Conference competitions

[AustrianAndyGull]

As far as I'm aware we enter the FA Trophy. Do we go in at round 1 and is it regional?

The FA Cup do we have to play qualifiers and if so how many? Also, are these regional or can we come up against anyone in the qualifying rounds?

We don't go into the league cup for obvious reasons so is that it?

[hector]

Can't remember what happened with FA Trophy.

As for the FA Cup we would likely enter during Qualifying Round 4 for the first season and maybe earlier the seasons after, depending how well we do the previous season.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Thanks Hector.

I went to an FA Trophy game away at Southport in our final season where we got hammered 3-0. It was a soul destroying experience and I'm not sure how serious the players took it at the time. I'm not sure what priority (if any) CH will give the FA Trophy especially. Obviously I know we got to the final and lost to Ebbsfleet but I'm sure there was another minor cup shield type competition for non league clubs though but I could be wrong.

[Jeff]

We will enter the FA Cup at the 4th Qualifying Round - never any earlier or later, its at that stage that Conference clubs come in every year regardless of anything else like performance.

In the FA Trophy we enter at the First Round, criteria as above.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Cheers Jeff, are both regional ?(I know the first round proper of the FA Cup isn't though obviously).

[lucy6lucy]

Thanks Hector.

I went to an FA Trophy game away at Southport in our final season where we got hammered 3-0. It was a soul destroying experience and I'm not sure how serious the players took it at the time. I'm not sure what priority (if any) CH will give the FA Trophy especially. Obviously I know we got to the final and lost to Ebbsfleet but I'm sure there was another minor cup shield type competition for non league clubs though but I could be wrong.

I was there at southport . Bloody frustrating. And it was the Sentanta shield , we lost on pens to forest green. How sad am I

[Jeff]

Cheers Jeff, are both regional ?(I know the first round proper of the FA Cup isn't though obviously).

I think so Andy, if you look at the draws this year there is a definite North/South correlation going on

[njgull]

As always Wikipedia knows everything:

"The competition is a knockout tournament with pairings drawn at random. However, the qualifying round draws and the 1st Round proper draw are regionalised to reduce teams' travel costs. If a match (other than the semi-final or final) is drawn, there is a replay, usually at the ground of the team which played away from home for the first game. Drawn replays are now settled with extra time and penalty shootouts, though in the past further replays were possible.[citation needed]

Originally the competition included as many qualifying rounds as were required to reduce the number of teams to 32. In 1999 the format was amended to match that of the FA Cup, with six rounds prior to the semi-final stage, albeit without qualifying rounds. Teams from the Football Conference received byes through the early rounds, in a similar manner to the way in which the leading clubs receive byes in the FA Cup.[4]

As of 2008–09 the competition featured four qualifying rounds and four rounds proper before the semi-finals. Teams from Step 4 enter at the preliminary round stage, those from Step 3 at the first qualifying round, those from Step 2 at the third qualifying round, and those from Step 1 at the first round proper.[12]

This year's calendar:
Round Date Matches Clubs New entries this round Prize money
Preliminary Round 5 October 2013 64 276 → 212 128 £2,500
First Round Qualifying 19 October 2013 72 212 → 140 80 £2,700
Second Round Qualifying 2 November 2013 36 140 → 104 none £3,250
Third Round Qualifying 16 November 2013 40 104 → 64 44 £4,000
First Round Proper 30 November 2013 32 64 → 32 24 £5,000
Second Round Proper 14 December 2013 16 32 → 16 none £6,000
Third Round Proper 11 January 2014 8 16 → 8 none £7,000
Fourth Round Proper 1 February 2014 4 8 → 4 none £8,000
Semi Finals 15 February and 22 February 2014 2 4 → 2 none £16,000
Final 23 March 2014 1 2 → 1 none Runner-up £25,000 Winner £50,000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FA_Trophy

[standupsitdown]

Does that Setanta Shield or an equivalant still exist? Hopefully not. I went to St Albans for a game last time. Waste of time - and freezing cold.

[Magpiegull]

The Conference "League Cup' was discontinued after Setanta closed down in 2009 and has not been contested since.

[AustrianAndyGull]

As always Wikipedia knows everything:

"The competition is a knockout tournament with pairings drawn at random. However, the qualifying round draws and the 1st Round proper draw are regionalised to reduce teams' travel costs. If a match (other than the semi-final or final) is drawn, there is a replay, usually at the ground of the team which played away from home for the first game. Drawn replays are now settled with extra time and penalty shootouts, though in the past further replays were possible.[citation needed]

Originally the competition included as many qualifying rounds as were required to reduce the number of teams to 32. In 1999 the format was amended to match that of the FA Cup, with six rounds prior to the semi-final stage, albeit without qualifying rounds. Teams from the Football Conference received byes through the early rounds, in a similar manner to the way in which the leading clubs receive byes in the FA Cup.[4]

As of 2008–09 the competition featured four qualifying rounds and four rounds proper before the semi-finals. Teams from Step 4 enter at the preliminary round stage, those from Step 3 at the first qualifying round, those from Step 2 at the third qualifying round, and those from Step 1 at the first round proper.[12]

This year's calendar:
Round Date Matches Clubs New entries this round Prize money
Preliminary Round 5 October 2013 64 276 → 212 128 £2,500
First Round Qualifying 19 October 2013 72 212 → 140 80 £2,700
Second Round Qualifying 2 November 2013 36 140 → 104 none £3,250
Third Round Qualifying 16 November 2013 40 104 → 64 44 £4,000
First Round Proper 30 November 2013 32 64 → 32 24 £5,000
Second Round Proper 14 December 2013 16 32 → 16 none £6,000
Third Round Proper 11 January 2014 8 16 → 8 none £7,000
Fourth Round Proper 1 February 2014 4 8 → 4 none £8,000
Semi Finals 15 February and 22 February 2014 2 4 → 2 none £16,000
Final 23 March 2014 1 2 → 1 none Runner-up £25,000 Winner £50,000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FA_Trophy

Thanks for this NJ.