FA Cup Fixtures 2023/24

FA Cup: Reforms to the English football calendar could see 3rd and 4th round replays scrapped..By Simon Stone, BBC Sport.

ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/cpsprodpb/079B/production/_131474910_gettyimages-1246068516.jpg
National League side Chesterfield drew 3-3 with Championship club West Brom in the third round of the FA Cup last season, before losing the replay at the Hawthorns 4-0

FA Cup 3rd and 4th round replays and the two-legged EFL Cup semi-finals are expected to be scrapped as part of reforms to the English football calendar.

The changes will also see the FA Cup fifth round restored to a weekend slot.

Changes have been triggered by pressure on the domestic calendar such as the expansion of European competitions.

It is not yet known when the changes could come into effect, though a new TV contract is set to commence in 2025-26.

However, the domestic calendar will feel extra pressure from next season when the Champions League and Europa League first phases expand to 36 clubs.

Subsequent alterations to the Uefa match calendar mean the opening phase will cover 10 midweeks rather than the current six.

With Fifa's international match calendar not due to change until 2026, when the four games currently played in September and October will run across a single 16 day window, it leaves a maximum of 12 spare midweeks for domestic matches to be played if clashes with European club competitions - which Uefa frowns upon - are to be avoided.

In their 'invitation to tender' statement released on Wednesday, the Premier League confirmed five midweek rounds per season would be part of their offer to broadcasters for the four-year cycle that starts in 2025.

That is one more than this season, when matches are due to be played in November, January and April, in addition to the Boxing Day slot.

With spare midweeks needed for matches that have to be rearranged due to clashes with the FA Cup 6th round and semi-finals, plus the EFL Cup final - which are all played on weekends used by the Premier League - there is not enough space for the domestic calendar to remain as it is.

BBC Sport understands the answer is set to come through alterations to the two cup competitions.

The FA could give up third and fourth round replays in exchange for a return to a weekend date for the fifth round of the competition for the first time since 2019-20.

While many observers felt the EFL Cup semi-finals had to be shrunk from their current two-legged format if the competition was to be retained, the loss of FA Cup replays for top-flight teams will be lamented by some, even though they were scrapped in 2020-21 and 2021-22 due to issues created by the coronavirus pandemic.

There were six replays in both the 3rd and 4th round of last season's competition. The FA removed 5th round replays from the schedule in 2017-18.

The FA has declined to comment.

Its current broadcast deal with the BBC and ITV runs to 2025.

The EFL has just announced a five-year agreement with Sky that will end in 2029 and align with the next Premier League contract.

FA Cup 1st Round - Friday 3rd November

Barnsley 3 Horsham 3


Saturday 4th November - Results

Bristol Rovers 7 Whitby Town 2

Curzon Ashton 0 Barnet 1

Alfreton Town 2 Worthing 0

Bolton Wanderers 4 Solihull Moors 0

Exeter City 0 Wigan Athletic 2

Leyton Orient 3 Carlisle United 1

Hereford 0 Gillingham 2

Oxford United 2 Maidenhead United 0

Newport County 2 Oldham Athletic 0

Swindon Town 4 Aldershot Town 7

Mansfield Town 1 Wrexham 2

Marine 1 Harrogate Town 5

Eastleigh 5 Boreham Wood 1

Bradford City 1 Wycombe Wanderers 2

Sheppey United 1 Walsall 4

Shrewsbury Town 3 Colchester United 2

Lincoln City 1 Morecambe 2

Sutton United 2 AFC Fylde 1

Reading 3 MK Dons 2

Notts County 3 Crawley Town 2

Stockport County 5 Worksop Town 1

Yeovil Town 3 Gateshead 2

Stevenage 4 Tranmere Rovers 3

Chesham United 0 Maidstone United 2

Bromley 0 Blackpool 2

AFC Wimbledon 5 Cheltenham Town 1

Cambridge United 2 Bracknell Town 1

Northampton Town 1 Barrow 3

Ramsgate 2 Woking 1


FA Cup 1st Round - Sunday 5th November - Fixtures

Chesterfield 1 Portsmouth 0

Kidderminster Harriers 1 Fleetwood Town 2

Slough Town 1 Grimsby Town 1

Charlton Athletic 1 Cray Valley (PM) 1

Crewe Alexandra 2 Derby County 2



FA Cup 1st Round Replays - Tuesday 14th November (7.45pm KO)

Accrington Stanley 1 Doncaster Rovers 2

Burton Albion 0 Port Vale 2

Derby 1 Crewe 3

Forest Green Rovers 5 Scarborough Athletic 2

Grimsby 7 Slough 2

Horsham 0 Barnsley 3

Salford City  4 Peterborough United 4 AET
PETERBOROUGH WON 5-4 ON PENS

York City 2 Chester 1



  

UPDATED 2nd ROUND...Tonight's replay - Cray Valley Paper Mills 1 Charlton 6

i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article30146397.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200d/0_Manchester-City-v-Manchester-United-Emirates-FA-Cup-Final-Wembley-Stadium.jpg


FA Cup 2nd Round Draw - The 20 ties will be played over the weekend of 2nd-3rd December...(Revised Draw)

AFC Wimbledon v Ramsgate

Aldershot Town v Stockport County

Alfreton Town v Walsall

Blackpool v Forest Green Rovers

Bolton Wanderers v Harrogate Town

Cambridge United v Fleetwood Town

York City v Wigan Athletic

Chesterfield v Leyton Orient

Crewe Alexandra v BRISTOL ROVERS

Eastleigh v Reading

Gillingham v Charlton

Maidstone United v Barrow

Newport County v Barnet

Notts County v Shrewsbury Town

Oxford United v Grimsby

Peterborough v Doncaster

Stevenage v Port Vale

Sutton United v Horsham

Wrexham v Yeovil Town

Wycombe Wanderers v Morecambe

Alfreton Town P-P Walsall: FA Cup second-round tie called off just minutes before kick-off..

i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/02/12/78500837-0-image-a-11_1701520725785.jpg

Non-league Alfreton Town's FA Cup second-round tie with League Two side Walsall was called off due to a frozen pitch just minutes before kick-off.

The match was scheduled to be broadcast on BBC One with a 12:30 GMT start but the match officials deemed the Impact Arena surface to be unplayable.

National League North club Alfreton are attempting to reach the third round for the first time in their history.

The game will be rearranged for a date yet to be confirmed.

i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/02/12/78500845-12817545-image-a-12_1701521656168.jpg

The ground had filled up with fans after volunteers and club staff had worked hard to roll off covers they hoped had prevented the freezing temperatures from affecting the pitch.

However, referee Sam Allison made the decision to call the game off just after 12:20 GMT, less than 10 minutes before the scheduled kick-off.

Allison told BBC Radio Derby that the covers had been kept on as long as possible to give the game a chance of going ahead.

"It was too hard in too many areas of the pitch, it seemed like an ice rink in some areas," Allison added. "Player safety has to be the priority - it was too dangerous and too unsafe."

The decision was met with boos from the home supporters who had turned up hoping to see a cup upset but Walsall boss Mat Sadler felt the correct call had been made.

"As soon as I walked in, I thought this game is going to be off. It was rock hard and I knew it wasn't going to get any warmer," he told BBC Match of the Day Live.

"I know they've tried to wait as long as they possibly can to see if we can get it played but I don't think it was ever going to be played - it just looked dangerous to me.

"We all wanted to play because we don't want a logjam of games but I think common sense has prevailed. The goalmouth is rock hard - it wasn't safe and it was the right decision to call it off."

Alfreton boss Billy Heath said he understood the decision but felt the game could still have gone ahead.

"I get the reasons why but it depends what era you're from - we didn't have a problem with the pitch, we would have been quite happy to play it," he added.

Crewe's FA Cup tie with Bristol Rovers and several National League matches had already fallen to the cold snap, along with several games in Scotland.


i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/02/13/78501137-12817545-image-a-16_1701522366285.jpg

i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article30146397.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200d/0_Manchester-City-v-Manchester-United-Emirates-FA-Cup-Final-Wembley-Stadium.jpg

The Full 3rd Round Draw

Hull City v Birmingham City

Newport County v Eastleigh 

Plymouth Argyle v Sutton United

Maidstone United v Stevenage 

Coventry City v Oxford United

Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Chelsea v Preston North End

QPR v Bournemouth

Gillingham v Sheffield United

Swansea City v Morecambe

Manchester City v Huddersfield Town

Blackburn Rovers v Cambridge United

Nottingham Forest v Blackpool or Forest Green Rovers

Wigan Athletic v Manchester United

Crystal Palace v Everton

Middlesbrough v Aston Villa

Sunderland v Newcastle United

Sheffield Wednesday v Cardiff City

Millwall v Leicester CIty

Watford v Chesterfield

AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town

Peterborough United v Leeds United

West Bromwich Albion v Aldershot 

Southampton v Walsall

Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley

Fulham v Rotherham United

Norwich City v BRISTOL ROVERS

West Ham v Bristol City

Arsenal v Liverpool

Stoke City v Brighton and Hove Albion

Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers

Shrewsbury Town v Wrexham 

Ties to be played the weekend of 6th January.

TUESDAY 5th DECEMBE 2023 - THE FA CUP - SECOND ROUND

Alfreton Town 0 Walsall 0

ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/1680/cpsprodpb/A340/production/_131929714_gettyimages-1825118461.jpg

ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/12/5/6d311fec-6165-4a4a-9d62-dcd00d5a8535.jpg
ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/12/5/4595717b-b7e1-4221-8a29-181c1f785298.jpg
ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/12/5/d3170ab3-1712-4001-a1c3-74ceb1f5760e.jpg
ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/12/5/b943e91a-7aa8-4198-9374-3c57a3c53a78.jpg
ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/12/5/4eed113c-713f-472c-8509-a921fee5049d.jpg
ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/624/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2023/12/5/35785794-9cb0-45a7-9cd4-65c1c8454a06.jpg

Alfreton Town held League Two Walsall to a battling stalemate to earn an FA Cup second-round replay at Bescot Stadium next week.

The National League North part-timers are 38 league places below the Saddlers, but their direct approach and the prodigious long throw of midfielder Adam Lund made it an uncomfortable night at North Street for the Black Country side.

The non-league side survived a contentious early refereeing decision as Ryan Stirk's inswinging corner eluded goalkeeper George Willis to find the top corner, only for official Sam Allison to rule out the 'goal' for what seemed to be minimal contact on Willis by Walsall striker Freddie Draper.

Walsall went into the game, rearranged after an icy pitch forced a postponement six minutes before kick-off on Saturday, having lost three of their past four to slip towards the League Two relegation zone, and they failed to make their superior fitness and full-time status count.

Tuesday 12th December 2023 - The FA Cup - 1st Round

Scarborough Athletic 2 Forest Green Rovers 4

2nd Round - Replays

Walsall 1 Alfreton Town 0

Barnet 1 Newport 4

Crewe Alexandra 2 BRISTOL ROVERS 4

Port Vale 3 Stevenage 3 - AET
(Stevenage win 4-3 on penalties)

One game to play to complete the full 3rd round draw, which is: Blackpool v Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday 19th December, winners are away to Nottingham Forest...