Budweiser won't renew its sponsorship of The FA Cup

Budweiser will not be renewing its sponsorship of The FA Cup.

The original contract, signed in May 2011, was reportedly worth £8m.

The Football Association (FA) is now searching for a new sponsor to replace Budweiser for the 2014-15 competition.

The previous lead sponsor of the FA Cup was the energy company E.ON, whose four year deal (reportedly worth £32m) came to an end after the 2010 Cup Final.

Meanwhile Budweiser have been undertaking a search for the country's best amateur footballers, led by an array of top former professional players and managers.

Graeme Le Saux, Ray Parlour, Peter Shilton, Rob Lee, Ray Houghton and Owen Coyle have been attending trials taking place across the country, as the initial group of hopefuls is whittled down to just 126 trialists, who will then head to St. George's Park for a final assessment.

The Budweiser Open Trials, in association with BT Sport, will see six regional trials take place across the country ahead of the penultimate trial at St. George's Park.

The trials will culminate in a showpiece match at Wembley Stadium, where the final trialists will have one last chance to prove they've still got what it takes in front of professional scouts and FA Cup legends.

The former players and managers attending the regional trials will provide a wealth of experience and insight into what it takes to make it in football. In total, the group has made more than 3,500 appearances and won forty trophies.