Australia NewsFFA's Up For The Cup |
EXCLUSIVE: Australia's answer to the FA Cup is being mapped out by FFA bosses as they seek to deliver a knockout boost to the game.
Speaking exclusively to au.fourfourtwo.com, FFA chief executive officer Ben Buckley has said a cup competition is one of the governing body’s priorities to help spark further interest.Australia is one of the few professional leagues which does not boast a cup format during the regular season and it is something Buckley and his FFA colleagues are keen to see change.
It is not yet clear how quickly the A-League’s very own FA Cup will be introduced or how many other clubs will compete in it but the willingness is there to ensure it does materialise sooner rather than later.
Buckley said: “It is something we’re looking at, an FA Cup-style competition.
“We are doing some work on the different formats that that might take. We think that will breed some additional interest in the game from all levels and all sectors of the football community."
He added: "We are somewhat disadvantaged relative to other countries, European nations in particular, in that you can’t just hop on a bus and be at your opponents’ doorstep in an hour or two hours.
“You have to get on a plane to make the journey and that can take a day or so. But those things can be overcome.
“We may have to create a unique format for Australia rather than just adopt what happens in other countries.”
That could mean a more regionalised format and state league sides will be hoping that they have the chance to rub shoulders with the big boys, as is the case with the FA Cup in England.
As it stands, the only knockout action for A-League players and supporters to enjoy is the Pre-Season Cup, albeit the initial stages of that are in a group format and there is no showpiece final for supporters to enjoy.
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