The FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world and the decision to remove FA Cup replays from the first round proper further undermines its prestige and does nothing to help protect our cherished football pyramid. The Premier League's influence in this decision is yet another example of football's growing divide that has seen the gaps between and within divisions grow at all levels.
The letter pointed out the four Premier League clubs who reach the Champions League next season will play a minimum of 50 matches, while League One and League Two clubs will play a minimum of 51. It also highlighted there have been fewer than 10 occasions in the past 10 years when a club playing in European football has faced an FA Cup replay.
This decision has become totemic for how the game is being run. Decisions are being made behind closed doors. There is a lack of transparency and no duty of responsibility to consider the impacts caused by these decisions.
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