The FA Cup never fails to deliver drama, as muddy pitches, passionate home crowds, and intense battles put even the Premier League’s top stars to the test. Over the weekend, several elite clubs faced huge scares from lower-league opposition, with one side even eliminated by a team two divisions below them. These shocks raise a question: would the magic of the FA Cup be the same if big clubs always played at their own stadiums? BBC Sport examines whether lower-ranked teams should consistently get home advantage in the competition.
Home Advantage: How Much Does It Matter?
Since the scrapping of FA Cup replays for the 2024-25 season, Premier League teams have been knocked out by lower-division sides on eight occasions. Interestingly, the split is even: four shocks occurred at home for the underdogs and four away.
For example, Mansfield pulled off a 2-1 victory at Burnley, a top-flight side struggling in the Premier League, setting up a clash with Arsenal. Similarly, Championship side Southampton defeated Fulham 1-0, though both teams had faced each other in league competition just a year ago.
Historically, however, many of the most famous FA Cup upsets came when the lower-ranked side was at home. Following non-league Macclesfield’s stunning 2-1 victory over holders Crystal Palace this year, BBC Sport highlighted that nine out of ten historic shocks occurred on the underdog’s own ground, with Bradford’s 4-2 win at Chelsea in 2015 as the notable exception.
The Pitch Levels the Playing Field
Port Vale’s recent victory over Sunderland showcased the influence of a challenging home pitch. Just five days after defeating Championship side Bristol City on a battered pitch, League One side Port Vale relied on their familiarity with the surface to advance. Ben Waine, who scored the winner against Sunderland, emphasized:
“We love this pitch here at Port Vale and we played to the conditions.”
Sunderland manager Regis le Bris acknowledged the difficulty, stating the pitch “levels everything, technically and tactically,” praising the underdog’s spirit and the home crowd atmosphere. Even Arsenal had to contend with a muddy, uneven surface at Mansfield’s One Call Stadium, with goalscorer Eberechi Eze admitting it was a tough environment, and manager Mikel Arteta calling it “a proper FA Cup tie.”
Financial Considerations: Home or Away?
While fans enjoy the excitement, hosting top clubs has financial implications. Mansfield’s home match against Arsenal attracted a full stadium and was broadcast live on BBC One, generating around £160,000 in gate receipts. After FA distribution, each club earned roughly £70,000–£75,000.
However, had the game been held at the Emirates Stadium, the revenue could have exceeded £800,000 per club, a substantial boost compared to the average season revenue of a lower-league side. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire explains that this financial gap is why many English Football League clubs were unhappy with the scrapping of replays, as CEO Trevor Birch noted it removes a traditional income stream for smaller clubs.
European Precedents: Germany and Spain
Other European cup competitions guarantee lower-ranked sides home advantage when facing higher-tier teams. In Germany’s DFB Pokal, clubs in or below the third division are automatically given home draws in the early rounds, and if they advance, they continue as the designated home team. Recent examples include Arminia Bielefeld reaching the 2024-25 final after defeating four Bundesliga sides at home.
Spain’s Copa del Rey follows a similar format, giving lower-ranked teams home draws throughout. In the current season, Albacete, the only side outside La Liga to reach the quarter-finals, hosted Barcelona, narrowly losing 2-1.
These rules suggest that consistent home advantage for underdogs not only boosts the drama on the pitch but also helps smaller clubs financially, while maintaining the magic and unpredictability that define cup competitions.
