FFA Cup can bridge gap between new football and old soccer

Should the FFA not decide to start the FFA cup for another year it may be time to put some notes back to the local version and push for state cups including teams. Victoria's Mirabella cup already had MVFC and MHFC meant to enter at the 8(I think that's right) and other competitions could be changed to include there own teams. Wellington could even play in an NZ version should they be allowed to. This kind of competition would increase awareness of the local clubs and allow for the FFA Cup to step in once it's organised.

you dolt, there doesn’t have to be deaths for people not familiar with the game to feel so intimidated that they cant relax and enjoy the game. We had newbies who being new aren’t familiar with the ways and means in which Europeans and people of Euro decent support their clubs and the associated pyrotechnics. It comes back to the image of the game. It shouldn’t be G rated in the stands, but it should remain edgy enough to keep young adults from feeling bored at the game. Football has an image problem thanks to losing control of the narrative during the NSL days which allowing those with axes to grind against the game to write what they wanted. That’s how we ended up with the false perception that NSL games had Balkan warfare on the terraces. For people new to the game, these are the pre-conceived ideas they bring with them as they sample the world game and hopefully dip their toe into isupporting it locally. The behaviour of many knights fans whilst nothing too bad for those of us used to the ways of football around the world would have been incredibly shocking to newbies hence my comment: ever wonder why the NSL(died in the arse crowd-wise) and failed to grow its crowds too much beyond the 1st gen immigrants and their children. The A-League attempts to carefully manages its (and by extension football’s) image, through (sometimes over-strict) guidelines from FFA to prevent this loss of control of the narrative happening again. The FFA at least recognises that growth of the football support base

I was actually at that game too. I would oft' head to Somers St in the dying years of the NSL when South were playing out of town. Support the sport, yada, yada ........ There was the one firework that flew into the grandstand, that would've caused quite the fright and could've been dangerous. Not a great look, but appeared to be accidental.

Nothing bad even happened at the game Kasey is talking about. Kasey is making it sound like there was some kind of mass killing that day.

The behaviour debate deserves an article/thread of its own. I was at the Heart v Wellington game a couple of weeks back as a volunteer with the Big Issue Street Soccer. For what is talked about as the family friendly antidote to the Victory "hooligans" I was pretty sickened to see a group of 10 guys in their 20's physically and verbally abuse a man and a woman in their 40's. It isn't an issue of ethnicity or "old soccer", its an issue of entitled young men, getting a skinful and acting well 'ard. I twice travelled to Adelaide United games in their short NSL stint. Both times we were physically set upon by locals inside and outside the stadium. Our bus had a window broken as we pulled away from Hindmarsh. We even had an off-duty Adelaide police officer on the bus at the time assisting the bus driver. Please try to resist calling the kettle "black".

Yes you should be, please remember that day if you ever ponder why the NSL died in the arse in terms of crowd figures. There were newbies to the great game of football on our trip and some of them I have yet to see on any other away trips. You guys did great work for the image of the game that day. And some in the game wonder why the FFA are gun-shy about mixing the A-League with ex-NSL teams in an FFA Cup? Acting like complete animals and calling it passion are not acceptabble in my books.

very proud

heh, heh, I thought you'd be able to work out the meaning one way or the other! In fact, my Dutch teacher once game me three coffee cups circa 1988, carrying the pictures of Gullitt, van Basten and Rijkaard respectively.

Sorry mate, my knowledge of Dutch gives out after ‘abusing the referee and/or Rini Coolen’ My Dutch heritage gave me many things: an appreciation for speculaas and Pepernoten biscuits, a family that opens Christmas presents on xmas eve, access to a European Union passport, a team to follow in the Euros – that lead to my falling in love with the beautiful game (thank you Messers Gullitt, van Basten and Rijkaard et al in 1988) but being born in Australia, I have only ever spoken English at home. My father speaks, but with the death of my Oma and Opa, he rarely uses it these days. I never even had conflicted feeling on the few occasions that the Oranje have played the Socceroos. I’m Green and Gold all the way: ) but google translate is a great thing and I agree with your sentiments. Apparently today is the kick off of the AFL season (is it a kick off or a bounce down?) but for me it can’t possibly be footy season while football is still being played. After the HAL GF on April 22 and the UEFA CL final on May 19th I might be able to find time for my #2 sport. Even then it will only be SANFL footy, I've got no time or connection for the AFL style of footy.

How expansive can it be if you kept it at a state level until the round of 16. Get a sponsor like Qantas or Jetstar and get it telecasted on fox(they even telecasted an AFL interstate knockout comp made up of state league teams) or FTA. I'm not in the know but would it be hard to secure $1million dollars a year from between those 2 type of companies (sponsor & telecaster) to cover the cost if it is called the '.....'Cup and fox or FTA get to show the final(on Australia Day, ANZAC Day or Easter), the 2 semi- finals( one on Saturday night, one on Sunday afternoon), the 4 quarters( Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon/night) and their 4 games of choice(same time slots as the quarters) from the round of 16? half a million for "name rights", with that company allowed to have signage at every game from the earliest state league knockout right through to the final. Half a million from the telecaster to have the exclusive rights to the eleven games mentioned or more if they wanted the extra 4 from the round of 16.

Yeah, how did I know that as soon as I typed the words Melbourne Knights on here, you'd pop up? I'll bet you're really proud of the behavior of your fans that day.

@ Kasey I was at that game in 2004, you guys copped some great abuse that day. Some of you guys seemed genuniely scared that day lol

Well the general consensus seems to be that most agree with Beau's headline & also that it has to be adapted to Australian conditions, therefore viable, so FFA pull yer finger out.

Voetbal is geen zaak van leven en dood; het is veel belangrijker dan dat!

jb...just so you're sure, I use the terms anglos and wog in the semi-humorous manner of one who has been on the wrong end of both of those terms. I'm from a dutch background, so clog-wog isn't as derogatory as just plain wog I suppose, but I did enjoy the irony of being called a dirty skip by a 10-12 year old Melbourne Knights fan on Adelaide Uniteds away trip to Somers St in 2004. I would like nothing better than for this little divide we've created for ourselves in football to be healed as I see it as very counter-productive. United we thrive and divided we stumble as they say. Football has scored enough own-goals in my short lifetime to fill a book on how not to adnminister a sport, so I would hope that FFA starts to get more right than wrong sometime in the near future. As to respecting the past: A lot has changed from the Matt Carroll days of 2005= 'year zero' at FFA. Under Matt Carroll, Perth were told they could not celebrate a 10th birthday in2007 as they were only considered to have been created in 2005 with the other 7 franchises. that has obviously changed with their 15 year celebrations this year and the appointment of an official historian by the FFA to keep the FFA abrest of important milestones it should be commemorating, starting with the 60th anniversary of Australia's re-admittance to FIFA in 1950-something. Things are changing slowly, and respect will come as knowledge is increased I feel. We must continue to be patient and try to work together as best as we can for the good of the game.

Already happening - Northern NSW Premiere league winners Broadmedow Magic played Queensland State league winners Sunshine Coast in the Premieres Challenge mid-September last year. One-off match started in 2010.

And that's the dream we're looking for here!

Kasey True it is a 2 way street & I'm only trying to present a reason why there is sometimes a "Shut up you noisy new guys" attitude from the old school. I could also support those who condemn the negative impact migration had on football by presenting examples. But that just adds fuel to the fire of those who support that argument. Just as respect goes both ways so is there 2 sides to any difference of opinion. The mere fact that there is still this major rift in the game indicates that a positive solution has to be found. Otherwise you will be stuck as the new guy on one side of the Grand Canyon constantly giving the finger to the old wog on the other side. OK he'll most likely not be around much longer but the clubs he help create will. Football has to find a way of including all,a bridge over the Grand Canyon if you like. An FFA cup can go some way to building that bridge. Then we can all move on.

As you're highlighting, respect is certainly a two-way street. I was a foundation member of my local HAL franchise (while also a member of my ex-NSL/State League club). After a season of complete disrespect and rewriting of history by said franchise and its supporters I returned my ticket, member's pin, keychain, bumper sticker, and wrote them a letter expressing my disappointment. The only response I received was a renewal form some months later. It isn't just select ex-NSL supporters who are disrespectful.

I have not had time to read all comments ... sorry work is a pain today... so if repeated from someone else sorry... FFA have agreed to the FA Cup, the plan is in place to run it... They issued some months back they supported it and will put it in place.... what they want is money to run it... and its millions they are looking for a sponsor or the next media deal but as to should it happen it has been agreed ... the start up year is the key question..