Football Federation Australia will announce a brand new national competition for Australian football today, with a knock-out cup to begin in 2014.
Last year, the FFA agreed in principle to 2014 start for the competition, which will have a similar model to the FA Cup in England.
In what is the most exciting development in Australian football since the inception of the A-League, the announcement is one of the most anticipated in the history in the sport in this country.
CEO David Gallop is expected to front the announcement, along with former Blackburn and Sydney FC midfielder, the recently retired Brett Emerton.
The format will include professional sides as well as amateur sides from all around Australia, with the details still to be confirmed.
UPDATE:
David Gallop has confirmed that the FFA Cup will commence in 2014, offering grassroots teams the opportunity to face off against the giants of Australian football.
Each state will hold internal competitions, beginning with around 600 clubs, to determine which teams quality for the FFA Cup Round of 32, kicking off in late July.
The 32-team knockout phase will consist of all 10 A-League teams (Wellington Phoenix will be included) and 22 lower tier qualifiers.
The allocation from each state is based on competition size and participation levels and will be as follows:
Football NSW – 7 Clubs
Football Federation Victoria – 4 Clubs
Football Queensland – 4 Clubs
Football West – 2 Clubs
NNSW Football – 2 Clubs
Capital Football – 1 Club
Football Federation SA – 1 Club
Football Federation Tasmania – 1 Club
*Northern Territory will participate in 2015 FFA Cup
Foxtel has come on board as the broadcast partner for this event and will cover a minimum of 10 matches, including all finals.
Matches are to be played on Tuesday nights in an effort to avoid any clashes with regular competitions. This scheduling also carries the long term goal of establishing Tuesday night as the night to watch FFA Cup.
In an effort to ensure the competition provides a genuine opportunity for grassroots teams, the FFA Cup draw is designed to see one Member Federation Club qualify for the Cup Semi-Final.
“We all grew up with the romance of the English FA Cup and well remember the history of upsets. I’m sure the FFA Cup will bring the same fascination to fans across Australia.” – David Gallop
mahonjt
Guest
The way you guys are heading you will need to beat A-League opposition to stay alive and will go out in the 1st national round :-)
Battered Sav
Guest
When I'm on the internet rural/1990's Australia is not my audience.
Ginger71
Guest
no but you base your language on who your audience is at the time, public speaking 101.
owngoal
Guest
Great news. Now the A-League clubs can face off against the giants of Australian football.
legend
Guest
Id love to see that but wolves would have to qualify first
AZ_RBB
Guest
Only flogs and eurosnobs call it 'football'. True believers call it 'association football'.
Battered Sav
Guest
I grew up in a small town in Central West NSW, Rugby League was called Football... You can't base your language on what a small percentage of country people find comfortable.
Ginger71
Guest
exactly. Football Fans might call it football, but i live on the NSW/Vic Border if i said Football everyone would assume i meant AFL unless they were a Football (Soccer) Fan, all the media down here refer to it as Soccer, so for ease of understanding you use the terminology that suits the area and the people you are talking with, most people understand the terminology that Sheek has used.
Ben Carter
Roar Guru
Hi all - just caught the news. Seriously - any quibbles (and yeah, there are a few) should be consigned to the brain-bin, at least for 12 months. This is utterly brilliant stuff for the sport in Australia. Hurrah.
Patrick Hargreaves
Roar Guru
They don't get a guaranteed finals spot, it's just how the draw works to seed a league teams so that 4 can't make the semis. The grass roots team still has to make the semis.
Whites
Guest
Round of 32. WIN Stadium. Wollongong Wolves vs Perth Glory.
Battered Sav
Guest
Flogging a very dead horse with this one. We are football.
NUFCMVFC
Guest
Great development Like the way it is structured too http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/ffa-cup-grassroots-versus-goliaths So we'll have grassroots games right until the end The timing (July) isn't too bad either, it seems to be basically in the off-season, but if the league is brought forward to start in august it is basically a pre season cup again. That said, it is a good filler during the off-season, and also good IMO it is played at grassroots venues (keeps costs down) I hope Tuesdays work Great it is being broadcast, I had hoped SBS would get it but Foxtel is OK, will do it properly of course, would imagine it will end up like ACL In time, a league teams will be able to play these at their own small stadiums I hope, eg mariners COE for example A big big plus for Gallop for getting this off the ground
DUNCAN
Guest
Exellant news for Aussie football. Next is removing finals altogether from the A league. Only thing that disappointed me was no fta coverage. Why just limit tv audience to the twenty percent that have Fox and who mostly are in NSW. Because as a another poster pointed out the FFA is to sydney dominated. The last thing the comp needs is to end up like rugby where if NSW rugby doesn't get the lions share of any deal it doesn't happen. But great move foward and lets hope it's succeeds and for SBS or ABC to get off their ar*e and get a fta deal. The three commercial networks would just barstadize the comp to suit their needs. Good times ahead
Johnno
Guest
Good luck to Morwell VS Man City Heart, up the mighty Morwell Falcons. Did Albury-Wodongo get a start, or Devonport
jamesb
Guest
A great day for Australian Football and Football fans. The real benefit I see from this, is that it is the perfect shopfront for young players who play in semi professional and amateur clubs. It will be exciting to see how those young players from semi professional and amateur clubs pit themselves against the professional players from the A-League. We may unearth a few stars. Those players could end up getting contracts with A-League clubs. The only negative, only minimum of 10 games broadcasted, but I guess, it's early days. Well done FFA, well done Gallop.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
+1 Onside well said :-)
Slane
Guest
Can only hope. Wouldn't surprise me too much if nothing much happens. Too much money in sport.
melbourneterrace
Guest
Some of us would prefer a real football league.
Titus
Guest
Sheek......Football is the game played in over 200 countries, Aussie Rules can easily be defined as AFL as it is only played in Australia; The Australian Football League.