The word on the grapevine is that the FFA is about to announce an improved Television deal with Foxtel, which is good news for Football fans as it would appear the financial injection will be much needed.
There is talk that the improved deal may well be locked into the start of an FA Cup style competition that will involve the majority of senior clubs in Australia.
We have always advocated that Football needs such a competition, but once again have fears that the FFA may well be trying to run before it can walk. First of all surely they need to ensure the future of the A League and all of the clubs in it. The competition cannot afford any more teams to drop out if the competition is to maintain credibility. This Premier competition needs to have some focus from key personnel to ensure that its foundations are solid and that it is in fact in a strong state of health not just for the next few years but also for at least the next ten years.
An FA Cup style competition should be something that evolves over time. Currently the standard of the state leagues around the country is falling behind the A League at a rate that is of great concern to many, including A League coaches looking to promote players. Therefore it would appear foolish to expand the net to amateur senior clubs registered with the state bodies.
In Western Australia the Premier amateur clubs are involved in the State League Cup competition, so initially might it not be a better alternative to have both finalists in the state knock out cup competitions win places in the national FFA Cup, or whatever it will be called? This will give all clubs an incentive to make the final, as they may well be drawn against an A League side in the first round and have the opportunity to make some money.
Unlike the UK where even non-league clubs have grounds at which you can film adequately, the State Leagues around the country are not in the same position, as stated previously they are all in need of investment to improve the quality and bring the grounds into the 21st Century, so to televise such a match could in fact do the overall game of football a dis-service.
The idea is a good one, but rather than trying to include everyone from the start let’s hope the FFA start off small and once the foundations have been lain they then opt to expand the competition, after all that is what happened with the FA Cup, and that is why it is the Premier Domestic Knockout cup competition. This has the potential to be something special, but it must be done properly from the start.
