Topic: IFA Cup Man Utd drop out, Ayr (h) instead

[Stu]

NOFC have entered this year's competition, this time we've gone into the 'North' regional pot for the round 1 draw, to try and avoid last season's trek to Motherwell only to get thumped.

Here is the round one draw for the IFA Challenge Cup 2011/12.  I will announce it to the IFA list etc. on Monday.

In forming the initial groups I tried to take in any team's wishes to travel first, then I considered how many teams had entered from each area.

Please ensure that you let me know when each of these 16 ties is to be played so as I can chase up those teams who are not keeping to time. Remember:

Match deadlines are as follows:

   First Round: November 30th 2011

   Second Round: February 29th 2012

   Quarter Finals: April 30th 2012

   Semi Finals: July 1st 2012

NB The draw was carried out by the shamelessly lovely Florence from Wick and the almost unbelievably fabulato Lana from Swinton near Rotherham. They are both die hard Swinnow Athletic fans, so this was probably the finest and most honest IFACC draw ever made.  Here are the results of their having dipped their heavily manicured dannys into the fulminating IFACC draw pot:

Midlands                       
                       
       Coventry                vs      WBA
       Redditch                vs      WBA Academy
       Stoke           vs      Kidderminster
       Cambridge       vs      Clyde
                       
South                   
                       
       West Ham        vs      Motherwell
       Millwall                vs      Bury B
       Brentford               vs      Hearts
       Watford         vs      Olympic Lion
       Kingstonian     vs      Dagenham & Redbridge
                       
North                   
                       
       Hull                    vs      AFC Halifax
       Grimsby         vs      Rochdale
       Bury A          vs      Sheff U
       Barnsley                vs      PNE
       Runcorn         vs      Tranmere
       Newcastle               vs      Man Utd
                       
Scotland                       
                       
       Dunfermline     vs      FC Livingston

You have until November the 30th to play these matches, good luck

Betty

Anyways, I've already had a delightful email from Andrew Kilduff (Man Utd IST manager/chief moaner) to complain about Newcastle not being 'very local' and to ask if we want to make our away league match (in November) a league and cup double "as home advantage doesn't mean much anyway."

Man U have pulled out of their IFA Cup tie with Newcastle.

Sadly, Manchester United have had to withdraw from the IFA Challenge Cup.

I am now checking with the reserves to see who will take Man Utd's place.

AFC Wimbledon and Ayr are discussing this as we speak and I will confirm
who Newcastle's opponents will be shortly (Hopefully).

Cheers

[Ocho]

Must be something to do with Manchester/Greater Manchester area being a bunch of whingers.

I would be in for the fixture at Manchester, should you swap it - but I don't you should.  If it means we get a bye to the next round, even better.

And FWIW, I think being at home is an advantage.

[OCK]

Heh, the cheek. If he agrees to cover people's fuel costs, sure why not.

[MKSC]

Tell him to get f***ed Stu. Rules is rules.

[Slim]

Just ask them when they can come up and we will play the league/cup game here.  If they cant then we will come down if they pay the costs to come down.  Do they plan on just playing the arsenal manchester supports every week?

MUFC Supporters FC head to Coventry on Sunday 4th September to partake in the 8 team Stanley Heames Cup...Strange cos thats not very local either!

Make them come up play both league/cup up here and we will play them at home when they want...Could even play the other Arse manchester team.

[Slim]

Oh and looking at their site the only away game they are playing this season is vs stoke 1 hour away.


Sat 26 H Newcastle Supporters Other  11:00

Thye seem to make no effort to to get up here or anywere else.  I can get them a train for the same price of a Taxi back to mine on a night.....No excuses.

[Greg]

Is this against the same Man United team that called our game off at short notice when we were away at Bolton last season.

[OCK]

Stu, it does seem like this Manchester team expect everyone else to travel to their doorstep, which I don't think is very fair at all. Decline their request, and tell them the game will happen up here (can even be when Man U play us). If they don't fancy it then tell them they're welcome to forfeit the game to us with a 3-0 victory.

[Greg]

Never met the bloke but Kilduff sounds like a complete tosser going on his emails to the list.

[Stu]

Hi Stu, we have drawn you in the ifa cup (not what I'd class as regional).
I know you are down as the home team, however it might be easier to make our IFA league game in November a double header.
There's no real advantage in a home or away draw if teams are already scheduled to play. We wouldn't be able to get up to Newcastle before the set deadline, as there isn't a Saturday when Utd are even up in that direction before Feb, unless you class a trip to Leeds on Tuesday night as heading on that direction!

Cheers
Andrew

Er, sorry Andy, we trekked up to Motherwell for a thumping last season. Your lads will have to find a weekend that suits.

The United fixtures just dont fit in mate. There's no chance we could even get up that way till the new year. Nearly every game is on a Saturday now, just at strange times.
That's why it makes more sense to play as a double header when you cone did the league game. The cup rules do say that the venue is at the discretion of both sides.
If roles were reversed we would switch it as that's the sensible option.

Andrew

There isn't a weekend available. We play Marine in the north west cup on the 8th, international weekend. There just isn't a date before Feb when we can remotely get to Newcastle. Yet, your already playing us in that period of time, so that's the sensible option.
As the cup rules state, venue can be switched if it means the game will get played.
Looks like the game will be decided on the toss of a coin. I'm sure your lads would rather progress by playing a game, not by the toss of a coin or by a bye.

Possible dates:
 
Sunday 16th October (you play Liverpool away on the Sat lunchtime, we play Spurs at home on the Sunday afternoon)
Saturday 22nd October (you play Citeh away on the Sun lunchtime, we play Wigan at home on the Sat afternoon)
Sunday 30th October (you play Everton away on the Sat lunchtime, we play Stoke away on the Monday night)
 
Let me know which of these dates will suit your lads - if you need help getting numbers, I'm sure we can contact the local MUFC supporters' branch.
 
It's a shame you won't be able to make a weekend of it, then again, you have been struggling to get tickets for the away matches so I imagine your lads won't all be going to those three games, we've also got SKY in Newcastle, plenty of pubs and clubs will be showing your games.
 
Cheers

[bowlingcrofty]

Tell him to get stuffed. If they didn't accept the conditions of the cup, they shouldn't have entered.

We'd have gladly got a team to their place if we'd been drawn away.

[Stu]

Never met the bloke but Kilduff sounds like a complete tosser going on his emails to the list.

he's pretty much the joke of the list, some of his comments are moronically outrageous. He puts me to shame.

[bowlingcrofty]

Are there rules that this game has to be played on a Saturday or something?

I'm sure the weekend consists of two days. They could watch Yoonited on the Saturday, then grab a train from kings cross up early on the sunday.

[Stu]

The thrust of his argument is that we've already got a game pencilled in against them for November when the senior teams meet, so we should switch. It just means his side aren't bothering to make the effort to play the game.

He was the one who called off our fixture last season on the Friday evening (when some of us were already en route to Manchester)...apparently for a 'waterlogged pitch'

[Stu]

Are there rules that this game has to be played on a Saturday or something?

I'm sure the weekend consists of two days. They could watch Yoonited on the Saturday, then grab a train from kings cross up early on the sunday.

Nope, you would normally play IFA games on the morning of the senior teams' match - but given that it's the cup, it's very unlikely that you'd be drawn against someone who you'd be playing in the league during the dates.

[MUFCSFC]

Nice to see such an active discussion on the subject of the IFA Cup tie!!!!
Firstly lets clear a few things up, given Stu has posted the majority of email correspondence in this thread.
yes i did state about the regional groups. If you assess the Northern group then you have a very geographic travelling distance compared to any other group. The midlands region has a travelling distance of no more than 30 miles from any other team, bar Cambridge who really should be in the London region given they are 40 miles from london and 120 miles from the midlands!!! The Scottish group has 2 teams in it, who are 12 miles apart! cambridge aside, the travel for the Midlands region is actually nearer to us than the travel to 4 of the teams in the Northern region.
The reasoning for the regions is to cut down on travel for those teams who want to opt for regional games, hene my coment with regards to the travel involved.

The MUFC supporters team has no issue with travelling to play games, as somebody else on here has pointed to the fixtures on our website and stated that we dont travel to away games, I wouldnt base your information on whats in any scheduled activity on there. We are more than happy to travel to games and we play numerous games both home and away (judging by your own site, you arent the most active of IFA sides, but lets not judge anyone on whats on a website). We travel to Stoke on Saturday, ahead of our game with Stoke that evening (having managed to scrape together 6 tickets between our team, so the majority of those travelling will be doing so just to play an IFA game). We also have several other away games lined up, just not put down in a schedule/on website as yet (We have to book our home games in advance, so a few home games have ben added onto our list of games). 2 weekends back we travelled to Coventry for a tournament, as we did for 2 days in leeds for Worldnet in July. (I didnt notice your team at worldnet? The MUFC supporters team has played at every Worldnet since 1996 and for the last 2 years have also entered a vets team).

The IFA Cup states that the game hs to be played by the 30th November and that is one of the main issues. The way the mUFC fixtures have gone have not given us any dates that can allo for us to ravel to newcastle before the 30th Nov. (Its also disspointing that the NUFC v MUFC game is on monday 2nd Jan, as it probably prevents an IFA league game being played at your place before the respective fixture. We can probably play you before we travel to Sunderland on the last day of the season, but i would imagine you will be away on that date).

the reason we suggested playing a league and cup double header at our place, is that we are down to play you in an IFA Cup game in manchester before the MUFC v NUFC game on the 26th november, so that make the most sense in arranging a game. Ive actually discussed this with a few other iFA sides and they all agree it makes the most sense in order to get games played.

The IFA rules also say that the tie can beplayed at an alternative venure, the away teams venue if its agreed by both managers.

If a suitable date cant be agreed, then the only option os for the tie to be decided on the toss of a coin.
Given the entry fee and the ethos of the iFA, then Im sure that both clubs would rather play an actual fixture than either progress or loose out due to the toss of a coin.

[Stu]

Nice of you to come onto the forum Andrew, glad you have brought your constructive attitude with you:

Cant make any of them dates. Sat 22nd we have a game already scheduled for that day.
Cant do Sunday 30th as a few of us are away for the night in Blackpool straight after the Everton game. Sunday 17th not an option either.
 
I will just have to ask Betty to decide the game on the toss of a coin.

[Greg]

Stop whinging and get a team up here if you want to play. We went all the way to Motherwell last year and got hammered in the first round but you didn't hear us complaining, funnily enough Newcastle didn't have a first team game in the area either.

You also have previous after f***ing us about last year.

'You're Man United, you'll do as your told'

[OCK]

Maybe you should have entered The Midlands Group? Believe it or not, there is plenty of Country north of Manchester... would you have bothered to get a team together for Leeds, York, Hartlepool? If so, Newcastle is just an hour extra to travel to. Make the effort like the majority of other teams, and indeed NOFC, have done when it comes to playing games Home AND Away.

If none of your regulars can make it, then ask on a Manchester Forum if there are any Manchester fans in the Newcastle area that would like to play. We've done it before when playing in London and Liverpool area. Met new Newcastle fans and had a good time regardless of result.

As for the comments about NOFC 'not being active'... well that's rude, considering we probably travel as far as you can to play games. Just pull your finger out, come up here and play the game. If you can't be bothered to come up here, then tell the truth. If you can't find time to play the fixture... why enter the cup?

[Stu]

There are also 4 teams on the 'reserve' list who haven't been able to get an entry for this year's IFA Cup. I have suggested to Andrew that if he doesn't want to raise a side to travel (for whatever reason suits him), then he offers his place to a team who want to play in the IFA Cup

[OCK]

Totally baffled by it to be honest. Tells us about the spirit of the league and the rules, yet, doesn't seem to want to abide by them. Could be really cynical, but just seems to me he wants to play at home because its just 'easier' for his team. Can't see any effort to try and make it up here, certainly considering the instant email to Stu when the tie was drawn asking for the tie to be swapped.

Think of all the away games Stu has arranged for us in the 12 months we've been around:

Motherwell
Liverpool/Everton
London several times
The failed Manchester trip

We might not be the most active, as the guy says, but then its not like we have other teams on our doorstep like the Manchester club has.

Strangely, every club that has made the trip up here has enjoyed it, and I know all the lads that have went on away trips have loved it too.

I don't know, Stu. Just think this guy is trying to take us for a ride, while saving his lads some money on an away trip.

[bowlingcrofty]

Totally baffled by it to be honest. Tells us about the spirit of the league and the rules, yet, doesn't seem to want to abide by them. Could be really cynical, but just seems to me he wants to play at home because its just 'easier' for his team. Can't see any effort to try and make it up here, certainly considering the instant email to Stu when the tie was drawn asking for the tie to be swapped.

Think of all the away games Stu has arranged for us in the 12 months we've been around:

Motherwell
Liverpool/Everton
London several times
The failed Manchester trip

We might not be the most active, as the guy says, but then its not like we have other teams on our doorstep like the Manchester club has.

Strangely, every club that has made the trip up here has enjoyed it, and I know all the lads that have went on away trips have loved it too.

I don't know, Stu. Just think this guy is trying to take us for a ride, while saving his lads some money on an away trip.

Not to mention our trips to Stoke (in a game about 20 miles from Stoke) and Bury away as well.

[bowlingcrofty]

I agree that surely the honourable thing to do, if you can't participate in your chosen fixture, is to pull out.

I know we would.

[MUFCSFC]

What Stu fails to mention that he has some obsessive facination with MUFC and the supporters team, to the extent that he comments on every MUFCSFC post on the IFA message board, even going off on some bitter rant about getting kits off the club etc. Nearly every other manager has commented on his obsession and the managers i have spoken to in the last few days have all said that Stu wouldnt be co-operative with Man Utd fans, as he is proving. This is what stu wants an arguement over things, im sure given that he was already due to play any other club away in the league, he would have happily have switched the game.

At the end of the day, the venue means little, we all play on park pitches with no fans behind us. As will be the case when we play each other in the iFA league game on the 26th november.
If it was the other way round and we were coming to you or any other club for an IFA league game, we would glady swap our home cup game to the away side.
Your down to play us in the league on the 26th Noveber, so if you played it as a double header we wouldnt charge you any pitch or referee fees.
Infact you can also bring your own ref and we will pay his fee.

Again, if there was a suitable date, then we would happily come to you for a cup game, as we all enjoy Newcastle for a few drinks when we come up for Utd games and this would have ben a good trip for the team to have a night out for. The way Man Utds Prem league fixtures are, we just cant get up to Newcastle until after the new year, we dont even head up in that direction, yet pass the Midlands or head to games in London before Christmas.

Its very hard to schedule IFA games against prem League sides due to the changes for TV, unavailaibilitry fo away tickets for our supporters and is probably a big factor as to why there are only 3 or 4 IFA teams within the Prem league.

Its obvious that you wont accept the only sensible compromise on playing a game, so the only thing i will suggest to the iFA committee is to decide the game on the toss of a coin.
Not exactly what we want, as we want to play as many games of football as we can.

[OCK]

I don't get the impression you've even attempted or tried to form a team. Its only been 24 hours since we found out about the fixture.