Football SA Federation Cup explained

Organiser:Football South Australia
Current:2024 FSA Federation Cup
Number Of Teams:46 (2023)
Qualifier For:Australia Cup
Region:South Australia
Current Champions:Campbelltown City
(3rd title)
Most Successful Club:Adelaide City (18 titles)
Website:Football SA
Broadcasters:YouTube (Semi-finals and final only)

The Football South Australia Federation Cup, more commonly known as the Federation Cup and referred to as the Australia Cup South Australian preliminary rounds until the semi-finals, is an annual knockout cup competition in South Australia by Football South Australia. The competition is the second longest-running cup competition in Australia, only behind the Football West State Cup, founded 8 years earlier.

The competition includes all clubs from the top three tiers of South Australian soccer, as well as numerous clubs from level four and outside the pyramid.

Since 2014 the Federation Cup has been incorporated as one of the qualification tournaments to determine participants in the national Australia Cup. Adelaide City are the most successful club in the competitions history, winning the competition a total of 18 times, including a run of five in a row from 1969 until 1973.

History

In July 1907, the Webb-Harris Cup was presented by Messrs. Charles Webb and J Harris as an annual competition with the stipulation that the first team to win the tournament three times would become the outright winners.[1] The first edition consisted of six teams: Cambridge, North Adelaide, Norwood, Port Adelaide, South Adelaide and West Adelaide, and was won by Cambridge, who defeated Hindmarsh 2–0 in the inaugural final.[2] Hindmarsh won the 1908 and 1909 finals, defeating Port Adelaide and Sturt, and Cambridge won the 1910 and 1911 finals, becoming outright winners in the competition's fifth year. After becoming the permanent owners of the trophy, the Cambridge club presented it to the South Australian British Football Association for it to be contested perpetually and to be known as the Cambridge Cup.[3]

From 1926, the cup was presented by Victorian clothing brand Pelaco until 1954, when South Australian tabloid newspaper The Advertiser took over. In 1961, eight clubs broke away from the federation and contested their own version of the cup, known as the Jaxen Cup. Following the reamalgamation of the South Australian Soccer Federation, the cup was renamed as the Federation Cup, and has since has had different sponsors since, including Willis, P.G.H., Dairy Vale, Mutual Community, West End, Best Pavers, Top Corner and Coca-Cola.

Since 2014, the competition has also decided the South Australian representatives in the Australia Cup. Adelaide City qualified for the inaugural season of the competition after defeating rivals West Adelaide 4–1 in the final.[4] Since 2021, the two finalists have qualified for the Australia Cup after South Australia earned a second slot due to an increase in preliminary round participants.[5] [6]

Format

The competition is a single-elimination tournament. Depending on the number of teams that enter the competition, it may begin from various stages. The first round of the competition includes all teams excluding the 11 eligible National Premier Leagues South Australia teams. The teams who are drawn last receive byes to the second round. All teams play from the second round onwards. The semi-final and final are played at a neutral venue, as decided by Football South Australia.

The 2024 competition began from the 2023 Australia Cup third preliminary round, with 52 teams participating, and the 11 eligible National Premier Leagues South Australia teams entering in the following round.[7]

2024 Format! Federation Cup !! Australia Cup !! No. of teams
First round Third preliminary round52
Second round Fourth preliminary round32
Third round Fifth preliminary round16
Quarter-finals Sixth preliminary round8
Semi-finals Seventh preliminary round4
Final 2

Eligible teams

All teams that play in Football South Australia sanctioned competition are required to participate. Teams outside of FSA competitions may apply to enter. Adelaide United Youth are ineligible to participate, as youth teams cannot play in the Australia Cup preliminary rounds.

Venues

All matches are played at the venue of the home team, who is always the team that is drawn first. The semi-finals and final are played on a neutral ground, which since 2022, has been the State Centre for Football. Excluding 2015 and 2021, which used The Parks Football Centre as the neutral venue, the cup final was historically played at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Finals

No.YearCup NameDateWinner(s)ScoreRunner-upVenue[8]
11907Webb-Harris24 AugustCambridge2–0HindmarshHindmarsh Oval
2190815 AugustHindmarsh4–1Port AdelaideHindmarsh Oval
3190928 AugustHindmarsh4–1SturtHindmarsh Oval
419108 OctoberCambridgeSouth Adelaide
5191112 AugustCambridge2–0Port AdelaideAlberton Oval
61912Cambridge7 SeptemberAdelaide2–1TandanyaJubilee Oval
719136 SeptemberAdelaide3–0HindmarshHindmarsh Oval
8191419 SeptemberAdelaide2–1HindmarshHindmarsh Oval
919154 SeptemberHindmarsh4–1CheltenhamPark 18
1916–18No competition due to World War I
101919Cambridge23 AugustHindmarsh
Sturt
1–1Hindmarsh Oval
1119204 SeptemberCheltenham2–1South AdelaideHawthorn Oval
12192117 SeptemberSouth Adelaide3–2CheltenhamHindmarsh Oval
13192216 SeptemberCheltenham1–0SturtKensington Oval
14192313 OctoberProspect2–1 (rep.)South AdelaideJubilee Oval
15192418 OctoberHoldens United1–0 ProspectCamden Oval
16192519 SeptemberWest Torrens3–1SturtJubilee Oval
171926Pelaco25 SeptemberPort Adelaide2–1SturtJubilee Oval
1819271 OctoberWest Torrens4–3West AdelaideHindmarsh Oval
19192815 SeptemberWest Torrens2–1West UnitedHindmarsh Oval
20192914 SeptemberWest Torrens3–2RailwaysMortlock Park
21193013 SeptemberRailways3–2 Port AdelaideHindmarsh Oval
2219313 OctoberLancashire4–2 (rep.)Port AdelaideHindmarsh Oval
2319321 OctoberLancashire2–0RailwaysJubilee Oval
24193316 SeptemberPort Adelaide2–1West TorrensHart Street Reserve
25193415 SeptemberPort Thistle3–2West TorrensHindmarsh Oval
26193514 SeptemberKingswood4–2Port ThistleHindmarsh Oval
27193612 SeptemberSturt4–2Port AdelaideHindmarsh Oval
28193711 SeptemberSturt3–2Port ThistleHindmarsh Oval
29193824 SeptemberBirkalla Rovers2–0KingswoodHindmarsh Oval
30193930 SeptemberWest Torrens2–0Birkalla RoversHindmarsh Oval
31194028 SeptemberWest Torrens5–1South AdelaideHindmarsh Oval
32194127 SeptemberSturt3–1Birkalla RoversHindmarsh Oval
1942No competition due to World War II
331943Pelaco25 SeptemberNorthumberland & Durham2–1British Tube MillsMortlock Park
34194416 SeptemberBirkalla Rovers2–1Northumberland & DurhamAllenby Gardens Reserve
35194529 SeptemberPort Adelaide3–2Birkalla RoversAllenby Gardens Reserve
36194628 SeptemberWest Torrens4–3KingswoodRailway Oval
37194711 OctoberCumberland United3–2 Port AdelaideRowley Park
1948–49Not held
381950Pelaco7 OctoberBirkalla Rovers4–1Port AdelaideMortlock Park
39195129 SeptemberBirkalla Rovers1–0JuventusMortlock Park
40195227 SeptemberPolonia Adelaide3–1Beograd WoodvilleNorwood Oval
4119533 OctoberJuventus4–3Prospect UnitedAlberton Oval
4219549 OctoberPolonia Adelaide3–1JuventusMortlock Park
431955The AdvertiserJuventus2–1Polonia Adelaide
441956USC Lion3–2Cumberland United
451957Juventus5–1USC Lion
46195827 SeptemberJuventus1–0Polonia Adelaide
471959Juventus1–0Adelaide CroatiaNorwood Oval
481960Adelaide Croatia4–0Cumberland UnitedHindmarsh Stadium
491961The Advertiser (SASFA)
Jaxen (SASL)
7 October (SASFA)
30 September (SASL)
Victoria (SASFA)
USC Lion (SASL)
2–1
3–2
Enfield City (SASFA)
Orange (SASL)
501962FederationAdelaide Croatia2–1Burnside Budapest
51196314 SeptemberAdelaide Juventus5–1West Adelaide Hellas
52196424 OctoberWest Adelaide Hellas6–2 (rep.)Polonia Adelaide
53196525 SeptemberAdelaide Juventus1–0 Enfield CityOlympic Sports Field
54196624 SeptemberPolonia Adelaide1–0VictoriaHindmarsh Stadium
55196723 SeptemberWest Adelaide Hellas3–0Adelaide JuventusHindmarsh Stadium
56196828 SeptemberPolonia Adelaide2–1 Adelaide JuventusHindmarsh Stadium
57196920 SeptemberAdelaide Juventus4–1USC LionHindmarsh Stadium
58197029 AugustAdelaide Juventus3–2West Adelaide HellasHindmarsh Stadium
59197118 SeptemberAdelaide Juventus1–0West Adelaide HellasHindmarsh Stadium
6019722 SeptemberAdelaide Juventus2–0West Adelaide HellasHindmarsh Stadium
611973Willis1 SeptemberAdelaide Juventus1–0West Adelaide HellasHindmarsh Stadium
6219747 SeptemberAdelaide Croatia4–3Cumberland UnitedHindmarsh Stadium
6319756 SeptemberPolonia Adelaide2–0USC LionHindmarsh Stadium
64197618 SeptemberAdelaide Juventus4–0Campbelltown CityHindmarsh Stadium
6519773 SeptemberAdelaide Croatia1–0Campbelltown BudapestHindmarsh Stadium
661978Federation2 SeptemberCumberland United3–0Campbelltown BudapestHindmarsh Stadium
6719799 SeptemberPort Adelaide2–0Eastern Districts AzzurriHindmarsh Stadium
68198027 SeptemberBeograd Woodville4–0Enfield VictoriaHindmarsh Stadium
691981Eastern Districts Azzurri3–0Polonia AdelaideHindmarsh Stadium
701982Adelaide Croatia2–1 Para HillsHindmarsh Stadium
711983P.G.H.17 SeptemberBeograd Woodville1–0Salisbury UnitedHindmarsh Stadium
721984Eastern Districts Azzurri2–1 Campbelltown CityHindmarsh Stadium
7319857 SeptemberCampbelltown City3–2 (rep.)Cumberland UnitedHindmarsh Stadium
7419866 SeptemberEastern Districts Azzurri0–0 (5–4)Para HillsHindmarsh Stadium
7519875 SeptemberWest Torrens Birkalla1–0Campbelltown CityHindmarsh Stadium
761988Adelaide Croatia3–2Polonia AdelaideHindmarsh Stadium
7719892 SeptemberModbury Jets2–0Para HillsHindmarsh Stadium
78199031 AugustAdelaide Croatia4–2West Adelaide HellasHindmarsh Stadium
791991Adelaide Croatia1–0Salisbury United
801992FederationAdelaide Croatia3–1Eastern Districts Azzurri
811993White City Woodville1–0Olympians
821994Dairy ValeCampbelltown City3–0Salisbury United
831995Adelaide Blue Eagles4–2 (rep.)Port Adelaide Lion
841996Mutual CommunityWhite City Woodville3–0Croydon Kings
8519979 JuneAdelaide Blue Eagles2–1West Torrens BirkallaThebarton Oval
8619987 JuneAdelaide Blue Eagles3–1Adelaide Raiders
871999West End17 OctoberWest Adelaide2–1Elizabeth CityHindmarsh Stadium
88200022 JulyCroydon Kings1–1 (7–6)North Eastern MetroStarsMarden Sports Complex
8920011 SeptemberPlayford City Patriots3–0Adelaide Blue EaglesHindmarsh Stadium
90200226 JuneAdelaide Galaxy3–0Croydon KingsHindmarsh Stadium
912003Federation5 JulyAdelaide Raiders5–2North Eastern MetroStarsHindmarsh Stadium
9220042 OctoberNorth Eastern MetroStars5–2Modbury JetsHindmarsh Stadium
93200520 AugustWhite City Woodville2–1 Adelaide RaidersHindmarsh Stadium
94200624 SeptemberAdelaide City4–1Adelaide Blue EaglesHindmarsh Stadium
952007Best Pavers25 AugustAdelaide City1–0North Eastern MetroStarsHindmarsh Stadium
96200823 AugustNorth Eastern MetroStars1–0Adelaide CityHindmarsh Stadium
972009Top Corner15 AugustCumberland United0–0 (5–4)Campbelltown CityHindmarsh Stadium
982010Federation21 AugustAdelaide Blue Eagles3–2North Eastern MetroStarsHindmarsh Stadium
992011Coca-Cola20 AugustWestern Strikers1–1 (6–5)Adelaide Blue EaglesHindmarsh Stadium
100201225 AugustNorth Eastern MetroStars3–1Para Hills KnightsHindmarsh Stadium
101201310 AugustAdelaide City1–1 (5–4 White City WoodvilleHindmarsh Stadium
102201431 JuneAdelaide City4–1West AdelaideHindmarsh Stadium
1032015Federation28 JuneCroydon Kings2–0Adelaide CityThe Parks Football Centre
104201625 JuneNorth Eastern MetroStars1–0Adelaide CometsHindmarsh Stadium
105201724 JuneNorth Eastern MetroStars2–0Adelaide CityHindmarsh Stadium
106201811 JuneAdelaide Comets2–1Croydon KingsHindmarsh Stadium
107201922 JuneAdelaide Olympic3–2Adelaide CityHindmarsh Stadium
2020Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia[9]
1082021Federation14 JulyAdelaide Olympic2–1Adelaide CityThe Parks Football Centre
109202216 JulyAdelaide City5–0Modbury JetsState Centre for Football
110202324 JuneNorth Eastern MetroStarsCampbelltown CityState Centre for Football
11120246 JulyCampbelltown City3–0Modbury JetsState Centre for Football

Statistics

Teams

Most successful teams
RankTeamWinsLast
1Adelaide City182022
2Adelaide Croatia Raiders102003
3Adelaide Blue Eagles72010
West Torrens1946
5Croydon FC62015
North Eastern MetroStars2023
West Torrens Birkalla2002
8FK Beograd52005
9Hindmarsh41919
Port Adelaide Pirates1979
Sturt-Orange1941
Most finals appearances
RankTeamAppsLast
1Adelaide City272022
2Croydon FC152018
3Adelaide Croatia Raiders132005
4Adelaide Blue Eagles122011
Port Adelaide Pirates1995
6Campbelltown City102024
North Eastern MetroStars2023
West Adelaide2014
West Torrens Birkalla2002
10Sturt-Orange91941

Venue

Finals hosted
RankVenueNo.Last
1Hindmarsh Stadium642019
2Jubilee Oval51932
Mortlock Park51954
4State Centre for Football32024
5Alberton Oval21953
Allenby Gardens Reserve21945
Norwood Oval21959
Olympic Sports Field21965
The Parks Football Centre22021
align=center colspan=2Unknown16

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Observer, Adelaide. The Advertiser. 27 July 1907.
  2. Web site: South Australia Webb-Harris Cup 1907 – Results. Socceraust. https://web.archive.org/web/20220310121824/http://www.socceraust.co.uk/1907/SA/Cup/fixtures.html. 10 March 2022. live.
  3. Book: Harlow, Denis. History of Soccer in South Australia. 2003. 0975060902. 4–5.
  4. Web site: Adelaide City claim 2014 Coca-Cola Federation Cup Final. Gameday. Football South Australia. 31 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20240526143802/https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?client=0-10180-0-0-0&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=29933036. 26 May 2024. live.
  5. Web site: Football South Australia secure a second FFA Cup spot. Football South Australia. 17 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191217062722/https://www.footballsa.com.au/news/football-south-australia-secure-a-second-ffa-cup-spot. 17 December 2019. live.
  6. Web site: FFA Cup 2020 preliminary rounds to commence this weekend alongside regular live streaming initiative. Australia Cup. 14 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200319143357/https://www.theffacup.com.au/news/ffa-cup-2020-preliminary-rounds-commence-weekend-alongside-regular-live-streaming-initiative. 19 March 2020. live.
  7. Web site: Last chance to enter the 2024 Australia Cup South Australian Preliminary Rounds. Football South Australia. 15 January 2024.
  8. Web site: South Australian Football Honours. Internet Archive. 15 October 2023. Dimitri. Peppas.
  9. Web site: Coronavirus forces FFA Cup to be cancelled. SBS. The World Game. 7 July 2020. 7 July 2020.