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Was thinking the same, even to the point that the lower league's set up independently of the FA and go there own way.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13328021/Lower-league-clubs-BOYCOTT-FA-Cup-fury-Premier-League-FA-agreed-scrap-replays-hallowed-tournament.html Man Utd manager Erik Ten Hag has blamed FIFA and UEFA, saying "'It's very sad for the British football culture. But I think it is also inevitable. No one can do anything for it, it's due to the overload in the schedule, and that's dictated by Fifa and Uefa. There is so much overload on the players, and it has to stop". I notice that nobody is proposing to make European ties one-legged, which seems to work well for domestic cup competitions, or reducing the number of group games, qualifying teams or rounds etc. in order to reduce fixture congestion. Why? Because that's where the money is. Stuff grassroots football and the little clubs! Serious question: it's unlikely to happen, but would anyone on here support a potential boycott of the FA Cup in the event that the FA don't reverse the change of format?

https://www.efl.com/news/2024/april/19/efl-statement--fa-cup-replays/ Obviously the little leagues & teams like us don't matter, but if they upset The Football League then maybe the Premier League and The FA may take some notice.

Statement on clubs site: Club statement: FA Cup | The Official website of Slough Town FC - latest news, photos and videos

There's always one! - Adrian, you came second so you've already been promoted! Anyway, the draw for the play-off semis, as randomly picked by the fair hand of Urchin Queen (you'll just have to believe me), is as follows: Good luck y'all Jago.

That leaves a rude word!

Mea culpa!

What a bunch of currant buns they are. Please remove letters from "currant buns" to make a 5 letter word which better suits them.

FA now basically calling all the EFL clubs coming out, liars. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68856480

It is looking very much like the two SSML Premier Division play-off Semi Finals will be as follows: Milton Keynes Irish v FC Romania (at Manor Fields) Harpenden Town v Leverstock Green (home Club tbc)

Mr McCormack is everywhere at the moment isn't he, and rightly so following his astonishing achievements with Real Bedford over the last two seasons, this time he is guesting on this week's other Non League Show with presenter Tim Fuell, fast forward to just over sixteen minutes into the Show: The Non League Football Show / 19th April 2024 - South Shields and Real Bedford (audioboom.com) This week bumper show and one all about the people and not necessarily the lifting of trophies, despite the time of the season. First up a fan who has had a week he will surely always remember but perhaps not for the best of reasons, Dean Knight this time last week was a typical fan helping organise a supporters bus to a play-off chasing match at the weekend. On Saturday evening he was being rushed to hospital 120 miles from home after a bus crash left him and another 15 or so South Shields fans injured and shaken up. Thankfully, everybody survived and are on the mend, but it was the reaction from fellow fans, fans from all clubs even rivals that captured my attention and captured the heart of Dean as the non league football family pulled together. Talking about the non league family pulling together, my next guest is a Chairman who has been the focus of some ridicule since coming into the game, however back to back promotions, for his Real Bedford side and new investment from American Billionaires, suggest Peter McCormack might just be onto to something with his non traditional approach. Rounding it all up is the Non League Paper’s Jon Couch, previewing the National League’s final set of normal fixtures, Managerial changes and the scrapping of FA Cup Replays in the proper rounds.

This week's other Non League Show featuring, who else, Club of the moment Real Bedford: The Non League Football Show / 19th April 2024 - South Shields and Real Bedford (audioboom.com) This week bumper show and one all about the people and not necessarily the lifting of trophies, despite the time of the season. First up a fan who has had a week he will surely always remember but perhaps not for the best of reasons, Dean Knight this time last week was a typical fan helping organise a supporters bus to a play-off chasing match at the weekend. On Saturday evening he was being rushed to hospital 120 miles from home after a bus crash left him and another 15 or so South Shields fans injured and shaken up. Thankfully, everybody survived and are on the mend, but it was the reaction from fellow fans, fans from all clubs even rivals that captured my attention and captured the heart of Dean as the non league football family pulled together. Talking about the non league family pulling together, my next guest is a Chairman who has been the focus of some ridicule since coming into the game, however back to back promotions, for his Real Bedford side and new investment from American Billionaires, suggest Peter McCormack might just be onto to something with his non traditional approach. Rounding it all up is the Non League Paper’s Jon Couch, previewing the National League’s final set of normal fixtures, Managerial changes and the scrapping of FA Cup Replays in the proper rounds.

Here we go folks, Real Bedford are still well on course for the Premier League for the 2031/32 campaign, no difficulties thus far:

Weymouth and Maidstone now have similar statements on their sites.

Come on Slough Town FC - put a statement out similar to H&W and show solidarity.

Barcelona Women 2 v 2 Chelsea (champions lg s/f) Sheffield Utd 1 v 1 Burnley Luton 2 v 1 Brentford Chatham 1 v 1 Horsham Potters Bar 2 v 3 Hornchurch Attendance: 380 Contingency Aveley 2 v 1 Bath

Havant and Waterlooville have a club statement on their main page highly critical of the FA and detailing the financial implication for non league clubs Worth a look or maybe one of our computer savvy members could put it on here?

A groundhopper from another Forum was in attendance last night: Spartan South Midlands 2 Aston Clinton 0-3 Pitstone & Ivinghoe Att 20 A lovely sunny late afternoon in the foot of the Chilterns turned into a grey and wet evening for the duration of this 6.30 kick off, and we did well to get a full 90. Less than five miles separate these clubs, both of whom were upper mid-table coming into this. It was a decent game for its level, fairly even until two goals in three minutes around the hour mark put the visitors in the driving seat. They never looked back, scored another and had an effort disallowed too. Aston Clinton thought they’d scored with an effort that bounced down off the underside of the bar - might’ve been 2-0 at that point but I can’t properly remember - but the visitors were good value for their three points. The ground is in a public park, with the pitch next to the big car park, so I decided to have an executive seat (i.e. in my car) during the second half! A roped off pitch, a pair of dugouts, a few benches dotted about and a nice view of the hills in the middle distance. Very Step 7, very silly season, and very enjoyable.

What a great post Donny6. I was also at a few of those old United FA cup matches you mention, and obviously at all of those Slough ones. No amount of money can buy memories like those. It is weird how things/games from years ago remain fresh in the memory, but much more recent stuff fades away and gets forgotten about. Must be to do with getting old !

Leverstock Green secure their play-off place, either in second or third position in the Division, with two fixtures still to play, Saturday's home fixture with Shefford Town & Campton and next Tuesday's encounter with Tring Athletic, also at Pancake Lane. See a match report from last night: (A) Baldock Town - Leverstock Green F.C. (levgreenfc.co.uk)

Last night's results: Thursday 18 April Premier Division Aylesbury Vale Dynamos 1 Stansted 0 Baldock Town 1 Leverstock Green 2 Potton United 1 Cockfosters 4 London Lions 1 Colney Heath 2 Division One Buckingham FC 1 Rushden & Higham United 2 Burton Park Wanderers 3 Raunds Town 0 Cranfield United 1 Northampton Sileby Rangers 3 Huntingdon Town 2 Ampthill Town 3 Langford 1 Letchworth Garden City Eagles 1 Leighton Town Development 1 Winslow United 3 Division Two Aston Clinton 0 Pitstone & Ivinghoe 3 Eynesbury United 0 New Bradwell St Peter 2

Amazing you have such clarity of your memories over the years!......now what did I have for breakfast?

I guess for me the more I think about it the more I'm annoyed, largely due to my own FA Cup memories across the years. My first ever United match was against Spurs away on Jan 5th '80 at White Hart Lane, it was part of my Xmas Present and it was in the FA Cup.....it was magical for me and I can still see the crowd, smell the smells even now and remember dad let me stay up on a school night to watch the replay at Old Trafford on the TV because we'd been to the first match. I've been extremely lucky; dozens and dozens of FA Cup matches including semi finals/finals in '83, 85, 90, 96, 99, 04, 16 including replays for 83/90, the magic of going to Wembley on the Milk Train early in the morning and queuing either side of the Twin Towers to get up the steps and into the Turnstiles to get Replay tickets was always a great adventure. When Lee Martin scored the winner against Palace I genuinely went down about twenty rows celebrating, can't buy those memories or stories. Add into that the Slough FA Cup matches and again memories of being there when we beat Millwall and Walsall and then the pure pride/joy of having my young lad Jamie with me when we played Rochdale, Gillingham and then this season Grimsby and obviously then heading up there for the replay and all that brought, those memories of Slough's cup matches and replays I cherish just as much if not more because its my local and hometown team and my son was with me.....priceless. Who the hell are the FA to dictate to the lifeblood of football in this country, the fans, what is and isn't going to happen with our clubs/memories and adventures.....tossers!

Just to say that we have not totally forgotten about Real Bedford Ladies following the astonishing achievements of Real Bedford's Men's team who secured the SSML Premier Division Championship on Tuesday evening at McMullen Park with a SSML Premier Division Cup Final to come next week. Disappointingly the Ladies have no fixture on Sunday however travel to Royston Town Ladies on Wednesday evening (24 April) for an Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division encounter under the Garden Walk floodlights, very oddly the same night as the aforementioned Men's Cup Final with Cockfosters, and then entertain 'old foes' Luton Town Ladies at McMullen Park on Sunday 28 April who they will meet again just three days later, on Wednesday 1 May, in the return Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division fixture, again under floodlights, at Sharpenhoe Road. The Ladies are pretty much 'home and hosed' now with five remaining League fixtures compared to their nearest challengers, Haringey Borough, who have just two games remaining, you wouldn't therefore blame the Ladies for thinking about their Bedfordshire FA Women's County Cup Final, on Wednesday 8 May against AFC Dunstable Ladies at Kempston Rovers FC, followed by their season 'swan song' and the Eastern Region Women's League Cup Final, on Sunday 19 May, against Wroxham FC Ladies at Newmarket Town FC.