Peterborough United chairman's fury at FA Cup changes as club statement predicts a 'devastating fallout within the football pyramid'

MacAnthony has the laid the blame for a decision to mess with the traditions of fabled knockout competition squarely at the feet of of the FA and the Premier League and blasted a move taken without any consultation with EFL or non-league clubs.

FA Cup changes

Posh also issued a strongly-worded statement on Thursday evening condemning the move and predicting a ‘devastating fall-out within the football pyramid.’

MacAnthony took to social media to demonstrate his anger and frustration. He’s called on former EFL players now earning fortunes in the Premier League to stand with clubs like Posh and force a reversal of the decision.

On his X account, MacAnthony said: “Hope to wake up tomorrow & see rest of EFL clubs who haven’t said anything so far make a statement disagreeing with today’s nonsense re the FA Cup. And for the PFA to encourage all current Premier League players ‘made’ in the EFL to come out in solidarity with us in our wonderful pyramid. This is the time we need you fellas to stand with us. Don’t forget who played a part in you earning £100k per week. Backbone time. Same goes for all commentators on big media platforms earning well. Support is needed from all areas.

“Every football fan outside of the big dogs should write directly to Emirates, the FA Cup sponsor, over this nonsense and ask them to encourage those who made this decision to rethink it quickly and start taking to the other 100 plus clubs who play in this wonderful competition.

“We are now at the stage where the big boys don't even bother to notify us/talk through proper changes like the one's announced today re the FA Cup

“I have no idea what the Premier League or the FA are even thinking pulling this move the way it’s unfolded today. If this is a sign of things to come then expect a full on fallout within English Football coming soon all caused by one faction of our game.

“EFL, It is time to show some minerals in how we respond to these events. Ignoring us lower down the pyramid is not a sensible route to take going forward. Time to get in a room/around a table & make proper progress on everything as this Is not healthy for our industry.’

The official Posh club statement read: ‘Peterborough United Football Club are dismayed at the decision taken by the FA and the Premier League to change the format of the Emirates FA Cup, including the confirmation that replays will be scrapped from the first round proper.

‘Prior to the release of today’s statement from the FA there had been no recent communication nor consultation with EFL clubs, National League clubs or grassroots clubs who value the competition as a key source of income as well as an opportunity to create lifelong experiences for supporters. The club believe that the decisions made appear to have placed no importance of the essence of the Emirates FA Cup, in that the competition is famed worldwide as a platform which creates moments of magic that transcend generations.

‘We believe the Emirates FA Cup achieves this largely down to the existing format and opportunities for David vs Goliath clashes, the promise of a replay is a large part of the dreams which are created and believed in by clubs, players, and fans alike year in year out. Simply creating a cup competition that suits the upper end of the Premier League completely goes against the historic beauty of the competition.

‘The club have sought immediate consultation from the EFL and call upon both the governing body and fellow clubs to produce a coordinated response. The power of our voices together should be used to apply the correct pressure to both the FA and the Premier League to retract their decision to avoid a devastating fall out within the football pyramid. Ignoring the major proportion of clubs who these decisions will affect is an incomprehensible methodology for strategy implementation.

‘We as a club would urge the FA to suspend any changes immediately until all clubs have been consulted and outcomes can be achieved that support the majority, not the minority, in terms of the competition’s participants.’