Mike Odgers Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 ONLY EIGHT STEP 6 CLUBS WILL BE IN THE 2021/22 FA CUP BY TOM CANNING JUNE 18, 2021 The FA have revealed that there will be limited places for step 6 sides in the competition next season Berks County's Tom Nugent. Photo: Andrew Batt / contentello.smugmug.com The Football Association have revealed in an email to member clubs – seen by Football in Berkshire – that only eight clubs at step 6 of the English Football Pyramid will feature in the 2021/22 Emirates FA Cup. The move is related to the National League System restructure taking place this summer that has seen a large number of clubs promoted to step 5 and step 4 to fill new division’s created at those levels. According to the email: “A draw will be conducted to determine eight of the 17 Step 6 Leagues which will be represented in the Competition. Each of those eight Step 6 Leagues will then be represented by one Club. This Club will be the highest ranked Club within that Step 6 League that was not successful in receiving upward movement to Step 5 of The FA National League System in the recent restructuring.” The FA acknowledged that: “We accept this method would not ordinarily be used to determine entries into the Competition, we believe it to be the fairest method in the current set of exceptional circumstances, to ensure the Competition has a fair balance of Clubs across all the divisions of Step 6 of The FA National League System.” Berkshire clubs at step 6 – the Combined Counties League Division One – include AFC Aldermaston, Berks County, Chalvey Sports, Eversley & California, Langley, Sandhurst Town and Woodley United. The 2021/22 FA Cup will include 729 teams and kick-off with the Extra Preliminary Round on Saturday 7th August 2021. Get the LATEST NEWS direct to your inbox. Pop your email in the box. Is it based on last season or PPG over two seasons If the League is successfully drawn out of the hat I would guess from (Bodmin.Falmouth,St.austell ,TorpoimT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted June 18, 2021 Report Share Posted June 18, 2021 Wouldnt it be better to drop a friendly and have an even earlier round for clubs who want to enter. 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 1024 Number of clubs per round needed. So why only 729? Random number for a start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAPPO Posted June 19, 2021 Report Share Posted June 19, 2021 Good old FA looking after the grassroots game again! Must be the “magic” of the FA Cup.....it’s disappeared for nearly all the step 6 clubs!!! 😳🙄🏆 Paul and Both Sides of the Tamar 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheolderIgetthebetterIwas Posted June 19, 2021 Report Share Posted June 19, 2021 The FA love grass roots football. Ian Pethick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Davies Posted June 19, 2021 Report Share Posted June 19, 2021 21 hours ago, Paul said: Wouldnt it be better to drop a friendly and have an even earlier round for clubs who want to enter. 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 1024 Number of clubs per round needed. So why only 729? Random number for a start. The third round hasn’t been considered there for a start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted June 20, 2021 Report Share Posted June 20, 2021 On 19/06/2021 at 21:07, John Davies said: The third round hasn’t been considered there for a start. Good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Pethick Posted June 21, 2021 Report Share Posted June 21, 2021 On 19/06/2021 at 09:35, RAPPO said: Good old FA looking after the grassroots game again! Must be the “magic” of the FA Cup.....it’s disappeared for nearly all the step 6 clubs!!! 😳🙄🏆 In my opinion, the magic of the FA Cup went years ago. Its demise was via the constant flood of live football on the TV, the growth of the champions league and premier league meaning that the top clubs sometimes see it merely as an inconvenience, replays being scheduled 10 days after the initial match, the introduction of penalty shootouts to replace playing to a result with replays ,the semi finals being played at Wembley and the final being moved to a 5pm kick off. The best part of the FA Cup is now the qualifying rounds (where it can be a big money spinner for non league clubs), through to the third round. After that I lose interest. The FA Vase is now undoubtedly the best knock out competition in the country, probably the only one where all the competing clubs have a genuine go at it (don't think the National League clubs chasing promotion take the FA Trophy that seriously)and creates a real buzz. No doubt the FA are drawing up plans to downgrade it. Dave Deacon and RAPPO 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted June 21, 2021 Report Share Posted June 21, 2021 Sadly for me even the Cornwall Senior Cup has lost its attraction with it only being played for by Steps 5 & 6 clubs! The FA Vase competition has always been an interesting one as the unofficial measure as to how good the clubs down here might be. With the demise of the FA Cup and Senior Cup, it has to be the FA Vase for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Pethick Posted June 21, 2021 Report Share Posted June 21, 2021 1 hour ago, Dave Deacon said: Sadly for me even the Cornwall Senior Cup has lost its attraction with it only being played for by Steps 5 & 6 clubs! The FA Vase competition has always been an interesting one as the unofficial measure as to how good the clubs down here might be. With the demise of the FA Cup and Senior Cup, it has to be the FA Vase for me. One of the few downsides with Parkway playing at step 4 next season is not now being eligible for the Vase. Getting through the early rounds, and then reaching the part when you are frantically going through websites trying to work out where your opposition is from and which league they are in is a special time. Can only imagine the reaction in the St Blazey clubhouse when they were drawn away to Bedlington, and equally in Ashington when they started checking the AA Road Atlas for routes to Bodmin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted June 21, 2021 Report Share Posted June 21, 2021 36 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said: One of the few downsides with Parkway playing at step 4 next season is not now being eligible for the Vase. Getting through the early rounds, and then reaching the part when you are frantically going through websites trying to work out where your opposition is from and which league they are in is a special time. Can only imagine the reaction in the St Blazey clubhouse when they were drawn away to Bedlington, and equally in Ashington when they started checking the AA Road Atlas for routes to Bodmin. Ha! I still well recall driving to the likes of Pickering and AFC Sudbury to cover St Blazey for BBC Radio Cornwall! The second one was rather painful as firstly St Blazey lost 7-1 in a replay after having a late penalty appeal turned down in the first game at Blaise Park, and the second painful bit was the fact that the hire car was a VW Beetle - not the most comfortable for a drive of that distance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Town Man Posted June 21, 2021 Report Share Posted June 21, 2021 Agree with your sentiment WOTP but it was Falmouth Town that drew Bedlington Terriers all those years ago. A good day out it was too! (3 day trip actually!) RAPPO, mattelot and TheolderIgetthebetterIwas 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Pethick Posted June 21, 2021 Report Share Posted June 21, 2021 3 minutes ago, The Town Man said: Agree with your sentiment WOTP but it was Falmouth Town that drew Bedlington Terriers all those years ago. A good day out it was too! (3 day trip actually!) My mistake. 3 minutes ago, Dave Deacon said: Ha! I still well recall driving to the likes of Pickering and AFC Sudbury to cover St Blazey for BBC Radio Cornwall! The second one was rather painful as firstly St Blazey lost 7-1 in a replay after having a late penalty appeal turned down in the first game at Blaise Park, and the second painful bit was the fact that the hire car was a VW Beetle - not the most comfortable for a drive of that distance! Assume it was the relaunched Beetle, and not a similar model to that used in Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo. RAPPO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted June 21, 2021 Report Share Posted June 21, 2021 11 hours ago, Dave Deacon said: Ha! I still well recall driving to the likes of Pickering and AFC Sudbury to cover St Blazey for BBC Radio Cornwall! The second one was rather painful as firstly St Blazey lost 7-1 in a replay after having a late penalty appeal turned down in the first game at Blaise Park, and the second painful bit was the fact that the hire car was a VW Beetle - not the most comfortable for a drive of that distance! That match at Blaise Park was filmed with around 1000 supporters watching on. Never seen the video of that match. Hoops dragged down in the dying minutes in the penalty box and not given. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted June 22, 2021 Report Share Posted June 22, 2021 Any idea who filmed it Paul? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mead Posted June 22, 2021 Report Share Posted June 22, 2021 On 21/06/2021 at 09:48, Dave Deacon said: Sadly for me even the Cornwall Senior Cup has lost its attraction with it only being played for by Steps 5 & 6 clubs! The FA Vase competition has always been an interesting one as the unofficial measure as to how good the clubs down here might be. With the demise of the FA Cup and Senior Cup, it has to be the FA Vase for me. At least the host of Reserve teams in St Piran, Combo and ECPL now have a County Cup to play in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted June 22, 2021 Report Share Posted June 22, 2021 8 hours ago, Dave Deacon said: Any idea who filmed it Paul? No idea at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Deacon Posted June 22, 2021 Report Share Posted June 22, 2021 5 hours ago, John Mead said: At least the host of Reserve teams in St Piran, Combo and ECPL now have a County Cup to play in! And disappointingly there will still be some that won’t want to bother because they don’t stand a chance of winning it! 🤭 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAGMAN Posted June 27, 2021 Report Share Posted June 27, 2021 On 22/06/2021 at 17:18, John Mead said: At least the host of Reserve teams in St Piran, Combo and ECPL now have a County Cup to play in! But if you’re a Third team in the Combo you can’t play in the Junior Cup!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mead Posted June 27, 2021 Report Share Posted June 27, 2021 2 hours ago, BAGMAN said: But if you’re a Third team in the Combo you can’t play in the Junior Cup!! Correct but you could play in the new Cup if the 1st or 2nd teams weren't also in it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAGMAN Posted June 30, 2021 Report Share Posted June 30, 2021 On 27/06/2021 at 22:17, John Mead said: Correct but you could play in the new Cup if the 1st or 2nd teams weren't also in it! Doesn’t really answer the question- my point is a THIRD team can’t play in the Junior Cup which deprives these young players the opportunity to play in a County Cup, just because of the ‘supposed’ status of an archaic League!! Jeremy Wade 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now