Tamworth-Tottenham tie proves FA Cup extra time needs to go | OneFootball

It’s not often a defeat should rank among a club’s finest hours but for Tamworth there’s much to celebrate this weekend.

Few involved at the Staffordshire side will have suggested the magic of the FA Cup was lost this week. The lowest-ranked team in the third round, sat 16th in the fifth tier of English football, hosted Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday lunchtime.

The Lambs, however, were not there to be slaughtered. Andy Peaks’s team produced a magnificent performance to force extra time, only the fourth occasion a Premier League side (from 92-93) has been taken to extra-time in an FA Cup tie against a non-league club.

Tamworth’s heroes, however, have been denied another shot after a controversial change. The FA Cup, for so long, has had replays. Lower-league sides would celebrate taking a tie to a replay, winning a money-spinning second fixture that could generate revenue to safeguard their future. It’s for that reason the scrapping of replays – a decision made after talks between the Premier League and FA – was met with anger by sides lower down the pyramid.

Tamworth, who fell to a 3-0 defeat in extra time, have been denied the chance of a contest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that could have revitalised their infrastructure. It’s estimated Tamworth would have generated around £1m from a replay. The club’s current yearly revenue is around £1.6m.

The club’s owner, Bob Andrews, admitted this week that all the revenue generated from this fixture would be put toward developments. How much more could have been done had replays still been involved?

“It is the biggest day in the club’s history,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“We thought Wembley was good in the FA Vase but this tops it. To have a Premier League club of this stature at Tamworth is fantastic. It is just nice to get all the crowd here. I wish we could get more in but we are full to capacity.

“The money from this game is going to help us develop the ground itself. We need better dressing rooms, we need a stand down the bottom end – we need various things. It’s tidy but it needs upgrading.”

As part of the agreement, Premier League teams will increase funding to the grassroots game by up to an extra £33million per season. The agreement will be in place for at least six years.

The concerns around player welfare at the top level can not be disregarded, with a football schedule that is bursting at the seams. But if replays are to be scrapped, so too should extra time. Does anyone really want to watch an extra 30 minutes that benefits the bigger side? Or would a penalty shootout  at full-time retain the required jeopardy a great cup contest needs?

One look at Tottenham’s substitutions at Tamworth showcased the North London side’s advantage. While Tamworth had bricklayers, financial advisors and a sandwich business owner in their ranks, Ange Postecoglou delved into his reserves to bring on five players who were signed for a combined sum of around £145m.

Extra time favours those with the bigger resources and removing it can keep the magic of the FA Cup firmly alive. Penalties are a nightmare for players but utterly gripping viewing for the neutrals. With replays gone, underdogs of Tamworth’s ilk deserve a lottery ticket to change their future.

Read – Five of the biggest FA Cup third round upsets

See more – Gary Neville submits to Sheamus, Mo Salah responds, David Moyes returns

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