The FA have announced that FA Cup replays will be scrapped after the first round starting next season as part of a new agreement with the Premier League.
In a post on X, the official FA Cup account said that the agreement would "strengthen the FA Cup format and increase support for grassroots football."
Both Bristol City and Bristol Rovers earned replays against opposition from a higher division in this season's competition with City benefitting from extra income from television rights.
Liam Manning's side beat Premier League outfit West Ham United 1-0 at Ashton Gate in a third round replay in front of the BBC cameras after their 1-1 draw at the London Stadium in January. The replay, according to the FA's website, saw the Robins pocket an extra £42,500 in broadcast income on top of the £105,000 won for winning the tie.
The Championship team also had a replay in the fourth round where they were knocked out by another top-flight side in Nottingham Forest on penalties, having played out a goalless stalemate at Ashton Gate before a 1-1 draw at the City Ground.
As for Rovers, they faced Championship side Norwich City at the Memorial Stadium in a third round replay after drawing 1-1 at Carrow Road, a game they disappointingly lost 3-1 with a dream away tie at Liverpool set up for the winner. However, that saw the Gas receive extra matchday revenue as a result.
Given that they will be a League One club again next season, Rovers could be forced into a replay given that sides from the third and fourth tiers enter the FA Cup in the first round proper but the new agreement has seen replays scrapped from that point onward in the competition.
Additionally, as part of the agreement pledges have been made to keep all rounds of the FA Cup on weekends, the fourth round, fifth round and quarter-finals will be exclusive of Premier League fixtures for the first time and the Premier League will provide up to an additional £33million for grassroots football on top of their current donation of £100million it makes each season to "good causes."
