Amateur Football Combination

Affiliated to the Amateur Football Alliance, London F.A., Middlesex F.A. and Surrey F.A.

Spirit of Football

Playing in the Spirit of Football, Promoting Fair Play and Respect for All
London Old Boys Cup Trophies due for Return                                                       Peter Mills MBE                                                      AFA Refereeing Course                                                         Goffs Old Boys 1st XI withdrawn                                              Alex Grayburn unavailable                                                  Old Kolsassians Resignation                                               AFC Club Ratings to 17th December                                                    Andy Taylor Remembered                                             David Demeza Remembered                                                  Outstanding Subscriptions                                                    Wandgas - Charter Standard Community Award                                                  AFC at Christmas - no fixtures 24th and 31st December                                                     Club Referees                                                  AFC 1 Cambridge University 1                                                    Temple Bar withdrawal                                                    Old Camdenians                                                         AFC Rules - Maximum Three Substitutes                                                    Club Ratings to 22nd October 2011                                                  AFC 3 London Legal League 1                                                  Prams and Bicycles                                                  Harrowing Tale                                                     Player Registration Deadline                                                   AFC Representative Team - Get Involved                                                Alex Grayburn Away                                                  League Match Secretary Changes                                                     SMS Result Reporting This Season                                         AFC Player Registration 2011-12                                                    AFC Handbooks                                                AFC Constitution for 2011-12                                                  Match-Based Discipline 2011-12                                                   Match Day Reminders                                                  AFC New Club Officers Evening - Tuesday 27th September                                                   Spirit of Football/Respect Reminders for 2011-12                                               Members Services User Guides                                                  Updated Marking of Referees for 2011-12                                                     League Match Secretaries for 2011-12/Pitch Availability                                                   2011 Annual General Meeting Report                                                   2010-11 League Fines                                                  AFC Refereeing Feedback                                                  Revised AFC Constitution 2011-12                                                 AFC Preseason Fixture Bureau Open                                                  Match Based Discipline Handbook                                                   Laws of the Game Changes                                                  AFA Referee Training Courses - Chiswick, Fairlop, Carshalton, Wanstead, Winchmore Hill                                                   AFC Dinner Thanks                                                  6 South Trophy Withheld                                                  Spirit of Football Winners 2010-11 - Citigroup, Old Pauline, UCL Academicals                                                   Ken Elbourne Club Hospitality Award - Old Whitgiftians                                                    Ken Fletcher Club Development Award - Old Tenisonians                                                   McCarthy Refereeing Awards - Chris Beament, John Hayes, Jason Peters                                                    AFC Constitution 2011-12                                                  Final League Tables                                                  Final Club & Team Ratings                                                     Valuables and Cars                                                    Respect/Spirit of Football Reminders

Spring Cups (Occasional)

 

Fixtures Index

League Match Secretaries

 

Introduction

AFC Rule 26a: The Fixtures Committee may at its discretion establish short competitions for teams whose League program is likely to be completed at an early date before the end of the season.

Note: A Spring Cup may also be played for a division where the programme will finish early because of a smaller number of clubs (for example a division with only eight or nine sides).

Eligibility

Entry will be restricted to clubs who are full or Associate Members of the Amateur Football Combination, though on occasions may be limited to teams from a particular division, if it is being used to supplement a short league season because the division has a smaller number of sides.

Notes: Our priority is completing the league programme, which is the main AFC competition. Sides who still have a number of league games, for whatever reason, are expected and required to complete their league programmes. These optional cups are for the “early finishers” - an alternative to friendlies. It is not our expectation that Spring Cups will run every season, only in those years when we have exceptionally good weather and “early finishes.

Cup Format

Cups will normally be played with two groups of four teams, each playing each other once, with the winners of one group playing the runners up of the other group in the semi finals, and vice versa. Depending on the number of teams in a cup the fixtures will be arranged as follows:-

Six       -            Two groups of three teams, with the top two sides playing semi-finals (winner A vs runner up B)

Seven  -            One group of three, one group of four teams, with the top two sides progressing.

Eight   -            Two groups of four teams, with the top two sides progressing.

Nine    -            Three groups of three teams, with the top side from each group and best runner-up progressing, or Two groups, one of four and one of five teams, depending on time available to complete the cup..

Fixtures and Home Pitches

Fixtures will be appointed by the AFC League Match Secretaries. Home pitches should be agreed by the two clubs - we expect clubs to co-operate on pitch availability, particularly after Easter, as some clubs will struggle for home pitches, whilst others will have pre-booked (and pre-paid) for pitches and will wish to use them. If clubs cannot agree whose ground to use, the first named club in each fixture should host the game unless the LMS determines otherwise. In the semi finals, the group winners should have the option of home advantage. In the final the home advantage option is given to the team with the best record in the group stages.

Postponements

No postponements in the Spring Cups for lack of players are allowed - if you cannot field a side, you concede the points (in the group games, walkover in the knockout stages) and lose three points (the points deduction prevents a side who have won their first two games conceding their final game because “they’ve already qualified”).

League games take precedence over "Spring Cup" games. If a club cannot field a set of teams on a Saturday then “Spring Cup” games must be cancelled before league games, even if it is for a higher side (our priority is to finish the league season – there is no increased concern about clubs “loading” sides – if we didn’t have the Spring Cups clubs would have these players available anyway).

You cannot cancel a league game and play a Spring Cup game on the same day.

Group Games

Group games will be played under normal AFC League rules. If any group games have not been completed by Monday 17th April due to inclement weather, one point will be awarded to each side.

Knockout Games

Will be played according to AFC Rule 26b:-

“In the event that any tie in the competition requires a result on the day, two fifteen-minute periods of extra time shall be played if the score is level at the end of normal time.  If the score still remains level the tie will be decided by the taking of kicks from the penalty mark.  The referee shall have discretion to reduce extra time to two ten-minute periods or to dispense with extra-time and go straight to the penalty competition if conditions make this necessary to obtain a decision.”

Fixtures Index

League Match Secretaries