No more lucrative replays for County after big changes to FA Cup

NEWPORT County AFC won’t have a repeat of their dramatic night in Eastleigh to earn a shot at Manchester United after FA Cup replays were scrapped.

The Football Association have announced that from next season there will be no replays from the first round proper onwards, a move that had been driven by big guns.

It is part of a new agreement between the FA and the Premier League which will see an extra £33million going to grassroots football from the top flight each season.

The FA had already scrapped replays from the fifth round onwards and said the move to ditch them altogether had been agreed “in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded UEFA competitions”.

County were held by Barnet and Eastleigh at Rodney Parade in this season’s tournament before winning the replays at the homes of the National League pair.

The trip to the Hive earned £30,000 for a live broadcast fee while the clash in Hampshire had the pressure of the prize of a clash against the Red Devils.

The Exiles won 3-1 and then gave the Premier League side a scare when beaten 4-2 at a packed Rodney Parade.

Now England defender Ben White in action for County against Spurs at Wembley

County famously earned a lucrative replay against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley under Michael Flynn after being denied late on in Newport.

The FA said all rounds would now be played at the weekend, with the fifth round having moved to midweek for the last five seasons.

However, the fourth round “will have an extended window from Friday to Wednesday to allow fans to watch consecutive days of Emirates FA Cup football”.

The FA said the FA Cup final will now be played on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, on a Saturday with no Premier League matches being played on the same day.