This year the FFV (Football Federation Victoria) took a big step forward for football in Victoria by re-introducing a State Cup competition named the Mirabella Cup. It replaced the old Dockerty Cup which hadn’t been run since 2004.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this latest incarnation of the tournament was to be the inclusion of Hyundai A-League clubs, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart.
The two A-League outfits would enter the competition at the quarter final stages giving the smaller clubs a dream chance to take on a professional team. What better way to boost grassroots football in Victoria and spark the public’s interest in the A-League? It seemed like a perfect fit.
The Mirabella Cup is about to enter just its fifth round but already the interest in the tournament has been high.
It was disappointing then to hear the news today that Football Federation Australia (FFA) has banned Victory and Heart from competing in the tournament.
The fact that the FFA has now taken a backwards step after initially approving the A-League teams involvement is very disappointing.
The FFA’s reasoning for the decision is even more baffling though. They’re claiming that the Mirabella Cup will damage their own attempts of setting up a national cup competition, dubbed the FFA Cup, which is set to kick off next year.
The FFA claim it will hinder their chances of gaining significant income from sponsorships as well as impacting on the ‘romance’ of their own cup competition.
An FFA spokesperson told The Age: “Since the initial discussions about Victory and Heart participating in the Mirabella Cup, the landscape has changed significantly.”
“Having one state and two A-League clubs pre-empt a truly national cup competition is liable to erode the work that has been done and diminish that essential ingredient.”
Really? What’s changed between now and February when the competition was announced? In my opinion, I can’t see how it would take anything away from an FFA Cup. If anything the Mirabella Cup would get people even more excited for a national competition.
It would also give those smaller teams yet another chance to take on A-League opposition. Plus, in a national tournament your going to have a whole bunch of other teams taking part as well, not just Victorian clubs so there is definitely enough to keep people interested.
It’s unfortunate but without Victory and Heart competing its only damaged the reputation of the Mirabella Cup itself and impacted its chances of success. The FFA were so worried about the impact it would have on the FFA Cup that in turn they’ve taken something away from the Victorian competition.
The FFA’s actions don’t surprise me one bit, though.
Yet again they’ve made a business decision without really considering its impact on football itself.
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