midfielder
Well-Known Member
Our forums discussed this topic a while ago but the the age in Melbourne is talking it up agian.
Sorry about highlighting the mighty Blacktown Demons ......was there on saturday when they lost 2 - nil. But IMO if uncle frank (one habd typing) could get a stadium built for the world cup then go to Gabbie stadium in Seven Hills it must be the best located ground in Sydney. PS LW is going down there for a $ 100.00 per head fund raising night to help the Demons.
Back on topic IMO this is something in time ............ how far off not sure ........... FFA need to develop.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/soccer...131333128.html
NOW that Football Federation Australia has bedded down its five-year collective bargaining deal with the players' union, practically assured the inclusion of at least two new A-League clubs in season five (Gold Coast and Townsville) and possibly four (with second clubs from Melbourne and Sydney) and is ready to host the FIFA Congress in Sydney later this month, it could turn to another pressing matter the FFA Cup.
Several months ago FFA boss Ben Buckley revealed that the game's governing body was looking at the potential for a knockout cup competition along the lines of England's revered FA Cup.
The issue has lain dormant in recent weeks, although Buckley recently said that the competition was on a lengthy "to do" list.
They should make it a priority.
A cup competition would add colour, drama, and excitement by giving the chance to some of the country's best-known second-tier teams to take on the A-League cream in sudden-death ties. It would be unique in the national sporting landscape. Other football codes have nothing comparable.
A 32-team tournament would probably be the way to go, with the eight (or 10 or 12) A-League sides joined by up to 24 of the best clubs from the elite state leagues around the country.
The tournament could be genuinely representative of the nation as a whole. Soccer is played seriously in every state and territory, and the new FFA Cup could reflect that.
The Victorian Premier League is widely regarded as the best second-tier competition in Australia, so it could supply six Cup entrants. The top metropolitan NSW league could provide four, as could the South Australian elite state division. Brisbane and south-east Queensland's leading competition could contribute three teams, with perhaps one entrant coming from far north Queensland.
Western Australia might be given two spots, with local champions from Tasmania and the ACT, along with the leading club from the Northern Territory, each given a slot. The 24th spot could either go to the best non-A-League club in New Zealand, or a third side from Western Australia.
There would be big discrepancies in ability, but that's what happens in cup competitions. Teams from the Conference (the highest grade outside the Football League) often win through to play against Premiership or Championship teams in the third round of the FA Cup. And while the wealthy teams generally triumph, that isn't always the case.
Fans of Chelsea and Liverpool will need no reminding that both fell victim to struggling Championship side Barnsley in this year's cup, while lower-division Bristol Rovers made it to the quarter-finals before being eliminated, two wins short of a trip to Wembley, by Championship winner West Bromwich Albion.
The nature of soccer makes it easier to guard against genuine mismatches and hugely one-sided games. A fit, well-organised and committed team can set up defensively, concede possession and look to contain its opponents before hitting on the break.
Imagine the excitement if
verhead: verhead: Blacktown City 
was clinging on to a 1-0 lead against Queensland Roar in a first-round game at Seven Hills with the A-League side laying siege to their goal in the final minutes. Or the tension if Melbourne Victory was hanging on to a 2-1 lead away from home against Floreat Athena in Perth, with the West Australians throwing the kitchen sink at them trying to force an unlikely draw in front of their own fans.
The playing field would also be levelled by the venues. Players used to performing at Sydney Football Stadium on balmy summer evenings might not quite fancy a trip to Sunshine to take on the Melbourne Knights on a cold night in September in a first-round cup tie.
I would suggest FFA has replays at least in the event of a draw in the first game, with penalty shootouts following extra-time in the second game. With an A-League season comprising (at present) only 21 games plus finals, coaches and players could hardly complain about a crowded fixture.
There should be no seeding. If this year's A-League grand finalists Central Coast and Newcastle were drawn to play against each other in the first round, so be it.
And to make the tournament worth winning, the cup holder could be given an Asian Champions League spot. At least three Australian sides are expected to be given spots in the ACL revamp. What better way to add spice to the FFA Cup?
What's not to like? Oakleigh Cannons versus Adelaide United at Jack Edwards Reserve, Sydney United versus Wellington Phoenix at Edensor Park, Sunshine Coast Fire versus Melbourne Victory bring it on.
Sorry about highlighting the mighty Blacktown Demons ......was there on saturday when they lost 2 - nil. But IMO if uncle frank (one habd typing) could get a stadium built for the world cup then go to Gabbie stadium in Seven Hills it must be the best located ground in Sydney. PS LW is going down there for a $ 100.00 per head fund raising night to help the Demons.
Back on topic IMO this is something in time ............ how far off not sure ........... FFA need to develop.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/soccer...131333128.html
NOW that Football Federation Australia has bedded down its five-year collective bargaining deal with the players' union, practically assured the inclusion of at least two new A-League clubs in season five (Gold Coast and Townsville) and possibly four (with second clubs from Melbourne and Sydney) and is ready to host the FIFA Congress in Sydney later this month, it could turn to another pressing matter the FFA Cup.
Several months ago FFA boss Ben Buckley revealed that the game's governing body was looking at the potential for a knockout cup competition along the lines of England's revered FA Cup.
The issue has lain dormant in recent weeks, although Buckley recently said that the competition was on a lengthy "to do" list.
They should make it a priority.
A cup competition would add colour, drama, and excitement by giving the chance to some of the country's best-known second-tier teams to take on the A-League cream in sudden-death ties. It would be unique in the national sporting landscape. Other football codes have nothing comparable.
A 32-team tournament would probably be the way to go, with the eight (or 10 or 12) A-League sides joined by up to 24 of the best clubs from the elite state leagues around the country.
The tournament could be genuinely representative of the nation as a whole. Soccer is played seriously in every state and territory, and the new FFA Cup could reflect that.
The Victorian Premier League is widely regarded as the best second-tier competition in Australia, so it could supply six Cup entrants. The top metropolitan NSW league could provide four, as could the South Australian elite state division. Brisbane and south-east Queensland's leading competition could contribute three teams, with perhaps one entrant coming from far north Queensland.
Western Australia might be given two spots, with local champions from Tasmania and the ACT, along with the leading club from the Northern Territory, each given a slot. The 24th spot could either go to the best non-A-League club in New Zealand, or a third side from Western Australia.
There would be big discrepancies in ability, but that's what happens in cup competitions. Teams from the Conference (the highest grade outside the Football League) often win through to play against Premiership or Championship teams in the third round of the FA Cup. And while the wealthy teams generally triumph, that isn't always the case.
Fans of Chelsea and Liverpool will need no reminding that both fell victim to struggling Championship side Barnsley in this year's cup, while lower-division Bristol Rovers made it to the quarter-finals before being eliminated, two wins short of a trip to Wembley, by Championship winner West Bromwich Albion.
The nature of soccer makes it easier to guard against genuine mismatches and hugely one-sided games. A fit, well-organised and committed team can set up defensively, concede possession and look to contain its opponents before hitting on the break.
Imagine the excitement if
verhead: verhead: Blacktown City was clinging on to a 1-0 lead against Queensland Roar in a first-round game at Seven Hills with the A-League side laying siege to their goal in the final minutes. Or the tension if Melbourne Victory was hanging on to a 2-1 lead away from home against Floreat Athena in Perth, with the West Australians throwing the kitchen sink at them trying to force an unlikely draw in front of their own fans.The playing field would also be levelled by the venues. Players used to performing at Sydney Football Stadium on balmy summer evenings might not quite fancy a trip to Sunshine to take on the Melbourne Knights on a cold night in September in a first-round cup tie.
I would suggest FFA has replays at least in the event of a draw in the first game, with penalty shootouts following extra-time in the second game. With an A-League season comprising (at present) only 21 games plus finals, coaches and players could hardly complain about a crowded fixture.
There should be no seeding. If this year's A-League grand finalists Central Coast and Newcastle were drawn to play against each other in the first round, so be it.
And to make the tournament worth winning, the cup holder could be given an Asian Champions League spot. At least three Australian sides are expected to be given spots in the ACL revamp. What better way to add spice to the FFA Cup?
What's not to like? Oakleigh Cannons versus Adelaide United at Jack Edwards Reserve, Sydney United versus Wellington Phoenix at Edensor Park, Sunshine Coast Fire versus Melbourne Victory bring it on.
