LAST season Newport County AFC had Tuesday night dates at Barnet and Eastleigh on their way to earning an FA Cup clash with Manchester United, but there will be no midweek trip to Peterborough this season.
The Exiles get the cup competition under way on Saturday when they try to upset League One Posh at Rodney Parade (kick-off 3pm).
‘Or’ will not feature when the draw for the second round is made after the Football Association’s controversial decision to scrap replays from the first round proper onwards.
If the scores are level at full-time then there will be extra time and then penalties if needed, which the Exiles will hope to avoid after recent woes from the spot against Premier League Brentford, Brighton and Newcastle.
County were one of the clubs to sign a letter to the culture secretary last season calling for replays to be reinstated while previous boss Graham Coughlan slammed the decision.
“It’s a bit of a disaster for football, disaster for the EFL, for all the clubs, for all the fans,” said the manager.
“It shows the divide between those who have and those who have not. The ones that count in football and the ones who don’t.
“I question the decision-making process in football, I question who is making the decisions.
“Are they wearing shirt and ties? Probably. Have they ever played the game? No. Have they ever stood on terraces? I would not have thought so.
“It’s a shocking decision for football, the romance of the FA cup and for all lower league clubs and EFL clubs. It’s driven by the big four, whoever they may be each season, making the Champions League.”
County famously had a trip to Wembley to take on Tottenham after drawing with the Premier League side at Rodney Parade in 2018.
The following season they beat Wrexham in a replay before beating Leicester City in round three.
That was followed by a replay success against Middlesbrough that earned the famous tie against Manchester City in Newport.
Last season they earned a £30,000 broadcast fee for their replay at Barnet in round two being shown live by ITV then had the pressure, excitement and profile of taking on Eastleigh for the right to host eventual winners Manchester United.
The FA said that the calendar for this season had been approved by the Professional Game Board consisting of representatives from the EFL and Premier League.
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