FFA Cup

[Big Al]

They always said these games would be played mid-week. But yet, you seem surprised, perhaps even just a little angry?

Midweek football FTW.

Yeah - It's this big shinny new toy available in pre-season & they put it during the week.
They maid a huge deal about involving the A League clubs but they are only using them to sell seats at these smaller clubs. I get the idea of trying to replica the FA Cup but at least make it interesting for A League fans.
Right now my interest is very minimal & think it's a waste of time

 

[dibo]

I would imagine everyone who watches the HAL would watch FFA Cup games plus you would have NPL fans/old "socka" fans tuning in and a few curious about the new comp. I can't see why the games wouldn't rate at least as well as a normal HAL match.
Hiding it off TV gives it an air of unimportance as well. It's big and everybody has to see it.
Someone broadcast the Cup FFS!

There are 16 games being scheduled in the space of a couple of days, many at the same time, some with real no-name teams (who do you reckon is going to tune in to watch Hakoah vs Palm Beach?).

They'll show some games, but before the final stages it's dreamland to imagine they'll show many. FWIW, they don't show all the English FA Cup games either. I *think* all will be filmed from one camera position at least so that they can package up highlights in similar fashion to NPL games.

 

[eenfish]

Yeah - It's this big shinny new toy available in pre-season & they put it during the week.
They maid a huge deal about involving the A League clubs but they are only using them to sell seats at these smaller clubs. I get the idea of trying to replica the FA Cup but at least make it interesting for A League fans.
Right now my interest is very minimal & think it's a waste of time

Yeah, how dare those small town teams and old clubs leach interest off of the A-League after the A-League was established at the disregard of old football. Damn them.

Also I'd watch Hakoah vs Palm Beach, club with history of winning the first Australian Cup? Hell yeah. I'm gonna head over to Springvale if I have the day off to watch them pump some Newcastle scum dogs.

 

[VicMariner]

(who do you reckon is going to tune in to watch Hakoah vs Palm Beach?).

I'll watch any local football they care to put on but I understand fixtures like that might not rate well.

 

[dibo]

I'll watch any local football they care to put on but I understand fixtures like that might not rate well.

Yeah, that's pretty much the issue. If only there were 100,000 more of you.

 

[sydmariner]

Yeah, that's pretty much the issue. If only there were 100,000 more of you.

 

[priorpeter]

Yeah - It's this big shinny new toy available in pre-season & they put it during the week.
They maid a huge deal about involving the A League clubs but they are only using them to sell seats at these smaller clubs. I get the idea of trying to replica the FA Cup but at least make it interesting for A League fans.
Right now my interest is very minimal & think it's a waste of time

Amateur clubs will be playing their finals around the time of the first round so weekend games wouldn't be ideal. Future rounds will be during a-league season so again would have to be played midweek - as was clearly stated when the cup was announced. I'm stoked, more football fix for me, happy days.

 

[sydmariner]

Amateur clubs will be playing their finals around the time of the first round so weekend games wouldn't be ideal. Future rounds will be during a-league season so again would have to be played midweek - as was clearly stated when the cup was announced. I'm stoked, more football fix for me, happy days.

Me too

 

[rbakersmith]

Tickets are now on sale - $10 each (GA) plus $4.35(!) processing fee per transaction:
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/sout...atid=11&tm_link=artist_msg-0_13004CEF9AD21DB8

 

[sydmariner]

Tickets are now on sale - $10 each (GA) plus $4.35(!) processing fee per transaction:
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/sout...atid=11&tm_link=artist_msg-0_13004CEF9AD21DB8

So no away bay then

 

[rbakersmith]

So no away bay then

The YA posted on Facebook that they'll have more news closer to the date.

 

[sydmariner]

The YA posted on Facebook that they'll have more news closer to the date.

I'm not on facebook

 

[MrCelery]

I'm not on facebook

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Facebook Yellow Army&l=1

 

[Big Al]

Rnd 32 starts tonight.

I wasn't a huge fan but one of my mains complaints has been explained

All the ties in this year’s competition will be played in midweek. The aspiration for the competition is that it is played at weekends. The hosting of the Asian Cup in January means that, in order to avoid clashing, this year’s games will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights but will switch to weekend games for the 2015 competition.
Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/ten-things-you-need-know-about-ffa-cup#UlqIr16eS5S6pZDy.99

 

[Luke]

Rnd 32 starts tonight.

I wasn't a huge fan but one of my mains complaints has been explained

All the ties in this year’s competition will be played in midweek. The aspiration for the competition is that it is played at weekends. The hosting of the Asian Cup in January means that, in order to avoid clashing, this year’s games will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights but will switch to weekend games for the 2015 competition.
Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/ten-things-you-need-know-about-ffa-cup#UlqIr16eS5S6pZDy.99

Sorry but there's no way in hell it should be on weekends.That stuffs up the NPL clubs and will force them to play their regular season games and finals midweek.

FFA proving again it doesn't give a toss about NPL.

 

[dibo]

I think you'll find that from 2015 on, the cup will start after the NPL national finals tournament in October. NPL clubs will largely be back in training for pre-season, ready to go for Winter 2016, and they'll play the FFA Cup Final on or near Australia Day, getting it all wrapped up before State pre-season comps get rolling. The f**k-around will come from the NYL players being involved with the NYL season over the summer and not being released to the NPL clubs for whom they play in winter.

 

[Big Al]

For a couple of TV games against the A League I'm sure they can move Wolves vs. Olympic to a Tues night
& have the Mariners visit Wollongong Stadium on a sat night with 10-15,000 (This is an example).

The push for a team like the wolves to join the A League would prefer a Sat night crowd to see what the realistic fan base is.

There is an article on 442 saying the FFA might be keen to go a 3rd Sydney team in the Sutherland, Kogarah, Wollongong basin to capitalise on players & empty area.

To promote these things cup games should be on Weekends IMO. (A League Clubs involvement should be weekend - I'd better correct what I'm saying - Happy to watch state league knockout games on tues/wed night on foxtel)

Also there are only limited state league games affect. The Rnd of 32 is split over 4 weeks & there are a handful NSW state league teams qualified.

IMO - Cup = Sat = Success in both Crowds, support & coverage

Best part the game is decided on the night - So could be off to penalties

 

[dibo]

For what it's worth, FFA really does care about NPL. The common elite club licence model being rolled out across the country is an essential part of ensuring genuine alignment across the country to yield at least a minimum standard for every elite program. The setting and enforcing of criteria related to coaching structures, development pathways and player points will (over the span of a decade or so) yield a massive difference in how the NPL operates.

The change will be more tidal than seismic, but no less unstoppable, as clubs get better at building frameworks to support development and retention, they build stronger coaching structures, players and parents learn to play for good outcomes as well as good results and the clubs build a sustainable future.

In the USA, the lower tiers are in part where they're drawing their expansion franchises for MLS, and I don't think there's any coincidence that we're looking more and more at the MLS way of operating. We're about 10 years behind them. When they were in their 10th season, they had just ended their period of contraction where from an initial 10, up to 12, down to 10 and then back up to 12. They were starting work on things like soccer-specific-stadiums and putting the planks under a new period of expansion.

Two years later, they signed up David Beckham to LA Galaxy and the whole thing changed. Since 2005 they've gone from 12 teams to 19, with another 4 announced but not yet entered. Cities are queing up to get into the league, with investors wanting to get a slice.

Forbes valued MLS franchises at being worth between $64 million for Chivas USA to a whopping $175 million for Seattle Sounders. On average they're worth over $100 million.

This is in a marketplace where they're competing head on with baseball and NASCAR, and while they don't share a season, they still have to compete for sponsorships with NFL, NBA and NHL.

This is a big deal. The long game for the A-League is to get NPL clubs and competitions developing so they can provide clubs with the strength and support to eventually make the step up, but in the meantime for them to be able to function as talent factories underpinning the development of the A-League and national teams.

There are 104 clubs in total:

ACT: 9
NSW: 24 (two divisions)
NNSW: 10
Qld: 13
SA: 14
Tas: 8
Vic: 28 (two divisions)
WA: 12

All of these clubs are bound by the FFA's elite club licencing program, so they are required to meet a set of criteria set by FFA and the local member federation.

This will mean there are close to 20,000 players in programs regulated under the FFA's NPL blueprint, and that's before you get to the various state institute programs.

Some of these kids won't be much chop, and most won't make it, but it gives us the best chance of finding and developing enough playing talent to generate strong national sides and players to fill a growing A-League.

 

[dibo]

I *really* hope people were watching on TV tonight - that was heaps of fun, and great coverage from Fox. Picture in picture replays of goals when they occurred, someone at every ground, magic stuff. The football was a reasonable standard but A-League sides who are in any sort of decent nick should still be expected to get through.

 

[pjennings]

So when BWE beats SFC after SFC beat WHU does that mean that the NSWPL will be better than the EPL?