Horsham FA Cup clash could give Chesterfield trio a chance to impress
Chesterfield will be allowed to field a small number of players who have not been registered for league games in this weekend’s FA Cup clash.
The Spireites host seventh-tier Horsham this Saturday in the first round of the historic competition.
The Hornets, three divisions below Town, are currently eighth in the Isthmian League Premier Division and are eight unbeaten, as are Paul Cook’s men.
The Blues have reached the third round for the last three years and they will be the favourites to progress past the visitors from West Sussex.
After the August transfer window, clubs in League Two were required to submit a squad list to the EFL, confirming the names of players who would be registered to feature in Chesterfield’s league games. Due to long-term injuries, Ash Palmer and Ryheem Sheckleford were left out, as was Branden Horton, but it is understood that the trio are allowed to play in the FA Cup if the club wishes to do so.
Palmer (knee) and Sheckleford (hamstring) have both been pictured back in training and it is thought they are edging closer to returning, although it remains to be seen whether this weekend would come too soon for them.
Cheserfield or Horsham will pocket £45,000 in prize money for winning the tie. With replays now scrapped from the competition, the FA has increased the prize pot by £2.4m for the first three rounds as a way of compensating clubs for missing out on potential funds.
Announcing the controversial decision back in April, the FA said: “Removing Emirates FA Cup replays was discussed in the early meetings and all parties accepted that they could not continue. The discussions then focused on how to make all of our competitions stronger, despite having fewer dates available and wanting to maintain player welfare.
“The changes to the Emirates FA Cup achieve this by returning it to a weekend competition on every round, and ensuring that we have exclusive broadcast slots in an increasingly congested calendar.
“To clarify, we have also increased the number of Emirates FA Cup matches that will be broadcast in the early rounds, which will lead to additional guaranteed broadcast revenue for EFL and National League teams. Additionally, we review the prize money annually for the competition, together with representatives from the EFL and Premier League and will do the same for the 2024-25 season.”