As part of Suffolk FA's ongoing consultation process with clubs in the county, we asked you at the end of last season how you would like to see the Suffolk FA County Cups improved. One response which was more frequent then most was for more transparency when it came to Cup draws, especially towards the latter stages.
As a result, it was decided that we would stage an event where all County Cup Semi-Final draws (except SFA Senior & Premier Cup which took place live on BBC Radio Suffolk) would take place live in front of anyone from the football community who would like to attend.
The competitions involved in the event were the Umbro Suffolk FA Boys Minor Cup, Sunday Veterans Cup, Sunday Trophy, Sunday Shield, Sunday Cup, Primary Cup, Junior Cup and Senior Reserve Cup.
Now that Semi-Finals are no longer played on neutral venues, there is increased importance on the Semi-Final draws as the first drawn team will have home advantage.
With each draw that was made, the clubs who were involved in that particular competition were invited up to draw a ball out of the bag (please see photo gallery) to show how open and random the process is and they literally had their fate in their own hands!
A number of clubs attended and the event proved a success as it allowed clubs to meet officials from their opponents prior to their Semi-Final fixtures and they also had the chance to see the trophies that they are competing for.
Having received positive feedback from a number of the clubs who attended, (especially those who received the draw they had hoped for!) Suffolk FA plan to make this an annual event.
To view each of the draws from the Suffolk FA County Cup Semi-Final draw evening, or for more information on any of the competitions, please select the competition you wish to view from under the related links section.
If you have any Suffolk FA County Cup queries at all, please contact the Governance Team on 01449 616606 or info@suffolkfa.com.