Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Winter World Cup in Qatar could make the FA Cup a midweek competition
FA Cup replays could face the chop as part of a radical rethink of English football to cater for a winter World Cup in 2022.
FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has given the clearest signal yet that the Qatar-hosted tournament will be moved from the traditional summer to the last six weeks of the year on safety grounds.
And that will pave the way for a winter break in England for the first time - but only if there are significant changes to the current domestic calendar.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, a vehement opponent of a winter World Cup, has steadfastly stuck to his position that a January break is not good for the English game.
But Scudamore would be willing to consider the idea if the FA gave up some of its weekend dates to clear room for a two-week battery-recharging window.
Submissions to FA chairman Greg Dyke's commission closed last week but among the possibilities mooted were for the end of FA Cup replays, for third round ties to be clubs' last game before a winter break and for all the competition's subsequent rounds - until the semi-final stage - to be played mid-week rather than at weekends.
The Premier League would also like to see the Capital One Cup's semi-finals become one-offs, rather than the current two-legged affairs, as part of a bargaining process.
At this stage, there are no concrete proposals, but the growing reality of a World Cup being played from mid-November to just before Christmas in 2022 is now focusing minds on the need for change.
FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has given the clearest signal yet that the Qatar-hosted tournament will be moved from the traditional summer to the last six weeks of the year on safety grounds.
And that will pave the way for a winter break in England for the first time - but only if there are significant changes to the current domestic calendar.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, a vehement opponent of a winter World Cup, has steadfastly stuck to his position that a January break is not good for the English game.
But Scudamore would be willing to consider the idea if the FA gave up some of its weekend dates to clear room for a two-week battery-recharging window.
Submissions to FA chairman Greg Dyke's commission closed last week but among the possibilities mooted were for the end of FA Cup replays, for third round ties to be clubs' last game before a winter break and for all the competition's subsequent rounds - until the semi-final stage - to be played mid-week rather than at weekends.
The Premier League would also like to see the Capital One Cup's semi-finals become one-offs, rather than the current two-legged affairs, as part of a bargaining process.
At this stage, there are no concrete proposals, but the growing reality of a World Cup being played from mid-November to just before Christmas in 2022 is now focusing minds on the need for change.
