Auburn Mariner
Well-Known Member
I had some spare time today and yesterday to come up with a draft format for the FFA Cup. These are just some of my ideas; and I'll bite the bullet and throw them open for comment:
The FFA would be open to 229 teams, inclusive of the 9 HAL sides in 2009-10.
There would be 8 divisions, as follows;
A. Kimberley/Pilbara/Jarrah (KPJ) Conference, consisting of teams from Western Australia only, including Perth Glory.
B. Capricornia (CPC) Conference, consisting of teams from Northern Territory and ALL of country Queensland EXCEPT Metropolitan Brisbane & the Gold Coast (roughly draw a scalene triangle from Bribie Island to the Tweed River at Snapper Rocks & Ipswich), including NQFC.
C. Moreton Bay Stradbroke (MBS) Conference, consisting of teams from Brisbane & the Gold Coast only. This is the ONLY Conference where two HAL Clubs would be drawn in the same Conference, they being Queensland & GCFC.
D. Murray Darling Tweed (MDT) Conference, consisting of Newcastle United FC, the ACT and ALL of non-Central Coast Country NSW EXCEPT the Illawarra to Albion Park Rail.
E. Hawkesbury Central Coast (HCC) Conference, consisting of ALL of Sydney from Parramatta Road-Great Western Hwy north to include the Central Coast up to a line from Catherine Hill Bay to Morisset, including the Central Coast Mariners.
F. Nepean Illawarra (NEI) Conference, consisting of ALL of Sydney from Parramatta Road-Great Western Hwy south to include the Illawarra as far south as Albion Park Railway Station, including Sydney FC.
G. South Australia Wimmera (SEW) Conference, consisting of ALL of SA, Adelaide FC and Victorian Country west of the Hume Highway
H. Eastern Victoria Tasmania (EVT) Conference, consisting of Victorian Country east of the Hume Hwy, Tasmania and Metropolitan Melbourne, including Melbourne Victory
Under this draft, Sydney FC, Central Coast & Newcastle would switch Conferences each year, as would NQFC, Qld & GCFC. Melbourne & Adelaide could easily do the same.
We would start with 220 teams across the country, NOT Including HAL teams.
Rd 1 sees us eliminate 110 teams.
Rd 2 sees a further 55 teams eliminated, leaving 55 teams PLUS the 9 HAL sides. 64 teams are left, with Qld & GCFC in the same Elite 8 and all other HAL teams in a Elite 8 with 7 non-HAL teams.
Rd 3 sees ALL HAL teams drawn AWAY, with the draw arranged so that Qld & GCFC DO NOT play each other until the Sweet 16 round. This is the round of 64.
Rd 4 sees remaining HAL teams GUARANTEED a home fixture if they are still involved. This is the round of 32.
Rd 5 is the Sweet 16. Home and away is done by Coin Toss.
Rd 6 is the Elite 8. These Conferences would be drawn to play each other, first Conference is home in Year 1, 2nd in Year 2 and so on:
KPJ v SEW
CPC v MBS
MDT v HCC
NEI v EVT
Rd 7 is the Final Four, played as a double-header on New Year's Eve on rotation around the country. Possibilities include Robina, Ballymore, Adelaide Oval, Bruce Stadium & Bluetongue.
Rd 8 is the Big Show, tendered out by FFA on a two-year basis. Strict Criteria apply, minimum 40k stadium, and must be within ONE FLIGHT ONLY of every capital city in the country. At a pinch, this would mean Lang Park & QEII, SFS & Stadium Australia, MCG & Docklands, Football Park & Subiaco.
TV rights go exclusively to SBS. FFA to gain an Australian Major Sponsor.
The next bit has been racing around my chrome dome, it's a touch radical, but what the hell:
It's our Cup, we can do what we like, and I am personally sick of sycophants who are slaves to Europe and/or Latin America. So, instead of the usual three subs, let's have 7 interchanges. This will assist non-HAL clubs, who will clearly NOT be as fit as HAL teams. Teams can carry 5 subs plus a keeper on the bench. Teams get a free interchange if a straight red-card challenge by the opposition injures a player.
Secondly, every game of every round is decided on the day. We could not afford replays, so it goes to 30 minutes Extra Time, then penalties ALL THE WAY through.
As the third and final installment of the different thinking, in televised games, let's have Two Coach Challenges per match per team for Video Replay (VR). VR can ONLY be used for challenging an offside call that DIRECTLY disallows a goal OR to decide if a shot on goal crossed the goal-line or not. Challenge issued with a red flag by coach to 4th official. Sole arbitrator of VR is the Referee.
Possible HUGE fixtures under this proposal include Sydney FC vs Marconi/Sydney United (where's your flares??), Melbourne Victory/South Melbourne (can you imagine this at Bob Jane?? Aye, Caramba!!), Adelaide Utd v Adelaide City, Central Coast v Blacktown/Manly, and here's a wicked possibility, Yoogali of Griffith v Newcastle United (5000 mad Italo-Australians at a chock-a-block Yoogali Oval. LOVE to see the Sqaudron make the trek to the MIA for THIS ONE).
I apologise for the long read. I'm sure this will get eviscerated by some, but I do not care. Over to you, my dear friends.
The FFA would be open to 229 teams, inclusive of the 9 HAL sides in 2009-10.
There would be 8 divisions, as follows;
A. Kimberley/Pilbara/Jarrah (KPJ) Conference, consisting of teams from Western Australia only, including Perth Glory.
B. Capricornia (CPC) Conference, consisting of teams from Northern Territory and ALL of country Queensland EXCEPT Metropolitan Brisbane & the Gold Coast (roughly draw a scalene triangle from Bribie Island to the Tweed River at Snapper Rocks & Ipswich), including NQFC.
C. Moreton Bay Stradbroke (MBS) Conference, consisting of teams from Brisbane & the Gold Coast only. This is the ONLY Conference where two HAL Clubs would be drawn in the same Conference, they being Queensland & GCFC.
D. Murray Darling Tweed (MDT) Conference, consisting of Newcastle United FC, the ACT and ALL of non-Central Coast Country NSW EXCEPT the Illawarra to Albion Park Rail.
E. Hawkesbury Central Coast (HCC) Conference, consisting of ALL of Sydney from Parramatta Road-Great Western Hwy north to include the Central Coast up to a line from Catherine Hill Bay to Morisset, including the Central Coast Mariners.
F. Nepean Illawarra (NEI) Conference, consisting of ALL of Sydney from Parramatta Road-Great Western Hwy south to include the Illawarra as far south as Albion Park Railway Station, including Sydney FC.
G. South Australia Wimmera (SEW) Conference, consisting of ALL of SA, Adelaide FC and Victorian Country west of the Hume Highway
H. Eastern Victoria Tasmania (EVT) Conference, consisting of Victorian Country east of the Hume Hwy, Tasmania and Metropolitan Melbourne, including Melbourne Victory
Under this draft, Sydney FC, Central Coast & Newcastle would switch Conferences each year, as would NQFC, Qld & GCFC. Melbourne & Adelaide could easily do the same.
We would start with 220 teams across the country, NOT Including HAL teams.
Rd 1 sees us eliminate 110 teams.
Rd 2 sees a further 55 teams eliminated, leaving 55 teams PLUS the 9 HAL sides. 64 teams are left, with Qld & GCFC in the same Elite 8 and all other HAL teams in a Elite 8 with 7 non-HAL teams.
Rd 3 sees ALL HAL teams drawn AWAY, with the draw arranged so that Qld & GCFC DO NOT play each other until the Sweet 16 round. This is the round of 64.
Rd 4 sees remaining HAL teams GUARANTEED a home fixture if they are still involved. This is the round of 32.
Rd 5 is the Sweet 16. Home and away is done by Coin Toss.
Rd 6 is the Elite 8. These Conferences would be drawn to play each other, first Conference is home in Year 1, 2nd in Year 2 and so on:
KPJ v SEW
CPC v MBS
MDT v HCC
NEI v EVT
Rd 7 is the Final Four, played as a double-header on New Year's Eve on rotation around the country. Possibilities include Robina, Ballymore, Adelaide Oval, Bruce Stadium & Bluetongue.
Rd 8 is the Big Show, tendered out by FFA on a two-year basis. Strict Criteria apply, minimum 40k stadium, and must be within ONE FLIGHT ONLY of every capital city in the country. At a pinch, this would mean Lang Park & QEII, SFS & Stadium Australia, MCG & Docklands, Football Park & Subiaco.
TV rights go exclusively to SBS. FFA to gain an Australian Major Sponsor.
The next bit has been racing around my chrome dome, it's a touch radical, but what the hell:
It's our Cup, we can do what we like, and I am personally sick of sycophants who are slaves to Europe and/or Latin America. So, instead of the usual three subs, let's have 7 interchanges. This will assist non-HAL clubs, who will clearly NOT be as fit as HAL teams. Teams can carry 5 subs plus a keeper on the bench. Teams get a free interchange if a straight red-card challenge by the opposition injures a player.
Secondly, every game of every round is decided on the day. We could not afford replays, so it goes to 30 minutes Extra Time, then penalties ALL THE WAY through.
As the third and final installment of the different thinking, in televised games, let's have Two Coach Challenges per match per team for Video Replay (VR). VR can ONLY be used for challenging an offside call that DIRECTLY disallows a goal OR to decide if a shot on goal crossed the goal-line or not. Challenge issued with a red flag by coach to 4th official. Sole arbitrator of VR is the Referee.
Possible HUGE fixtures under this proposal include Sydney FC vs Marconi/Sydney United (where's your flares??), Melbourne Victory/South Melbourne (can you imagine this at Bob Jane?? Aye, Caramba!!), Adelaide Utd v Adelaide City, Central Coast v Blacktown/Manly, and here's a wicked possibility, Yoogali of Griffith v Newcastle United (5000 mad Italo-Australians at a chock-a-block Yoogali Oval. LOVE to see the Sqaudron make the trek to the MIA for THIS ONE).
I apologise for the long read. I'm sure this will get eviscerated by some, but I do not care. Over to you, my dear friends.
