Huddersfield Town keeping tabs on FA Cup replay debate

FA Cup replays like Huddersfield Town’s recent game at Reading could become a thing of the past.

Changes are afoot to both the world’s oldest football competition - and possibly the League Cup as well.

Officials from the Football Association and Premier League are talking about how to reduce the number of fixtures for top-flight teams, and they also want to build a mid-season break into the schedule.

That means the abolition of FA Cup replays and two-legged League Cup semi-finals is high on the agenda.

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FA Cup ties from the fourth round onwards could also be moved to midweek.

Replays form an important potential revenue stream for smaller clubs - but the bigger clubs are desperate to scrap them.

And the lack of a winter break has been put forward as an

argument for England’s disappointing performances in recent international tournaments.

Town have played 53 FA Cup replays, winning 28 of them, since first entering the competition in 1909.

The 5-2 third-round defeat at Reading on January 19 was their 21st defeat.

At one time there were limitless replays, and the record is five for the 1971-72 fourth qualifying round tie between Alvechurch and Oxford City, the former eventually winning 1-0.

Town four times went to second replays before they were abolished in 1991.