Source: REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, amateur teams in England hope to seek approval from the FA this week to move their home matches against Premier League teams to away venues in order to increase revenue. The third round of the FA Cup has now eliminated the replay rule, and previously, the amateur team Tamworth managed to draw with Tottenham Hotspur at home, but due to the elimination of replays, they could only play extra time and ultimately lost, missing the opportunity to play at Tottenham’s home and earn significant income. Reports state that a group of English amateur teams is hoping to apply to the FA to have Premier League teams host matches at their home grounds when drawn against them in the FA Cup, thus voluntarily giving up home advantage to earn up to £1 million in revenue by playing away. The FA will listen to these teams’ feedback and opinions on the FA Cup format; however, insiders reveal that such requests are unlikely to be approved. Currently, changing venues may only occur if suggested by the police for safety reasons, as the potential damage to the fairness of the competition from arbitrary venue changes is considered unacceptable, although this stance is unlikely to deter lower-tier teams from applying. They believe that the controversial elimination of replays deprives them of significant and often crucial prize money opportunities.