FA competitions

[Simons]

The FA have confirmed the scheduled dates of the rounds for the Cup & Trophy
FA Cup:

Extra preliminary round: Tuesday 1 September 2020
Preliminary round: Saturday 12 September 2020
First round qualifying: Tuesday 22 September 2020
Second round qualifying: Saturday 3 October 2020
Third round qualifying: Tuesday 13 October 2020
Fourth round qualifying: Saturday 24 October 2020

The draw for the first two rounds will be made on Tuesday August 18th.


FA Trophy dates as follows:
We have not been given any exemption

First Round Qualifying Saturday 26 September 2020
Second Round Qualifying Saturday 17 October 2020
Third Round Qualifying Saturday 31 October 2020
First Round Proper Saturday 14 November 2020
Second Round Proper Saturday 5 December 2020
Third Round Proper Saturday 19 December 2020
Fourth Round Proper Saturday 16 January 2021
Fifth Round Proper Saturday 6 February 2021
Quarter Final Saturday 27 February 2021
Semi Final Saturday 27 March 2021
Final Saturday 8 May 2021

[YeltzDoc]

We could be in a position where we've won last year's competition and won't be able to defend it because we've already been knocked out of this year's competition by Brereton Social in the Extra Mega Preliminary Round.

In fairness to the FA, I think that they're doing what they can here. They couldn't have played the end of the 19/20 before now, or indeed before Septemberish to allow sides to prepare, and they have to start the 20/21 at some stage.

I suspect that it will be OK as we'll get a bye to the 1st Round or similar due to our performance this year, allowing us to win it on the Saturday and get knocked out the following Tuesday.

Or not.

List of exemptions here. Spoiler alert, we’re not on it.

http://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-n ... tions.ashx

[YeltzDoc]

Ah, read Simons’s post properly, he already told us.

Did I hear that Shergar was missing? etc.

[YeltzDoc]

This sort of suggests that last year's competition will be done and dusted by Sep 26th?
Is that even possible?

[Poll]

This sort of suggests that last year's competition will be done and dusted by Sep 26th?
Is that even possible?

Very possible. It's called null and void.

[Noggin]

This might be a slightly controversial opinion, but if the competition was not played out to a conclusion, we will always we able to say "if only we had been allowed to carry on". Because the momentum has now gone, it may be better for it to live on on folk memory in that way.

[Poll]

My feelings exactly Noggin.

Would love a trip to Wembley of course, but the run was so glorious it won't/can't be diminished by not finishing the tournament.

I just can't see it being completed right now. I don't think any other tournament anywhere has even considered picking up where it left off, and with Harrogate now in the EFL I can't see them postponing any of their league games to squeeze in a semi-final (and possibly a final).

Would love to be proved wrong, but not hopeful.

[YeltzDoc]

There's still no date for the return of spectators, so, a behind closed doors one-off semi somewhere neutral followed by the possibility of an empty Wembley.
Or 1/4 of the remaining pot of £130k (£60k winners, £30K r-up, £15k semi winners, £5k losers).
Plus, we'll probably keep most of the dosh for the tickets already sold for the semi which was in the region of £30k.
Something like £50k+ in hand.

Hmmm...

I'll do a vote thingy.

[andy]

It's nothing but another FA farce. They can finish the FACup, play Play Offs and pretty much any other league they WANT to finish, but they can't manage THREE games for non League clubs! In one way I hope it isn't finished with a crowd at Wembley, I won't have to give them any of my cash then. Why can't they actually announce a decision though? Or are we simply not worthy of one.....

[Noggin]

Not sure that the distribution could be as you describe because presumably some of the prize fund comes from Wembley gate receipts. However, I would like to think that this process of splitting the expected prize fund four ways would be both equitable and welcome.