League create TWO cup competitions to end null and void season

A league, which is part of the non league pyramid, create two cup competitions to end the null and void 2020/21 season this summer.

The South West Peninsula League (Step 6) is proposing two cup competitions for April and May, as confirmed in a statement published late February.

It is now a decision that has gone down very well with supporters and it could make for a great experience with groundhoppers with fans desperate to getting back and watching live football again, and what better than doing that whilst in the summer sunshine within Cornwall?!

LEAGUE STATEMENT

The SWP Board have issued a DRAFT Proposal to play Cup matches in April & May which is summarised below.

At this stage this is very much a DRAFT PROPOSAL, dates are for illustrative purposes only etc, but to move forward with the possibilities we as a board want clubs views, therefore we ask ALL clubs to read and digest the proposal over the next ten days and decide if it’s something your club would want to enter.

Entry will be free but prize money structure is still to be completely agreed, you will see that the TWO cups proposed include a knock-out and a group cup, this to ensure everyone would have at least 5 matches to play and at least 2 would be at home (3 if drawn at home in knock out cup) Regionalisation has been factored in too.

We must however be honest and say that two issues still have to be ironed out before we can actually play any Cup ties :

1. The FA are still waiting from a ruling from DCMS about conditions of play between March 29^th and May 17^th – mainly about are Crowds (like the previous 300 limit) going to be allowed and also in the local Tier system were extra rules about household mixing etc, which of those are going to be rolled into the new national restrictions – Our hope is that by the time this survey ends, March 8^th, we will know more.
2. We have no “set in stone” number of clubs that need to enter, but clearly we need to have a certain level of interest from clubs to make it worthwhile going ahead

I have arranged an SWP board meeting for Weds 10^th March, so would appreciate replies by Monday 8^th March so that I can collate the feedback for the board to have all the facts to hand.

COUNTY CUPS: As per each Counties rules & directions

WALTER C PARSON CUP: As normal knock out Cup, only two real rule adjustments – A) Regional draw until last 8 rather than the usual last 16 (saves upto 8 potentially long journeys) and B) Player eligibility for Semi Finals & Finals altered to allow non cup-tied players, registered by 31^st March, to play in later rounds. (Retention of emergency goal-keeper rule still applies)

COVID CUP GROUP COMPETITION

5 Matchday Rounds (Each Club has 4 Games, 2 Homes, 2 Aways & 1 Day Off)

4 Pots of Ten clubs sub-drawn into 2 Pots of 5 clubs

As draw is made clubs drawn as Team A / B / C / D / E then fitted into grid below

5 Match dates: If any conflict with Higher Cup then that tie goes to midweek of the match date

8 Group winners go onto Quarter Finals – within own group of 10 – 2 from East play each other and 2 from West play each other in Semi Finals then a Final

Rd 1    Rd 2    Rd 3    Rd 4    Rd 5

A         :           Arsenal                      A         X         H         A         H

B         :           Burnley                      H         A         H         A         X

C         :           Chelsea                     X         H         A         H         A

D         :           Derby                        H         A         X         H         A

E         :           Exeter                         A         H         A         X         H

Match Date 1

B         V         A                     Burnley          v          Arsenal

D         V         E                     Derby             v          Exeter

Match Date 2

C         v          D                     Chelsea         v          Derby

E         v          B                     Exeter             v          Burnley

Match Date 3

A         V         E                     Arsenal          v          Exeter

B         V         C                     Burnley          v          Chelsea

Match Date 4

D         V         B                     Derby             v          Burnley

C         V         A                     Chelsea         v          Arsenal

Match Date 5

E         V         C                     Exeter             v          Chelsea

A         V         D                     Arsenal          v          Derby

Group winners to be decided by:

1^st : Pts           2^nd : Goal Diff           3^rd : Goals Scored    4^th : Result between tied clubs

(Tie breaker – If result of game between two sides tied for Group Winners was a DRAW the Away team goes through)

EXTRA RULES POTENTIALLY FOR ALL CUPS:

Sides who cannot host in May due to Cricket etc would be required to reverse ties

Sides without floodlights who are drawn at Home on NON-Saturday dates would be required to reverse ties

Sides with Covid etc – would have to withdraw (as they had to in FA Comps)

Player eligibility – would have to do away with minimum appearances, but could replace with “X numbers of players, inclusive of a keeper, can be registered at the discretion of a sub-committee, this would exclude signing contracted players and those who are normally active at Step 5 and above” – Exact wording to be agreed.

Draws

Split 40 clubs into 4 groups of Ten on Geography

For WCP Cup

1^st Rd – 2 ties drawn in EACH of the 4 groups, so of the 10, 2 get Home Ties, 2 Away Ties and 6 byes. Then 2^nd Rd – 4 ties made up of the 6 byed sides and the 2 1^st Rd winners.

3^rd Rd (Last 16) the 8 remaining clubs from “West” are drawn in 4 ties, the 8 remaining from “East” are drawn in 4 ties. The Quarter Finals & Semi Finals are OPEN draws, if any of the 4 sides drawn Away in QF’s travel more than 100 miles round trip they receive £1 per mile subsidy. Semi Finals & Final on neutral grounds with all 4 competing clubs receiving prize money, but not travel money.

For Covid Cup

If a knock out Cup,

1^st Rd is same date as WCP 1^st Rd – the 16 teams in the WCP 1^st Rd would receive byes, with the 16 Covid Cup 1^st Rd teams drawn from remaining 24 sides. So for each Pot of 10 Clubs you would first draw out 2 WCP 1^st Rd Ties, that leaves 6 clubs, you then draw out 2 Covid Cup 1^st Rd Ties, the remaining 2 sides receive byes from both cups.

2^nd Rd AND 3^rd Rd – Keep regional pots (this is one more Rd than the WCP) and that gets you down to the last 8. Then two quarter finals in each of East & West (again one more Rd regional than WCP) – Semi Finals & Finals either Open Draw, OR an East Semi & a West Semi – neutral grounds in either case.

IF a Group Cup

As per the template page of the potential draw in this document (above).

BOTH CUPS :

Withdrawals or non entry – If clubs choose not to enter, the first two in each group of 10 make no differences to the groups of 10 that would become 9 or 8. Extra 1^st Rd byes would be within the group of 10 affected.

If more than 2 per group do not enter, the 4 groups may have to be redrawn to provide groups of at least 8 in each of the 4 (Min 32 in total) the extra number of 1^st Rd byes would then be reallocated within each regional group.

DRAFT !!!!  Schedule of Dates to Play ALL Cups including a Group Covid Cup as the league create TWO cup competitions to end the null and void season:

Tues 30^th March : WCP Cup 1^st Rd – 8 Ties   only if more than 32 Entries

Good Friday 2/4 : WCP Cup 2^nd Rd – 16 Ties

Monday 5/4 : Covid Cup Matchday 1  – 16 Games (Reserve 6/4 & 7/4)

Sat 10^th April : Cornwall Senior Cup – 16 Ties

Covid Cup Matchday 2  – 16 Games (Cornish On 13/4 & 14/4)

M/W 13/4 & 14/4 : Covid Cup Matchday 2 – As above

M/W 13/4 & 14/4 : Devon St Lukes 1^st Rd – 4 Ties (7 SWP clubs involved)

Sat 17^th April : WCP Cup 3^rd Rd – 8 Ties

Covid Cup Matchday 3 – 16 Ties (Reserve 20/4 & 21/4)

Sat 24^th April : Cornwall Senior Cup – 8 Ties

Covid Cup Matchday 4 – 16 Ties (Reserve 27/4 & 28/4)

M/W 27/4 & 28/4 Devon St Lukes 2^nd Rd       – 4 Ties   (6/7 SWP clubs involved)

Sat 1^st May : WCP Cup QF – 4 Ties

Covid Cup Matchday 5        – 16 Ties (Or Monday 3/5)

Mon 4th May : Cornwall Senior Cup QF    – 4 Ties (Or Tues / Weds)

T / W 5/6 May : Devon St Lukes SF   – 2 Ties

Sat 8^th May : Covid Cup QF    – 4 Ties

M/W 11/5 & 12/5 : WCP Cup SF     – 2 Ties

Sat 15^th May              Covid Cup SF    – 2 Ties

M/W 18/5 & 19/5      Cornwall Senior Cup SF     – 2 Ties

Sat 22^nd May             Covid Cup Final    – 1 Tie

Tues 25^th May           Devon St Lukes Final   – 1 Tie (Or 26/5)

Sat 29^th May              Cornwall Senior Cup Final – 1 Tie

Mon 31^st May            Walter C Parson Final   – 1 Tie

Fans reacted as the league create TWO cup competitions to end the null and void season…

Great league
This is the best league
Up to you @swpleague
I’m ready and packed
National League should take note. pic.twitter.com/PLIF6cVRRP

— PMW’s (Non-League Football) (@PMW94485907) February 25, 2021

@Quiffhead1976: Superb idea 👌🏻

@NonLeagueMaps: As proactive and on the ball as ever from @phiscox46 & the team in the @swpleague

@SalfordWalshy: Looks like a staycation holiday to the south west this year for my family then

@TerraStatman: Continually impressed by this league. Always thinking outside the box to get competitive games on!

@wriggs51: What a positive forward looking initiative!

@ilovestafford: Fantastic idea

@danwilson1510: Best league in the world

@MCFCDarlo: Great idea

@hoppy_steve: Minibus to Cornwall??

@Howell_95: Summer football in Cornwall 🤔🍻

SEE MORE: A decision made by the FA on Step 3-6 season