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| 1893 FA Cup Final - Wolves vs Everton |
- by Dave Stevens, writing from Las Vegas, NV
In the modern age of multiple competitions and packed schedules, it might seem crazy that in the event of a tie, the game would be scheduled to be replayed at a later date prior to the next round of the competition as opposed to settling it on the night with extra time and penalties as we've come to see in other competitions.
But what some may not realize if they're younger or perhaps newer to the game is that the current format of replaying a tied game with the away team hosting the original home team for the second attempt at finding a winner, with this second game being decided by extra time and the dreaded penalty shootout in the event of another tie is actually a concession to the cluttered fixture list of the modern game.
For the majority of the FA Cup's long history, games were replayed multiple times until a winner was found during the course of a 90 minute regulation match. Until the 90s (91/92 season for the competition proper, 96/97 season for the qualifying rounds) it wasn't uncommon for a game to be replayed 3 or 4 times before a team emerged victorious. Oxford City and Alvechurch hold the dubious honor of having required the most replays to settle matters- after 5 replays - 6 games - 660 minutes of playing time- Alvechurch came away with a hard-fought 1-0 win to progress to the first round proper in 1971.
Replays originally took place just three or four days after the first tie, and when you consider the smaller squad sizes, fewer developed conditioning techniques and the fact that substitutes were not permitted in the competition until 1967, you will no doubt agree players were made of stronger stuff back then!
I can't help but feel this was a better age for the fan- more football, proper games to decide things rather than the lottery of aching legs battling through an extra thirty minutes or roulette from 12 yards... But of course we live in a different time. Think of the spectacle of the final these days - a grand affair. To think that until the year 2000, the final itself and the semi-finals were also replayed in the event of a tie...
So, the question I've been asked in the past is why they elected to keep one replay and not just do away with the format altogether.
The sentimental part of me likes to think it was a concession to tradition, a nod to a different time. But of course the realist has to look at the monetary aspect the replay format offers. Take, for example, last season's match between Notts County and Manchester City in the 4th round. The game was played at Notts County's ground and they managed to get a 1-1 draw. This meant the replay took place at Manchester City's ground and the far greater capacity, higher ticket prices and so on, all meant that the share of the gate receipts County received were a windfall for the struggling club.
Another financial benefit is that there are fewer replays than the round of games itself, and the replays often are the only games played on their respective dates, so there's a higher chance of tv coverage and the resulting payment.
But so as to not end on a sour note, talking about money, instead I'll end with a final motivation for clubs to want the preservation of the replay format: if you're the away team, warning a draw means you can take them back to your place where the "extra man" your home support might give you the edge to progress further in the competition.
And of course, it would be remiss to speak of replays without giving an example of why they are great value. Let's take a moment to remember the replayed 1981 final and this wonder goal from tottenham's Ricky Villa
