The growing clamour for a winter break to benefit the England team could be answered by the Football Association dropping FA Cup replays, according to one idea under consideration that is gaining support from within the game.
The proposal to axe replays is one of a series of radical ideas being considered by an FA committee looking into ways to revitalise the 139-year-old competition but is being seized upon as the possible solution to the debate over a winter break.
Successive England managers – Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McClaren and now Fabio Capello – have called for a winter break in the belief that the debilitating Premier League season leaves players physically and mentally drained by the time major tournaments come around. Before the World Cup Wayne Rooney added his voice to the growing number of players backing the idea.
The FA's main board meets today for the first time since Capello's team crashed out of the World Cup against Germany, sparking a debate about the future of the England team. Sir Dave Richards, the Premier League chairman who is also chairman of Club England and sits on the FA board, will report back on the ill-fated campaign. The idea of a winter break is not believed to be on the initial agenda but could be raised.
The Premier League has historically been unwilling to countenance the idea of a winter break, arguing that there is no slack in a congested fixture calendar. But it is understood that if the FA were to propose dropping replays it would be willing to negotiate. The decision would have to be voted on by the 20 Premier League clubs, with a two-thirds majority required. If replays were abandoned it would free up a midweek slot that could accommodate a full round of league matches and allow a two-week winter break. Any changes would not be implemented until the 2011-12 season.
Both sides would want reassurance that the break would not simply be filled with more matches. The FA would seek assurances that clubs would not arrange potentially lucrative overseas tours during the break and that players would be available for an England squad get-together.
There would also be concerns that doing away with replays might impact on the FA's broadcasting deals and hit smaller clubs who benefit from money-spinning replays against larger rivals. Premier League clubs, meanwhile, would want binding assurances that the FA would not seek to fill the gap with a lucrative Wembley friendly. There would also be issues to be overcome with the Premier League's broadcasting partners and sponsors.
Other ideas under consideration as part of the ongoing review of the FA Cup, set in train by the former chief executive Ian Watmore in response to dwindling attendances and relevance, include playing some rounds under floodlights rather than at weekends, drastically overhauling the scheduling and consulting with broadcasters about innovative new approaches to presentation. The review will also look at how the prize fund is distributed.
The review, conducted by the FA Challenge Cup committee chaired by the Fulham director Mark Collins, is due to report its final conclusions before the end of the year. In addition to his other hats, Richards also sits on the committee.
