Duchy Cups 2019-20

[Premier Sixes]

This will be the official thread for the Duchy Cups this season. Results, fixtures and tables will be updated throughout the season, 

At tonights AGM the clubs were presented witht he new proposals for the league Cups this season. The new format will ensure that teams have more games to play this season due to reduced divisional numbers. The new format also provides a fresh approach to the earlier stages of the cups which fits in well with the finals day and selection of semi-final venues which I believe have been huge successes the last couple of seasons. The format should also help maintain interest levels in teams as most groups will probably go down to the final game to decide which teams go through and who has home advantage in the last 16.

This years Cups format is as follows:

The top two divisions will compete for the Duchy Knockout Cup and the bottom two divisions will compete for the Shoe Boy Cup

Each cup will be made up of 8 qualifying groups of 3 teams (there is 1 group of 4 in the Knockout Cup)

All teams play each other home and away.

The top team at the end of the qualification process will have a home tie in the last 16, the runners up will be an away team in the last 16 and the 3rd (and one 4th placed team) will be eliminated.

This means if you can win you group you have home advantage in the last 16 and if you win it you are just one quarter-final match away from a semi-final which will be held at a neutral ground with 3 appointed match officials.

The league will once more have a finals day were both cup finals will be played back to back at St Dennis FC the day after the FA Cup final to conclude the 2019-20 Duchy League season.

The draws for the qualifying groups were made at the end of the AGM by Tracy Banfield and a member of the Calstock management. They are as follows:

Knockout Cup
Group A
St Newlyn East
AFC Bodmin
Polperro
Pelynt

Group B
Altarnun
Boscastle
Lanivet Inn

Group C
Gunnislake
St Breward
Foxhole

Group D
Lostwithiel
St Merryn
Liskeard Athletic

Group E
Tregrehan Mills
Stoke Climsland
Gorran

Group F
Saltash United
Dobwalls
St Minver

Group G
Tintagel
Pensilva
Lifton

Group H
Holywell & Cubert Athletic
Mevagissey
FC Tavyside

Shoe Boy Cup

Group A
St Stephen
Nanpean 
St Annes Chapel

Group B
Calstock
Bude Town
Biscovey

Group C
Southgate Seniors
St Cleer
Roche

Group D
Boscastle Reserves
St Eval Spitfires
Grampound

Group E
North Hill
Delabole
Gunnislake Reserves

Group F
Lifton
North Petherwin
St Mawgan

Group G
Lostwithiel Reserves
Queens Rangers
St Dominick

Group H
Week St Mary
St Columb Major
Bude Town Res

Qualifying group games will begin in September and weather permitting be completed in January, then there will be a round each month up until the finals day in mid May.

[Keith B]

Excellent post CS - thank you.

[Billy Davies]

Thanks Premier Sixes and well done Duchy League.

[Jimmer06]

Looks a good format. The league needed a freshen up and this is exactly the right thing to do.

[Paul Collings]

Hopefully after all the upheaval we can now all get on and enjoy the coming season. A little shake up may well breathe some life back into the league. It will be great if we don't lose any teams mid season and then have a few more interested next year to edge the division numbers back up 14 if possible.

Meanwhile, the cup revamp is something of a trial, hopefully it will prove to be popular - time will tell but it will give everyone more games - a minimum of 27 matches pretty much fills the season once you factor in bad weather lack of referees etc. 

None of us on the League Committee is perfect and we don't always get everything right but we do always want to do what is best for the league. The influence of some younger members is beginning to show but we do need some more and there are still vacancies on the committee.