It is all changing in FA and League Cup competitions, thanks to COVID-19.
The FA Cup replays will be scrapped for 2020-21 season, and the Carabao Cup semi-finals reduced to one leg.
So, there will be no FA Cup final replay next season, and the reason; to “ease pressure” on the football calendar. But will this be a convenient excuse to continue this well after the COVID-19 virus has left us? It has been well known that the Cup bureaucrats have wanted to find ways to reduce or tinker with the competitions for ages.
The FA Cup will start with the extra preliminary round on 1 September, while the Final will be played at Wembley Stadium on 15 May 2021.
On top of all that It has also been announced the Carabao Cup semi-finals will be one-legged. Whether that will be at a neutral ground or first out of the slot to be played at home is yet to be decided.
The first round is scheduled for 5 September, while the next three rounds will be played on successive midweek dates from 15-16 September.
The Premier League will also scrap winter break for 2020-21
As we all know Spurs are due to kick off in the Premier League on 12 September, with the final games on 23 May 2021. The league says fixtures will be announced no later than 21 August.
FA Cup prize money has been halved from 2019-20 because of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Which will probably mean that the money saved could stay with the Football Association. The club that will lift the cup will receive £1.8m, down from £3.6m last season, in line with the 2017-18 campaign. All excellent news for the clubs, seeing as they’ve been walloped because of the virus. Daniel Levy will be throwing tantrums if we should get to the final and then go on to win it.
As for the draws for the FA Cup extra preliminary rounds, and the EFL Cup first round will be made on 18 August. As for the EFL Cup Final, it will take played at Wembley on 28 February 2021.
For those that are interested (which won’t be Premier League teams) the EFL Trophy will start on 8-9 September with the Wembley final on 14 March.
So there you have it. The virus has helped the FA bureaucrats who like to tinker in the shadow of a catastrophe.
Will any of this help Spurs? Only time will tell. However, money-wise, I doubt it. We’ll obviously gain something, but not what Levy had hoped.
COYS!
My name is Glenn Renshaw.
I am currently a Premium Season Ticket holder (West Stand) in the new stadium. Before that – at White Hart Lane – a season ticket holder in various parts of the ground (mainly in the North stand).
Before becoming a season ticket holder, I stood on the shelf and various other parts of the ground since the 1960s (the season of the double). In 1987 I became one of the first to hold a Spurs Membership card. I was also a life long member of the Spurs supporters club (now defunct).
I go to all home, away and abroad matches.
I was born in 1955, Edgware, London. I currently live in Berkshire.
I also collect all Spurs books, Spurs handbooks, Spurs programmes etc.
Previously, I wrote for Spurs Fanzines: The Spur, Spur of the Moment, My Eyes have seen the Glory and various other Spurs fanzines’. I also wrote for the SpursWeb app & its website.
I currently write and work for spursnetwork.com and its website. I write its Reviews & Match reports and a lot more.
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I have been writing blogs/ articles since 1989
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