FA Cup may exclude most non-league clubs next year, 2019-20 timetable & Chelsea, Man City & Man United’s fixture problems

FA Cup may exclude most non-league clubs next year

Will the 2020-21 FA Cup lose much of it’s romance?

The Mail on Sunday claim that hundreds of non-league clubs may be barred from competing in next season’s FA Cup due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The FA Cup is truly special as it’s open to every club in the top 10 divisions in the English football pyramid.

However, that seems likely to change due to severe scheduling headaches. Reporter Joe Bernstein writes:

There is concern only the fourth qualifying round in mid-October will take place next season in order for league fixtures to be completed. 

That would leave room for only 64 non-league clubs from the National League, National League North and National League South with clubs below the sixth tier unable to enter.

 

Could these non-league clubs receive compensation?

Of course, we’re now discussing hypotheticals.

Yet, the Mail on Sunday believe that non-league clubs could receive some financial aid if they are barred from next season’s FA Cup:

One proposal is that the Football Association divide the regular prize fund to all clubs, though that would depend on the FA’s own financial situation.

£8.7million still left in the prize pot from the @FA Cup non league clubs are on thier arse and had virtually zero support .. do the right thing put the money where its desperately needed #NonLeague

— Richard Kane (@gtfcchairman) May 23, 2020

 

Will the 2019-20 FA Cup be completed?

When football in England was suspended on March 13 due to the Covid-19 crisis, the FA Cup was at the quarter-final stage.

The match-ups in the last-8 are:

– Leicester City vs Chelsea
– Newcastle vs Manchester City
– Sheffield United vs Arsenal
– Norwich vs Manchester United

We’ve previously reported that, while discussions of this season’s FA Cup are low on the pecking order compared to completing the Premier League and EFL campaigns, there’s an overriding belief that the FA Cup should play out.

Last week, Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder had this to say about the FA Cup:

Do we want to carry on with the FA Cup? One hundred per cent.

There’s not been serious discussions with Steve (Bettis, United’s chief executive) or Carl (Shieber, United’s head of football administration) from the FA. But, like I say, they’ll want to get it done.

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Matt Slater also believes that “Norwich are particularly eager” to finish their FA Cup campaign. While “Newcastle’s manager Steve Bruce is understood to believe he could require cup success to impress his new bosses”, if the Saudis are to keep him as their manager once the takeover is completed.

Who else recalls buying the programme for the FA Cup final (& England-Scotland games) in their local newsagents? Ah, the nostalgia. But is that all the FA Cup will provide this season? The final was meant to start in a minute. Let’s not write it off. https://t.co/jGuYdMV2YR

— Matt Slater (@mjshrimper) May 23, 2020

 

Possible 2019-20 FA Cup timetable

The Mail on Sunday offer the following potential timetable for its completion:

Should the Premier League restart on June 13 or June 20, one proposal is for the quarter-finals and semi-finals to take place in midweek between league games, but it would also be possible to play both semi-finals and final over a four-day period at Wembley in early August.

 

Chelsea, Man City & Man United’s fixture problems

If the FA Cup is scheduled for August, Chelsea, Man City and Manchester United may have a significant fixture problem.

Chelsea and Man City are both still in this season’s Champions League.

Chelsea need to travel to Germany for the second leg against Bayern.

Bayern are in total control of the tie after a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

The Bayern Munich vs Chelsea match is scheduled for August 8.

Similarly, Man City are set to complete their last-16 Champions League tie against Real Madrid on August 7.

Man City won the first leg in Madrid 2-1.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are still in this season’s Europa League.

Man United are halfway through their last-16 tie with LASK Linz. The Red Devils won the first-leg 5-0 in Austria.

However, The Athletic’s Matt Slater wonders if UEFA’s 2019-20 European competitions will actually play out:

Three of those eight sides — Arsenal, Manchester City and Sheffield United — have 10 Premier League games still to play, not nine, while Chelsea, City and Manchester United have unfinished business in Europe, too, although there must be even bigger question marks about the Champions League and Europa League finishing this summer than a knockout competition that does not involve cross-border travel.

 

Also see: Best Netflix, Amazon & YouTube football documentaries & movies to watch during coronavirus isolation

9 best football documentaries to watch on ESPN+ during COVID-19 quarantine

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