that's a quite extraordinary statement from the FA earlier. How on earth did they think they could convince people that consultation with and sign-off from the EFL had taken place when the clubs themselves know that isn't true?

The thread is, by dint of being read and replied to "front and centre". It's the top of the Hot Topics section. It's had over 1,700 views now and growing... However, I don't want to set a precedent by moving something into the wrong category. I think Other Football Issues is the right place. I'd also point out there are three articles on the OVF front page about this all of which contain a link to a Change.org petition as well. This subject is being pushed on here.

Yes. Well done Vale! “Only goes to protect the minority” – Port Vale statement condemns Premier League driven changes to the FA Cup WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK

Good to read this. Hitting them in the wallet is the way to make them listen - EFL to seek compensation for clubs after FA Cup replays abolished WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.UK Do that and then get the independent regulator in ASAP - that would be great!

Hi all, To be fair to the club it now looks like it was a spam issue - in that there was a previous email was sent but that didn't get through to me. So, in fairness to them, they did give more notice than I thought.

Thank you if you contributed to the OVF player sponsorship (we're sponsoring Jason Lowe's home kit for those unaware). You may recall that I would be conducting a random draw to select a donor to attend the sponsorship event where you can meet the manager, see a training session etc. It's a good day out and I'd be really keen for one of you to have a nice day out at the club. I am somewhat disappointed that the club have given virtually no notice of the sponsorship event. I have just received an email (10.23am) telling me that the event is taking place on Monday morning. I realise the short notice probably means that many of you have other plans and cannot attend. If you did contribute and are available please do let me know via email. I will then put you in the hat. It will make it easier if I know who can attend as otherwise I'll spend the weekend contacting people only to find out they can't go so I want to restrict the draw to those who are available. All sponsorship contributors should have got an email from me - please reply to it if you can go. I'm really sorry if this last-minute notice means some of you are unable to attend but this is out of my hands sadly. I have to say I'm really not impressed with the late communication from the club on this. Thanks, Rob

I have an alternative suggestion (tongue in cheek). I think the rest of the pyramid should solve the Premier League's own fixture congestion by booting them out of the FA Cup, League Cup and removing their B sides out of the Football League Trophy. It will be a helpful way of reducing the appalling fixture congestion that they suffer during the season.

A round-up of reaction here - “The dreams of so many should not be denied by so few” – Premier League led FA Cup changes prompt a furious response WWW.ONEVALEFAN.CO.UK There's also a number of petitions doing the rounds, this seems the most popular and therefore the most likely to have an impact: Petition · Reinstate Replays in the FA Cup or Initiate a Vote Among Participating Teams - United Kingdom · Change.org WWW.CHANGE.ORG

But regardless of the merits or not, is it right that the Premier League (and its money) should decide that? It's like when they got involved in the Football League Trophy - a competition that by its very title was exclusively for Football League clubs to take part in. It may be right to have a debate as to whether replays should stay or go (I'd prefer them to stay) by the clubs who could lose out financially. However, what isn't right is a bigger and richer organisation throwing a load of cash on the table and asking the FA to change rounds of a competition that don't even involve Premier League clubs.

I've just been reflecting on how so many of my greatest memories as a Vale fan have involved cup replays. The FA Cup giantkillings over Southampton, Derby County and Everton were all achieved via a replay. The 1988 cup run involved two replays while the 1998 penalty shootout loss to Arsenal was also the result of a replay. Further back and before my time, the famous run to the semi-final in 1954 also involved a replay win in the early stages.

It's the FA Cup - so it's operated by the FA. The PL chucked the FA £33m, primarily to shorten the competition/move the competition forward so they have a longer break. The FA took the money, ignoring the damage the changes will do. The EFL can't do much about it.

I would agree, it's not great for Vale but I think it's even worse if say you're a fan of a "smaller" club. When Vale go down, we may still probably be one of the more favoured picks for League Two TV coverage. Would that be the case for say Harrogate or Crawley fans? What's the betting, for instance, that practically every Wrexham game is picked up but clubs like Cheltenham, Harrogate, Crawley and so on get the bare minimum.

I noted this point in a Guardian article: And there you go - the FA has sold the soul of the FA Cup for £33m.

Same here, makes me really angry when things like this happen. Once again it looks like the Premier League are meddling in games that have nothing to do with them. What effect does a round one or two replay have on the Premier League? They aren't even involved at that stage. It's probably all down to the Premier League throwing their toys out of the pram and threatening to reduce payments unless they get their way. It was the same when B sides came into the Football League Trophy. The sooner a regulator comes in and levels the financial playing field so the EFL clubs aren't so cash-strapped and can stand up to these bullyboy tactics, the better. Oh, and while they're at it - how are the Premier League getting on with the 100-odd financial mismanagement charges levelled at Man City from as far back as 2009. Or do only Forest and Everton get docked points nowadays?

Yes, it is in part but it's not just down to him. It's also, in my view, down to a) having to take off a half-fit Uche Ikpeazu against Exeter because otherwise the guy could well have picked up another injury b) not having not alternative strikers due to him having someone else's rubbish squad. So, yes, while Moore was in charge and perhaps responsibility lies there - what was he supposed to do when Ikpeazu runs out of steam? Also why isn't some of the blame laid at the feet of the players who bottled it and were on the pitch, unlike the manager who can't directly affect their in-game decisions? I'm not saying Moore doesn't take SOME responsibility but I don't think it is solely his fault either.

I'd agree with that. I think he needs a window to a) see what he brings in and b) how he performs with players he wants. Yes, results have been underwhelming so far but just look at the squad he's been given. Would anyone be able to do much with three senior strikers who don't score (two of which have been injured as well) and a rookie teenager upfront? If it isn't working then I would hope any change is made before January, allowing time to get a new bloke in with some of the January window remaining.

Derby have only won two of their last five. Any club three points behind with an inferior goal difference playing a woefully out of form Vale side are going to play a full-strength squad and hope they thump us and Derby slip up again. I personally think there's no chance that unless someone is carrying an injury that they are going to rest any first-team regulars. Afterall, how would the Bolton fans/the press react if Evatt rotated his squad, they subsequently struggle against us and then miss out on a promotion spot if Derby happen lose? He'd be absolutely slaughtered by them. He's surely not going to take that risk. He may not play injured players (that's slightly different) but he's certainly not going to rest any for the play-offs when there's any chance of automatic promotion.

Jeez, that's the most wishful thinking I've seen on here in a long time. Erm, Bolton are only three points behind Derby, who are in the automatic spot. With that sort of gap there's frankly more chance of a Ryan Loft hat-trick than of Bolton resting players for the play-offs...

That was almost my exact experience. We'd also been to the Chesterfield game and our usual routine was to listen to Sports Report to catch up on the day's action. Instead, we got this series of increasingly awful updates from Hillsborough as we drove back. It was really sobering and my heart does go out to those who lost loved ones that day. What a terrible and avoidable tragedy.

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I think the emoji in my post says it all. As a respected (sometimes) forum operator I clearly cannot condone such behaviour. But I bet the Vale will be happier to receive a tenner each (well, their cut of the tenner) from fans who otherwise wouldn't be there than receive nothing at all from fans not in attendance.

So with Sky showing around 50% of matches there's no way that Vale fans in the UK, who can't go, will use a VPN and log on for the International iFollow coverage of every game, especially the ones not on Sky. Yep, that definitely won't happen. No chance.

I was relying on Google for my figures - may well be wrong. However, the broad point that it will broadcast less than 50% of games remains.

Or toilets

Yep, sorry to be so cynical but I suspect the timings will prioritise the Sky Sport listings people rather than people going to games. So, if Sky want us to have a game at say Exeter at midday on a Sunday, I suspect that's what will happen* *Note: for those us based in the SW that's not actually too much of an issue at all but I know I am in a very small minority here!