QUEENSLANDS proposed new knockout cup competition will act as the state's feeder to next years long-awaited FFA Cup.

Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop yesterday announced that the FFA Cup would start in 2014 – provided a sponsor and broadcast partner are secured.



However, the fact that FFA made the announcement suggests that sponsorship and TV deals are all but finalised.



“The idea of the FFA Cup has captured the imagination of the football community and there’s a huge groundswell of support, " Gallop said.



“Everyone in the game is keen for this concept to come to life, but the prudent way forward is to ensure the right commercial and organisational foundations are in place.’’



The Courier-Mail has learnt that Brisbane Roar and the other nine A-League clubs will enter the knockout competition at the round of 32 stage in July.



The 10 top-flight teams will be joined at that stage by 22 lower-league clubs from around Australia.



It is understood Queensland will provide four of those lower-tier clubs, second only to NSW, who will be awarded more courtesy of their greater participation numbers.



The four Queensland teams will come from the FQ Cup, a new competition set to be ratified at board level next month.



At the very least, the FQ Cup will have to be at its semi-final stage by June 8, when Queensland’s four non-A-League representatives will have to be submitted to FFA.



It is believed the early rounds of the FQ Cup will involve teams from their own zones – including Brisbane – playing each other, before the state’s National Premier League clubs become involved.



A-League teams will not be protected once they enter the FFA Cup, increasing the chances of a fairytale run from a lower-league club.



“Like all other clubs in Queensland, we’re very excited about the possibilities presented by the FFA Cup,’’ said Pino Iacovella, director of NPL outfit Brisbane City, who won national cup competitions in 1977 and 1978.



The last national cup was contested in 1996, but only included clubs from the now defunct National Soccer League.



Next year’s FFA Cup final will be played in December, but future cups are likely extend over the summer months, which won't be an option first up because Australia is hosting the Asian Cup in January 2015.



There remains no guarantee that inaugural FFA Cup winner will be granted a spot in the 2015 AFC Champions League.



A final decision on how many Australian teams will be in next year’s Champions League will be made by the AFC in November.



FFA is banking on being allotted two automatic spots – for Premier’s Plate winner Western Sydney and grand final victor Central Coast – and a playoff berth for Melbourne Victory, who finished third in last season’s A-League.



It is believed that FFA would eventually push for the FFA Cup winner to be awarded the Champions League playoff place.

Originally published as Qld knockout feeder for FFA Cup