FA discussing major rule change to Youth Cup after fiasco involving United and City this season – report

Manchester United’s academy season was bittersweet. Falling at final hurdle The young Red Devils impressed at both under-18 and under-21 level, playing some swashbuckling football along the way. There is no doubt that the youth set-ups are full of some very impressive young talent, but they fell at the final hurdle across the board. The under-21s finished second in the league and were defeated 0-1 by Brighton and Hove Albion in the Playoff final. The under-18s also finished second in their league but lost two finals. They lost on penalties to Crystal Palace in the Premier League Cup and heartbreakingly lost the FA Youth Cup final 1-2 to Manchester City. Youth Cup fiasco Sadly, it was events off the pitch that made as much noise as those on the field. The organisation of the event was blighted by Manchester City’s refusal to let the game take place at Old Trafford, and the players had to play in the 7,000-seater Joie stadium. United’s coach Darren Fletcher was also critical of how Manchester City conducted themselves after the final, when they called out the names of each player who won a medal and made the United youngsters sit through the entire spectacle. The Scot was also left unimpressed with the Football Association’s lack of involvement and claimed that it felt more like a Manchester City event than an FA one. The Sun now reports that as a result, “the FA are considering a major rule change following the row between Manchester United and Manchester City over this season’s FA Youth Cup final venue.” The current rule is that the club drawn first becomes the home side. The paper states that, “FA officials are reviewing the competition rules to avoid a repeat of the controversy. One proposal being considered would mean that if the designated hosts cannot stage the final at their main stadium, the match could instead be switched to the opposition’s ground.” Featured image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.