Berks & Bucks FA –
Following a series of consultations with our member clubs, we have started the process of a change to the structure of the County Cup Competitions.
There will be a change to the Youth County Cups with a pilot of a restructure of the cups with the Under 12 and Under 13 age groups having a choice of entering a Saturday competition or a Sunday competition. For 2017/18 season there will be an Under 12 Saturday Cup, Under 12 Sunday Cup, Under 13 Saturday Cup and Under 13 Sunday Cup. This is to give those teams who play their league fixtures on a Saturday the option of playing in a Saturday Cup avoiding having to play 2 games across a weekend.
Also, as a pilot for the 2017-2018 season the Football Operations Committee have elected to merge the previous Senior Cup and Senior trophy for all those clubs in the Football League and National League down to Step 5, and moving all other teams up a competition.
This means that those who were competing in the Saturday Intermediate Cup will now play in the Senior Trophy those who were in the Saturday Junior Cup will compete in the Saturday Intermediate Cup and the Saturday Junior Cup will now be open for more teams in the lower divisions of the Grass Roots leagues and reserve teams of those that did previously play in the Saturday Junior Cup.
This is aimed at creating more opportunities for more clubs to compete and succeed in a County Cup. The cost of entering the County Cups will also be standard so will be £10 for every team in every County Cup.
The exact make-up of the cups is subject to change once rules are ratified, and after League Sanctioning opens on May 31st and the league structures are confirmed, but as a guide when affiliating, clubs can enter the teams into the below cups from what league clubs think their teams will be competing in for the 2017-18 season:
| Cup Competition | Leagues |
| Senior Cup | Premier League EFL Championship, League 1 & League 2 National League, National League North & South Southern League Premier & Divisions 1 Combined Counties Premier Hellenic League Premier Spartan South Midlands Premier United Counties Premier Wessex League Premier |
| Senior Trophy | Reserve Teams from Senior Cup Combined Counties Division 1 Hellenic League First Divisions Spartan South Midlands Division 1 & 2 United Counties Division 1 Wessex League Division 1 Premier Division Thames Valley Premier League Selected teams as recommended by following leagues: Aylesbury & District Premier East Berks Premier North Berks Division 1 North Bucks & District Premier Oxford Senior League Premier Thames Valley Premier League Division 1 Wycombe & District Senior |
| Saturday Intermediate Cup | Reserve Teams from Saturday Intermediate Cup Teams not competing in Senior Trophy from: Aylesbury & District Premier East Berks Premier North Berks Division 1 North Bucks & District Premier Oxford Senior League Premier Thames Valley Premier League Division 1 Wycombe & District Senior Also: Combined Counties Division 2 Hellenic League Division 2 Aylesbury & District Division 1 East Berks Division 1 North Berks Division 2 North Bucks Intermediate Oxford Senior league Div 1 Thames Valley Premier Div 2 Wycombe & District Premier |
| Saturday Junior Cup | Reserve/’A’ teams from Saturday Intermediate Cup Also teams not in: Aylesbury & District Top 2 Divisions East Berks Div Top 2 Divisions North Berks Div Top 2 Divisions North Bucks Div Top 2 Divisions Thames Valley Premier Top 3 Divisions Wycombe & District Top Division |
Read more at http://www.berks-bucksfa.com/news/2017/may/bbfa-county-cups-restructure#79JKMUqZstvzmy4z.99
