FFA Cup final to be stand-alone fixture
This year's FFA Cup final will take on a much-higher profile as a stand-alone, marquee fixture - to be played on Saturday, November 7 and with no A-League games scheduled that weekend.
Adelaide United became the first team to win the Cup last year, beating Perth Glory 1-0 in front of a sell-out crowd at Coopers Stadium on a Tuesday evening, and the popularity of the inaugural competition has prompted the FFA to raise it's profile.
Speaking at Eastwood Wanderers Football Club in Sydney - the junior club of Johnny Warren - FFA CEO David Gallop announced changes to the competition's format that he said would benefit both A-League, semi-professional and grass roots clubs.
The preliminary rounds of this year's competition are already underway with over 650 clubs around Australia entered.
Match scheduling has been condensed from last year, with round of 32 matches played across three weeks instead of four and the quarter-finals played before the start of the 2015/16 A-League season.
The draw principles that mean at least one semi-professional club reaches the semi-finals remain.
"The first season was very successful and this is an opportunity to condense things in the second season," Gallop said.
"The grass roots clubs will be more match-fit because it's closer to their season as it allows for a bit more space around the A-League pre-season.
"From what we saw last year when Adelaide City beat the (Western Sydney) Wanderers, you have got to be on your toes from the start."
There is no other major sporting event taking place in Australia on November 7 and Gallop said that was behind the decision to make the final stand alone, with no A-League games scheduled that weekend.
"We've planned it in a spot where we will look to have as much clear air as you can expect in Australian sport," he said.
