Commonwealth of Baker Park Sports News

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Simmons speaks, part 2
by Oliver Stanley
The Post Senior Soccer Correspondent

OS: "We talked a bit about how much different the experience in Valanora for the DBC was from the U18's in Abanhfleft, which is strange since we were the only two people who experienced both..."

DS: "Yeah that is true, isn't it? I hadn't thought about that until you just brought it up. We had so much warmth and appreciation from the people in Sharala, and we were on the train together for every match, so it was like a bonding experience, wasn't it?"

OS: "The folks in Sharala were as about as selfless and accommodating as I've ever come across anywhere. But of course we made friends in Suwkpel, too."

DS: (laughs) "yeah, we had a good time. Having those youngsters outside of the training ground, and they were just so excited and happy, I could never forget that. Here we were, outsiders, but to them we were the closest thing they'd experienced to famous players in their lives. That was just the coolest""

OS: "It's been documented--and I'd say perfectly--about the camaraderie among the squad during that tourney, but could you touch upon how that developed?"

DS: "Tony & Jen, they would push and provoke you, then all of a sudden they would joke and be really supportive. When we got to the end of (training camp at the FAC Development Complex), and they said we were going to have a talent show, some of us had no idea what we were supposed to do. Fortunately, the players who were already pro kind of organized things, so you got thrown into working with others that maybe you hadn't done much training with. As I recall, in the process of rehearsing for that, a couple of us stumbled on this song, and although we didn't use it in the show, when we had one of our...OK, party times...when it was just the players, somehow we got hooked on the silliness of it. ("The Kids Are Alright", which became the squad's anthem, sung on the coach after every match.)
And yeah, I was usually the one who got it kicked off. (laughter) For some reason, because we were all platonic, mixed-sex friends, it sort of hit home if you were thinking about your own girlfriend or boyfriend; we were basically reinforcing among ourselves that we were beyond thinking of one another in a...I can't really come up with a better word than sexual...perspective. We were teammates, and that's all that mattered to us."

OS: "It's interesting you bring that up, because of course the print media were accused--quite rightly--of having more access to the coaching staff than the broadcast media (The Post's reporter, along with the reporter from the Sporting Times, had frequent late afternoon lunch, or late night dinners with some or all of the Under-18 staff during the group stage of the SWC 5).
And one of the issues we discussed on one of the first nights we were in Abanhfleft was the elephant in the room--teenagers and sexuality."

DS: (laughs) "I'll tell you why that's funny, because we cleared the air about that on one of the very first days we were together. One of the gals stood up and said, 'let's get this out of the way from the start--we aren't here to (have sex) anyone. We're here to play, and if you're more interested in trying to (have sex) one of us rather than getting ready to play, you're gonna be disappointed,' And the rest of them all spoke out and agreed, and my girl, (Nicki Stone) stood up and said 'you respect our boundaries, we won't be tempted to kick you in the onion bag,' Everyone got a good chuckle out of that, and from that point, it was never an issue."

(continued in Part 3)

World Cup 81/82/83/84

DeAngelo Simmons interview--conclusion
by Oliver Stanley
The Post Senior Soccer Correspondent

OS: "What are your feelings that there could be mixed sex senior clubs in a competition in the Commonwealth?"

DS: "There's so much long standing tradition in the NSL, and I don't know if we could just jump in feet first to mixed sex competition like we did in the National Team setup. If it hadn't worked out at the the (SWC Under 18's), would the association have sent a mixed team to the BOF? I'm not so sure."

OS: "Do you think that maybe a long phase in-maybe via reserve or academy competition--might be a way to progress towards a mixed National League?"

DS: "It's hard to see how it can be accommodated under the way the league structures are set up. We (Monmouth Park FC) don't have a women's side, therefore we don't have a ladies setup at our academy. So you'd end up with Brentford, who have a top class women's squad, having an advantage over us."

OS: "Let's touch upon the club, and how the change in the overall culture allowed you to regain Championship status in just one season."

DS: "Jason (Phillips, hired in the aftermath of Park's relegation) made it clear that the path forward was rebuilding the squad, and that was one of the major factors in why I signed up. He had a vision that the club had enough talent, and if there were changes in the lineup, we could challenge for a promotion spot immediately. Although we had to battle down to the final round, we always believed we would make it back to the Championship."

OS: DeAngelo, thanks for the time, and we wish you the best of luck in your future."

DS: "Thank you Ollie. It's my pleasure."

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Weekend 2026
Coed League A Possibility?
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Writer

[Additional Reporting credited to Darren Anderson, Soccer Editor of the Shirley Exponent]--
___________________________________________________________________________________

Coed League A Possibility?
Darren Anderson, Soccer Editor
for The Exponent

[additional reporting by Mindy Cartwright of The Sporting Times]

In a joint venture, the Sporting Times, and The Exponent have sought the input of the most respected persons in the sport to get an idea of how a potential mixed-sex league might be able to operate alongside the current setup of the NSL and the NWSL.

Stage 1: A Plan
The first hurdle faced is the essential structure of the FAC and the classification of clubs. "Full member" clubs are considered to be those 124 organizations that comprise the men's domestic league setup; the 32 professional women's clubs are considered to be adjuncts of the full member clubs they are a part of, including the 5 NWSL sides that are combined entities.

Of those single entity women's clubs, the breakdown of their mens divisional alignment is telling. Only three clubs that will be in the Championship in the upcoming season have a corresponding professional women's department, while the count for those in the Second Division is higher--10, along with 3 others who are co-sponsors; the Third Division & the Conference have a combined total of 8 on both counts, while 6 of the NWSL teams are the product of clubs in the FAC Shield, with one other club as co-sponsor.

A fully independent division of mixed sex sides would mean that some clubs would have to give up their places in leagues they currently occupy; it seems improbable that any of the Second Division sides would surrender a chance at promotion to the Championship for an experimental undertaking. Let's view some of the other clubs who might be willing to take a leap of faith.

Caledonia Ladies--Sanborn (2nd), Lewiston (3rd) & Bergholz (Conf) all share the the academy program for this separate women's side; of this trio, Bergholz seem like the obvious choice to put their full member status behind a combined team.
Lima United Women--Lima City would be the obvious fit here, and they could probably persuade North Lima to continue to provide trainees and players to the effort.
Lynchana Women--It doesn't seem like a stretch that Alton Athletic might choose to bolster their chances with the addition of players from this club, if Borderers somehow didn't lunge at the chance first.
Newmarket Ladies--to this point, we've only considered the position of the men relative to the women in the respective tables, but in this case, Newmarket are in the First Division of the NWSL, so it would be difficult to see them walking away from such a perch.
St Stephens Ladies--this one is the most difficult of the shared sponsorship sides; Hannover & Andover both are in the Conference, while ROCK United and Trinity are in the Third. A possible solution would be to break St Steves in two, with one half staying in the NWSL and the other joing with one of the others to go coed.
East Endborough--this another club that might leap at a chance to expand their player pool, as the EE women's academy is still capable of turning out excellent products.
Ellesmere Woods--seems like a natural fit also. In the crowded Ezriquay catchment area, a mixed side could be a good niche for the club to fill.
Far Hills/Forest Park--right now, the women are carrying the burden for these two historic capital clubs, and from the outside, it doesn't seem the downsides outweigh the benefits of taking a chance.
Sherwood Forest/Shiloh--the ladies are are both in the NWSL's top flight, but either of them could possibly be dominant in a mixed side competition.
Ravens/Greenlea--these two seem less likely to walk away from their successful accomplishments on the ladies half of the sport, but there could be unforseen benefits for the rivals.
Ridge Raiders/Haskins Blues/Castleford--all three share the same situation, with their men buried in the Shield and the women fighting it out in the 1st. Could come down to financial incentives if things get beyond the talking stages.

For the moment we've left aside the discussion of non-league clubs that could be brought in to round out numbers, because there are issues to face with them as well. The next step would be how to make the concept work in practice? This was the question we posed to our expert minds.

Stage 2: Deconstructing the Pyramid

If the idea is to have a workable, competitive league for mixed gender sides, you can't make it a place where clubs can just dump players while retaining their full single gender squads as well.

Eddie Uhlman, Managing Director of Shirley Metros FC is in favor of seeing what an integrated league would produce. "Well of course there would have to be a bit of risk involved for the clubs that chose to participate, but some of that could be mitigated by the potential for increased revenue, exposure and success for the clubs. Frankly, I would be willing to see the (NSL) make the financial commitment to something like this, even if it cuts into my own revenue in the short term. We need to be trying to find ways to help small clubs survive, and I have believed for awhile that gender integration would be a benefit especially to clubs in the Conference and the Shield."

Asked if hypothetically he could see a day in the future that Metros might field a mixed gender side in the Championship, Uhlman was unequivocal, "absolutely. I believe that day would mean we were on our way to becoming a top league in the UICA."

Chris McClain, Director of Soccer at Ezriquay United, sees a future similar to Uhlman, and wonders if clubs like his--that have lagged behind in the women's side of player development--might be caught out in a future revolution for the sport in the Commonwealth.

"The issue of female player development, and having a women's side, is something we talk about every 3-4 months. And I think the reckoning is coming sooner rather than later. In the past, I know the club tried to both muscle its way, and benevolently reach out to the neighboring clubs about getting involved in academy sharing, and to their credit--I say in hindsight, since I wasn't involved in those attempts--those clubs aggressively rejected all those overtures. So here we are with no structure for a women's club, at a disadvantage in scouting and recruitment for academy prospects and looking at a future that is moving towards fully integrated mixed gender sides. We're not the only big club in this position, and it's going to play a big part in how the league starts to shake out in the next several years."

[To be continued in Part 2]

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Coed League: Part 2

by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Writer, Sporting Times Daily
& Darren Anderson, Soccer Editor, The Exponent

Stage 2: Deconstructing the Pyramid continued:

Under the current league organizational system, in order to bring about a cross section of clubs willing to combine their squads to compete in a separate league, there would need to be at least one side prepared to forego the immediate benefits of their current places in the respective tables for the opportunity to lead the way forward.

Middletown City: Both halves of the club are strong, and the academy has been a net talent producer (selling/releasing players to other clubs at a profit). Overall, the identity each side has tied to their current position makes them an unlikely volunteer.
Hamilton Wanderers: same as above. There are not many potential upsides to a combined squad surrendering their high visibility stature.
Westwood Sprites: both the men and women suffered relegation from the top flight last season, and the club live on their reputation of player development. In a strange sense, they could be the biggest winners by going coed.
Llewellyn Turnpike: There are very real questions among the long time observers of the game whether Turnpike can be a viable Championship men's side under the current balance of power circumstances; in their favor is the fact that the women are really the only game in town in Osheana, and like Sprites, the long term rewards might outweigh the short term sacrifice.
Meadowdale: as pointed out about Ellesmere Woods, the Ezriquay market is wide open for a solid mixed sex club side, and if 'Dale reckon that they don't have the financial strength to battle United and Midtown in men's competition, they could be another beneficiary of a change in focus.
Leiderkranz/Broadview/Great Northern: three clubs with more in common than they have differences; their men are all long dormant since their glory days, while the women have much higher profiles; they are all based in college towns; and they all could be pioneers in the mixed gender concept within their particular regions.

Donna Brown, recently promoted to Club General Manager at Crusaders, in addition to her role as manager for the Lady Crusaders, thinks that her club could benefit from a consolidation into a mixed sex squad. "We have a lot of really decent players, but on both squads we have gaps where there might be answers on the corresponding team. The board are reluctant to make a commitment unless the financial issues can be worked out; for a lot of clubs in our situation, you'd be talking about losing 50-60% of the gate you get from having home matches for two sides."

FAC Deputy Executive Director Allison LeFleur is the association's point person on discussions about league reconfiguration. "Money is one of the major stumbling blocks we hear about when talk about this comes up. We have had meetings of a special commission that includes league reps, (FAC) board members, & others, to work through some of the ways that we can assure revenue to clubs that are largely dependent on the gate to make money. Until we get closer to an agreement on that, it's going to be difficult to make concrete plans about mixed squad competition."

[to be continued in Part 3]

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Coed League: Part 3

by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Writer, Sporting Times Daily
& Darren Anderson, Soccer Editor, The Exponent

Stage 3: Meeting of the Minds
The setting--a secret location within the Kizza VI Metropolis Hotel, Busukuma, Banija.

On the eve of the final group stage match at the World Cup for the Commonwealth National Team, a select, by-invitation only gathering was convened among some of the county's top soccer journalists--both print & broadcasting--where the topic of mixed gender league play was the main topic of discussion.
(Editor's Note: much credit for this section of the series must be given to Fiona Devlin, of the Sporting Times, who provided the most dependable recollection of the event!)

Much of the detailing of the various situations described earlier were familiar to many of the attendees, so it was not necessary to go into a lengthy introduction of the particulars. At the core of the discussion was a hypothetical opportunity to make the coed league a reality--at least within the consensus of those present.

The parameters were established for the makeup the league structures, and then the opinions began to flow.
Many of ideas that were spelled out in capsule form, among all of the clubs discussed in this series so far, came from opinions and statements made during this process.
So, it was determined there needed to be a shakeout of some potential candidates; everyone was tasked with ranking the 8 clubs that would be least likely to go coed based on the current standing of their men.

The top 6 were almost nearly unanimous, but the discussion of the next 5 split views along certain regional lines: i.e., some participants were adamant that their own local sides would or would not be open to mixed squad.

A brief interlude where talk was directed towards other topics stretched into the next hour of the meeting, and soon another elimination selection was proposed; among clubs where the women were in a higher table position than the men, rank the 5 who would opt for status quo.

Once a general consensus came out of those results, the meeting was halted, to be continued ahead of the next match (the talk of this topic ceased; the 'meeting' continued on for some time--Ed.)

[conclusion in Part 4]

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Coed League: Conclusion

by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Writer, Sporting Times Daily
& Darren Anderson, Soccer Editor, The Exponent

Stage 3: Meeting of the Minds--continued

Finally, the best guesses of the experts were called upon, and the criteria were defined:
--A single division of mixed gender clubs
--a single division of women's clubs
--a configuration of men's clubs that would bridge the gap between the 2nd Division and the FAC Shield regional leagues.

There was probably less real argument about what a single tier NWSL could potentially look like:
Brentford Ladies
Clayton City Ladies
E Endborough Ladies
Greenlea Ladies
Hamilton Wanderers Ladies
Jamestown City Ladies
Leiderkranz Ladies
Linden Ladies
Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies
Meadowdale Ladies
Middletown City Women
Newcastle Ladies
Ravens Ladies
Ridge Raiders Ladies
Riverside city Women
Sherwood Forest Ladies
Shiloh Ladies
Shirley Metros Women
Southend Ladies
Westwood Sprites Ladies

As for the clubs that would that potentially take the leap of faith, there was a lot more debate before a reasonable consensus was decided:
Alton Athletic/Lynchana Ladies
Bergholz Town/Caledonia Ladies
Broadview AFC/Ladies
Castleford/Ladies
Crusaders/Lady Crusaders
Ellesmere Woods/Ladies
Far Hills/Ladies
Forest Park/Ladies
Georgetown AC (non-league)/Ladies (non-league)
Great Northern/Ladies
Greenville Twp/Ladies (currently non-league)
Hannover United/St Stephen's Ladies
Haskins Blues/Ladies
Jaynesville SC/Dalton Ladies (non-league)
Liberty Twp FC/Liberty Twp Ladies (non-league)
Lima City FC/Lima United Ladies
Lower Valley Lions/River-Valley Ladies (non-league)
Paintersville FC/Ladies (non-league)
Pembroke St David's/Ladies (non-league)
Sorenburg Park/Ladies (non-league)

Which left the remainder of the eligible clubs not going coed staying where they were:
Andover Borough
Brentwood Brough
Bridgend Metros
Carlisle FC
Coolville Utd
Eastview
E Endborough
Forresters
Greenlea
Jacksonville FC
Jamestown Rovers
Jennings Borough
Jeromesville
Kellersville
Leiderkranz-Turner
Lewiston Town
Lynchana Borderers
Maritime Athletic
Patterson Park
Principia
Ravens
ROCK United
St Pat's
Sherwood Forest
Springfield City
State University
Trinity
Valley View
W Liberty Rovers
Westphalia County

So, there you have it, our best guess as how a realignment to test the mixed gender concept in the Commonwealth might play out.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Daily 2026
Mixed Gender League Agreed
Conference Division to be separate from NSL pyramid
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

(Editors note: this story is the first that recognizes the newly created position, as an element of a new professional contract, for Mindy Cartwright with STD; in addition, Fiona Devlin has been promoted to National Soccer Writer)

[Additional Reporting credited to Darren Anderson, Soccer Editor of The Shirley Exponent]

For the third time in it's history, the National Soccer League, along with the Football Association of the Commonwealth, will bring about a fundamental change to the organization of the sport, following the announcement that an agreement has been reached among the parties and the commercial stakeholders, to introduce a 22 club division that will field mixed gender sides for the first time in Baker Park history.

Anthony Lewis, Chief Executive of the The National Leagues, told the assembled crowd at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Belle Haven that all issues involving financial matters and the basic agreement had been approved.

"I don't think that the contributions & guidance we have received from David Carlson, Allison LeFleur and Chairwoman Cheryl Livingston of the FAC can be adequately be recognized. Meetings in conference rooms usually are stiff, artificial exercises; it's what happens in the back offices, on the telephone, in groups of 2 or 3 or 4, that get business done. The commitment of the FAC to making this a reality is a credit to the board and Allison & Dave."

Mrs Livingston also pointed out the work of the Executive Director and his longtime deputy. "We are proud of the work--and our ability to provide some of the upfront financing--to get this project running from the executive staff. Much of our informal discussion on the board involves at what point are we going to be unable to offer them enough compensation to keep them on the job." An explosion of laughter marked the transition to remarks from LeFleur, the Deputy General Secretary of the FAC.

"David forces me to speak for both of us at this point, and I assure all of you, no actual cash changed hands"--another short disruption followed--"but we have been able to mediate these talks, thanks to the changes that have come about from gender integration of the National Team. We have a substantial windfall from hosting the AOCAF, which we may not have a chance of doing previously. The FAC is not in the business of hoarding huge reserves of cash; if there is a need, we will provide the funding."

Another round of applause died out some 45-60 seconds later. "We are involved in a venture, in partnership with Cassadaigua, to bid for the World Cup 84 hosting rights. This is another windfall of the success of our National Team, and our decision to integrate by gender. I believe that this new league will be another important step in the advancement of our sport."

Following on from the introductory statements, the official unveiling of the FAC National Conference took place with the presentation of the 22 clubs who will make up the Commonwealth's first professional mixed-gender competition.

[continued in Part 2]

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Daily 2026
Men, Women to compete on equal footing (Part 2)
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

The FAC National Conference will debut with several questions left to be answered, but much of the small detail worked through.

The clubs that have agreed to make the move away from their previous positions in respective divisions will be provided with a one time equalization payment; this will be based on the full revenue share that the club would've been entitled to for it's higher placed section for the upcoming season prior to realignment.

The revenue sharing for the divisions across the board have been adjusted and prorated; the Conference will now earn total FAC payments closer to that of the Second Division than the Third, and the newly configured Third Division will see the the gap between themselves and the remaining clubs in the Shield expand.

The clubs that will lead the way into mixed-gender professional soccer in the Commonwealth:

Bergholz Caledonian FC--The Firemen have struggled to maintain pace with their neighbors, while Callie's Ladies have a bit of Cup pedigree, not to mention the advantage of the women's academy for the whole middle south of BP state.
Broadview United AFC--consolidating the northeast corner of Belle Haven County and Mansfield area makes sense for Broadview, even if giving up their 1st Division spot in the NWSL is the price.
Castleford FC--A smart choice for a club that stands to profit from the increased revenue.
Crusaders FC--set up for success from the get-go. The men coming down from the 2nd division will be a strength to a roster that GM/Manager Donna Brown was already seeking to upgrade.
Dalton United FC--the major surprise for bringing in the non-league Dalton Ladies was that Station grabbed the opportunity before Jaynesville knew what hit them. They may struggle early on, as the new club will certainly be financially one of the weakest in the division.
Ellesmere Woods FC--are going to be get a solid foothold in the Ezriquay metro area, and will probably be aggressive in player recruitment.
Far Hills FC--the chance to get in the ground floor may be the thing that saves the club from going out of business in the next few years. The new Conference was almost designed with them in mind.
Forest Park FC--see above. Park were one of the first clubs that jumped at the chance to reinvent themselves as a mixed-sex team.
Great Northern FC--the romantic notion of one the FAC's charter members has always been rooted more in nostalgia than reality. As a far flung outpost, they have always struggled to attract players and money. Like the Belle Haven duo, they are looking towards this venture as a lifeline.
Greenville Township FC--who knows how the transformation of the textbook definition of "provinicial part-timers" (although, credit where it's due--they have been a solid Conference side for a few years now) will work out? One of the biggest question marks of this entire experiment.

[continued in part 3]

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Daily 2026
Men, Women to compete on equal footing (Part 3)
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

Here are the other 12 clubs that will compete in the National Conference:

Hannover United FC--some people thought that the club might revert back to its original name to emphasize the St Stephen's connection. Good catchment area for mixed gender (personally, I always thought that Andover or Trinity would take the lead) and having Broadview alongside will make for a good storyline.
Hardun AC--no one can truly say they thought Lynchana Women would end up in a partnership with Hardun. HAC have been part-timers for so long, and no one really thought that Alton or the Borderers took their women's venture that seriously. But there is commitment from a consortium of businesses in the southeast that want this to work. Stay tuined.
Haskins Blues AFC--The Blues have enormous pride that their academy has been a source of income from turning out well developed players through their history. It's hard to imagine that they would give up their NWSL 1st Division spot if they didn't think they make a mark.
Jacksonville City United FC--this one took us by surprise, so much that we never even considered it. Seems like a stroke of genius when you give it some thought.
Jennings Borough FC--no one could've predicted that Ridgedale Ladies would be part of the discussion of mixed gender talk; but the tug of war in western Northridge County saw Jennings get half of the setup that Nor-Dale shared with their two neighbors.
Liberty FC--dropping "Township" from their name is a sign that this club want to be thought of as more than a suburban outpost. They will make for an interesting buffer between Midalia-StLeon divide in the the new venture.
Lima United FC--Lima City have never lived up to the expectations that a club in a city the size of Lima should be able to maintain; will this new direction with the Ladies point to a different future?
Lower Valley Lions FC--they were not the natural choice to gain the windfall of the River-Valley women's dissolution. Whispers that Mel-Wood were approached to join the combination might come back into to play in the near future.
Mooresville Celtic FC--the other party in the Ridgedale divorce, Celtic felt that their hand was forced by Jennings' decision to go coed. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that one of three from Celtic, Borough & Dalton United returns to single gender within a few years.
Paintersville SC--they are stuck with flying the banner for Endborough in the new Conference. The extra money from the FAC might get them through to survive in the long term.
Pembroke St Davids FC--in the same way that the country's second biggest city will have to turn out for P-ville, the third largest city will have to rely on a small club merged with a non-league women's partner to showcase mixed soccer.
Sorenberg Park FC--the third example of a major Commonwealth metro area that will have to work through some growing pains. The fact that there will be a few local rivalries to build on may help out.

There you have it. The 22 clubs that will introduce men & women playing alongside one another on a local level are a mixed bag, and both the NSL & the FAC are committing resources to grow an organically created product to piggyback on the success of the National Team. Will there be enough patience to let the division grow on it's own merits?

World Cup 81/82/83/84

FAC throws itself into the breach
Frank Armitage
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

These are heady times on the 19th floor at 333 State Street in Belle Haven, the headquarters suite of the Football Association of the Commonwealth of Baker Park. The governing body of the sport will be celebrating its' 125th Anniversary this year, and already the calendar has been full of celebratory events, with more upcoming.

It is hardly prideful boasting to say that the FAC has made a meteoric rise in multiverse circles since their debut at the 42nd DiBradini Cup in Valanora, and although the most recent edition saw the Under-21 side fail to advance from the group stage for the first time, current circumstances could not be any more positive at the moment.

Currently sitting in 9th in the KPB multiverse rankings--just behind the above mentioned Vanorians, with both Eura & Turori close on their heels--Baker Park have achieved their place in the top 10 despite not having advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Cup to this point.

The project to bring World Cup 84 here, as co-hosts with Cassadaigua, is another step towards raising the profile of the FAC among their peers in the WCC. The final breakthrough to getting a new national stadium in Belle Haven underway has given the bid, as well as the organization itself, a huge boost. The announcement of the National Conference, which will bring mixed gender club soccer to the country for the first time, could not have come without a substantial commitment of financial resources from the association.

All of these things can only seem like a strange dream come true to the vast majority of the population, who had only ever known the Black & Gold clad teams that represented Baker Park in the pre-NS era as spirited, and determined, average achievers; just on the cusp of being good enough, aware of their limitations, comfortable in their slot in the hierarchy.

We now field teams who walk out of the tunnels of stadiums far and wide, not awed by the surroundings, the opponent or the occasion; they expect to win, they believe they have trained & prepared to the highest level, they respect the teams they face but expect the same in return.

Based on the existing evidence, the FAC--and the National League--will make this new venture work. They will, if the bid is successful, put on a World Cup that will be uniquely something that speaks to our country, while bringing in the masses from across the multiverse to understand and appreciate who and what we are, and what we stand for.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

WE WIN!

Cassadaigua--Baker Park bid for World Cup 84 a Success!

Frank Armitage
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

The announcement in Canterlot, Equestria by the President of the World Cup Committee, Princess Cadance, of the results in voting for the next edition of the NSWC had barely ended when several participants in a private gathering at the Mercantile Club in downtown Belle Haven began to receive text messages; the official phone call was still a moment of excitement for the 30 or so senior officials of the Football Association of the Commonwealth gathered for dinner.

Cheryl Livingston, Chair of the FAC Board, received the call from the WCC, while Executive Director David Carlson was on the phone with his counterpart in Concord Heights at CASE headquarters.

Speaking later, Carlson reflected on the suddenness of it all. "We knew the vote was going to be close, the bid from Pasarga & Mriin was every bit as good as ours, and you had a similar makeup of nations--Rushmore & AO."

In the near term, the planning is already well down the road, but what elements now will need to be ramped up? "We're fortunate that we can look back on the info from the AOCAF, so the general outline is known. Obviously there are projects that will need to get going in those stadiums we have identified as utilizing temporary seating to increase capacity, and we expect that we will have a steady stream of folks from governing bodies who will drop in to look at facilities, travel, etc."

Prime Minister Rebecca Schoenlein released a statement expressing her congratulations. "It is a great day for our country, as the FAC and the governing body in Cassadaigua, CASE, have come together to bring this event to our two nations. We are all looking forward to hosting the multiverse here in the Commonwealth."

As for the team itself, host nations are exempt from the qualifying process, so Pamela Scott will have to come up with a preparation regime to ensure she gets enough match experience for the players; it seems hard to imagine that there will be the same opportunities to give less experienced players a chance to show their ability as there has been in the past.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Winds of Change
Frank Armitage
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

After an eventful off season, the National Soccer League prepares to enter into what surely will be the biggest upheaval since the 1992-95 reorganization that saw the Championship drop from 22 down to 18 teams.

First of all will be the debut of National Conference, which will operate independently from the rest of the league structure. The 22 clubs that will lead the way to mixed gender club competition in Baker Park will begin their campaigns a week earlier than the rest of the professional game. Also, it was established that those clubs would only participate in the FAC Cup for now, which will result in a readjustment for other FAC competitions.

The newly expanded Third Division will consist of 28 teams, broken into geographically drawn halves, which every team playing their own sectional rivals twice and the other section's teams just once. They will also compete for the FAC Trophy, which will also be open to associate member clubs expressing an interest.

The FAC Shield competition is now reduced to 36 clubs, and will operate on a regional schedule also; 4 groups of 9, with two groups paired up against each other, making for a 34 match schedule.

Finally, the Women's National League will become a single, 20 team division, and with the number of associate member women's sides reduced to just a handful, it will mean the FAC Women's Cup will a smaller field than in past years.

The National League Cup will have 48 teams from the Second & Third Divisions competing, meaning the Third Division clubs will now have the heaviest fixture lists.

One other change means there will be a window that was previously limited now available, as clubs that had qualified for UICA competitions will miss out, following on from the move to shift control of international club administration to the IFCF.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Season Preview--2nd Division (intro)
by Oliver Stanley
The Post Senior Soccer Correspondent

In all nations that have profession soccer leagues, it's the top flight that gets the coverage, prestige, and reputation for the rest of the country's clubs. However, it's well known among the wise that the second tier is usually the one that generally about the best competition--the fiercest rivalries and the highest motivation at both ends of the table.

In the National League, the 2nd Division fits this bill perfectly; some clubs have a strong identity as perpetual yo-yo sides--Sanborn Borough, Jamestown City, & Newmarket Saxons, to name four--and others cling tightly to their second-tier status to prove their worth as professional teams--Meadowdale, Linden Woods & North Royalton are three that leap out--in a perpetual battle against relegation.

This season's story will be framed around the battle of a record seven former First Division Champions, combining for 30 titles, trying to make their way back to the top.
It will be the third consecutive campaign that Victoria & Albert SC will spend outside the Championship, and the club are now in desperation mode after it was announced that they will become tenants at the new National Stadium following the World Cup. leaving the Rosenau behind with a potential to double their attendance; however, they know it will be a harder sell if they remain mired in the second tier for much longer.

They will be joined by longtime nemesis Westwood Sprites, as well as Salisbury City following those two sides' relegation, and have already had to deal with Saxons, Middletown City, Hamilton Wanderers & Brentford.

It's the clubs that have remained committed to their youth development--Middlebourne, Llewellyn Turnpike, Nor-Dale and North Lima--who are the wild cards, while Mansfield C&W, Fairport Harbor, newcomers Alton Athletic & Maineville Mauraders seemingly lost amid the shuffle.

(continued in Part 2)

World Cup 81/82/83/84

World Cup off to eventful start
Frank Armitage
The Mail on Sunday Chief Soccer Writer

The 84th World Cup is underway, with the Qualifying Tournament set to start and the preparations here in Baker Park in full swing. Construction on the National Stadium is moving along, as well as the projects at several other stadiums undergoing expansion for the Finals, both permanent and temporary.

Of course, the story of the circumstances surrounding the group draw held in Concord Heights, Cassadaigua has been documented in various ways; both of the organizing bodies, the FAC and CASE, have received praise across the multiverse for their handling of the situation, and there has been much lighthearted reference to this being the "Cursed Cup".

There will be no shortage of story lines to explore in the months to come, with the re-emergence of several nations whose glory extends to the past, the up and coming strength of newer competitors from the most recent Baptism of Fire, and the surprise sides from the last round of WCQ who have built upon that experience, much in the same way the Commonwealth did following their debut in World Cup 80.

165 nations will battle over 22 rounds of matches to decide the final 30 that will advance to join the co-hosts for the four week spotlight of the largest sporting event in the multiverse. That it should happen to coincide with the current apex of Baker Park's most decorated and talented generation of players adds an extra sense of excitement for fans of soccer in this country.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

National Conference Previews--Part 1
The club summaries for all 22 sides that will compete in the first mixed gender league in Baker Park. This time--those eight teams who will fight it out at the tail end of the table (in alphabetical order):

World Cup 81/82/83/84

National Conference Previews--Part 2
Club summaries for the seven sides that we expect to be in the mid-table pack (in alphabetical order):

World Cup 81/82/83/84

National Conference Previews--Part 3
Club summaries for the seven sides that we expect to challenge for the title (in alphabetical order):

There you have it: 22 clubs playing 42 matches each to determine a champion for the debut of mixed gender soccer in Baker Park.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Weekend 2028
Sponsors, Details emerge for National Stadium
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

By almost any stretch of the imagination, it was a massive media gathering yesterday for the unveiling of the Commonwealth's newest sports & entertainment facility, the BBP National Stadium.

Bank of Baker Park, the nation's fourth largest financial corporation and a longtime partner of the FAC, have secured a 25 year deal to be the sponsor of the 74,000 seat facility, part of the most expensive single-site public works project in the history of Baker Park.

While there are some minor details to be completed, as well as a 60% capacity test event (rumors at this point say that a National Team friendly match against Banija will be broadcast on the video screens as the draw for fans to come), the Stadium appears to ready to host it's first official event--a National Team friendly against World Cup co-hosts Cassadaigua during the break between the two halves of the qualification tournament--at the Bank Holiday weekend corresponding.

Cheryl Livingstone, Chairwoman of the Board of the FAC, praised the workers and the diverse local, state and federal agencies and authorities involved for their efforts and cooperation.

"It is with the most heartfelt appreciation that I thank all of the thousands of men & women who had a hand in seeing this project through, from initial idea to final result. If it were not for the approval, at all the various levels, to expand the 3T project to include this construction, we would not be here today."

Peter Higgins, Chairman of BBP Corporation, the parent company of Bank of Baker Park, expressed his appreciation for the relationship that the FAC and his company enjoy. "We understood going in that there would be many entities bidding for the naming rights to this facility, and we understood that it wasn't entirely the decision of the FAC at the end of the day. We are proud that we have been a long-time supporter of soccer in this country, at the grass roots level, with the National League, and for the National Team."

In addition, the preliminary outline of the post World Cup usage of the stadium was discussed by Minister of Public Works Solomon Ngumbe.

"There will be a full slate of events at the BBP Stadium. We are in advanced discussions with the UAC about having the National Championship Football Game here; the FAC has committed both the Men's & Women's FAC Cup Final, and the FAC Trophy Final here for a minimum of 10 years, and we're in discussions with the PFD & CRU for dates to accommodate those competitions also. The most important negotiation we've tentatively agreed to is with Victoria & Albert SC to become full-time tenants of the stadium, which will include a separate sponsorship deal, and the agreement of the club to surrender the freehold of their Rosenau stadium to the government."

Anthony Lewis, CEO of the National Leagues, also confirmed his organizations agreement to provide fixtures. "We have signed a memorandum of understanding to have the National League Cup Final--and perhaps the semis too--at the venue. All of us involved with the administration of the sport are thrilled with the opportunities that the stadium opens up to everyone."

The design of the facility was imagined with several factors in mind: an ability to host various events without needing to have the entire facility available to public access; the ability to maximize the capacity of the smaller configurations; the media presentation that would minimize the unused seating capacity for events in the smaller configurations; and the optimization of executive box/premium level seating that could be utilized regardless of the ultimate seating capacity.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

A brief recap of the various levels of the National League, and the other competitions clubs participate in under the FAC umbrella:

Championship--Baker Park's top professional division; 18 clubs playing home & away (34 fixtures), with the bottom two sides relegated.
2nd Division--20 clubs playing for the opportunity to be promoted to the Championship, home & away (38 fixtures), with the 19th & 20th placed finishers relegated.
3rd Division--now consisting of two 14 team sections, each playing their fellow sectional opponents home & away, and the opposing section clubs once (40 fixtures). The two section winners play-off for the overall title, both earning promotion, while the bottom two clubs in each section are relegated to the Shield.
FAC Shield--two 18 team sections--a mix of semi-professional and professional clubs--playing home & away against their fellow sectional opponents (34 fixtures), with the the top two clubs in each section in a play-off for the overall title, all earning promotion to the 3rd Division.
National Conference--22 mixed gender clubs playing home & away (42 fixtures). No promotion or relegation at present.
National Women's League--20 clubs playing home & away (38 fixtures). No promotion or relegation.

FAC Cup--open to all professional, semi-professional and amateur clubs. Single elimination, with one replay, extra time and PK shootout if needed after that.
FAC Women's Cup--same as above. Currently open to 32 eligible clubs.
National League Cup--open to current members of the 2nd & 3rd Divisions (48 total) Two legged ties with away goals doubled. No extra time, PK shootout if needed.
FAC Trophy--open to all clubs in the Shield and non-league sides (54 total) Single elimination. No replays, extra time and PK shootout if needed.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

FAC Trophy Review

The FAC Trophy is the Commonwealth's second oldest knockout tournament, and has historically been contested by those clubs that were not members of the National League. When the League expanded to include a third division of professional sides and increased the existing top two divisions to 12 teams each in 1922, the remaining majority of clubs that remained as part-time or fully amateur began to seek to have a competition that excluded professionals.

The entry rules excluded non FAC members and clubs that had previously been in the League, but had been replaced by vote at the annual General Conference (the process for promoting and relegating clubs between the local amateur leagues and the National League until the establishment of the FAC Shield competition some 30 years later). It went through several format changes--small regional stages with the survivors playing off, larger draws that split clubs geographically--but finally settled into a full field blind draw, with only the current League sides and non-FAC members excluded (in 1932, the waiting period for clubs seeking admission to the governing body was eliminated).

In 1949, the League added a fourth division, as an interim competition for amateur & part-time clubs making the transition to semi or fully professional status. The subsequent organization of the Shield saw the addition of Conference sides to the Trophy for the first time.

The latest restructuring of the NSL has reduced the size of the Shield, and in response, the addition of associate member part time and amateur sides back to the FAC Trophy.

The 97th edition had 54 entries, and the ten clubs from last season's regional leagues were given byes into the second round.

Ralston United FC 3–7 Georgetown Athletic Club
Salisbury County FC 3–2 Hartley Community Club
Independent Laborers AC 1–2 FC Monroe Central
Bowling Green FC 3–0 Riverdale United FC
Mansfield County SC 3–2 Deptford AC
Cloppenburg Township SC 0–1 RFCP AC
Queens Park FC 1–2 Linden Lions FC
Spring Valley FC 1–2 Maplewood AFC
Dragons FC 2–1 Edgewood Eagles SC
West Alden United FC 2–1 Ridge Raiders SC
West Chester 1–1 Mel-Wood FC (1–3 AET)
New Harmony 0–0 Hampton SC (0–0 AET) (3–2 pen.)
East Linden SC 1–1 Milton AFC (1–1 AET) (4–3 pen.)
Wagnerfield Kickers SC 2–1 Griffith Borough Amateurs FC
East Liverpool 2–0 Red Wing FC
Blacksburg Area FC 2–2 Old Fort SC (2–2 AET) (5–6 pen.)
McIlroy Station FC 2–1 New Richmond FC
Frankenburg AC 0–1 White River Twp
West Oceana Athletic FC 2–0 Alexandria Borough AFC
Battenberg Bruins SC 2–2 Union Miners FC (2–3 AET)
Albion Borough SC 0–4 Meadowlarks SC
Brecon Borough 1–1 Charter Twp FC (2–1 AET)

Engineers Club 1–3 Old Fort SC
Collinsville United FC 1–0 RFCP AC
Wagnerfield Kickers SC 3–2 Jaynesville SC
St John's SC 0–0 Mansfield County SC (1–1 AET) (3–4 pen.)
Salisbury County FC 1–1 Meadowlarks SC (1–2 AET)
West Alden United FC 1–0 East Liverpool
Dragons FC 1–1 Shiloh FC (2–1 AET)
Center Point FC & RFC 2–2 New Harmony (2–2 AET) (2–1 pen.)
Mel-Wood FC 4–2 McIlroy Station FC
Union Miners FC 1–2 Linden Lions FC
Maplewood AFC 3–2 East Linden SC
Western & Southern RR FC 2–3 Blue Aces SC
Georgetown Athletic Club 3–4 Bowling Green FC
West Oceana Athletic FC 0–1 Brecon Borough
FC Monroe Central 0–1 Berwick Rangers FC
White River Twp 0–0 Hills & Dales FC (0–1 AET)

Heading into the final 16, 3 first time entrants had survived--Wagnerfield Kickers, Bowling Green FC and Mel-Wood, who knocked out last season's runner up West Chester in the opening round.

Wagnerfield Kickers SC 2–5 Collinsville United FC
Maplewood AFC 0–1 Dragons FC
Mansfield County SC 1–0 Berwick Rangers FC
West Alden United FC 2–2 Bowling Green FC (3–3 AET) (5–4 pen.)
Brecon Borough 3–0 Hills & Dales FC
Linden Lions FC 0–0 Center Point FC & RFC (0–0 AET) (4–2 pen.)
Mel-Wood FC 0–0 Old Fort SC (1–1 AET) (4–1 pen.)
Blue Aces SC 0–0 Meadowlarks SC (1–1 AET) (4–5 pen.)

A first ever penalty shootout pushed the only underdog to survive into the last 8, increasing speculation that the club could become the FAC's 125th full member in the near future.

Brecon Borough 0–0 Meadowlarks SC (0–0 AET) (4–3 pen.)
Collinsville United FC 2–4 Mel-Wood FC
Mansfield County SC 0–0 Linden Lions FC (2–1 AET)
Dragons FC 1–0 West Alden United FC

Brecon Borough 2–4 Dragons FC  (at FSFB Stadium, New Bremen)
Mel-Wood FC 2–2 Mansfield County SC (2–3 AET) (at Frederick Arbor Park, Frederickstown)

Mansfield County SC 3–4 Dragons FC (at Carrollton, Coolville)

Dragons FC win their first FAC Trophy in the club's 100 year history, in front of over 30,000 at the newly expanded Carrollton, to go alongside their shock 1965 FAC Cup win and the 1980 Conference title.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

National League Cup Review

The NL Cup was established in 1974 as a competition similar to the FAC Trophy, but open only to full professional clubs; the 22 First Division sides didn't want to expand their fixture list, so it became a competition for 2nd & 3rd Division and Conference teams to have a chance at winning a trophy. The format has been home & away ties, with the winners decided on aggregate score, with away goals counting double, and a penalty shootout if no winner was decided.

With the reconfiguration of the National League, there are 20 Second and 28 Third Division clubs eligible--the new National Conference were excluded--with the top 16 2nd Division sides receiving byes into the second round.

First Round, 1st Leg
Jamestown Rovers FC 4–3 Valley View SC
Westphalia County FC 1–0 Springfield City
Greenlea United FC 0–3 Carlisle FC
Brentwood Borough FC 1–0 West Liberty Rovers FC
Maritime Athletic SC 1–0 East Endinborough AFC
Brentford FC 3–4 Eastview SC
Alton Athletic Club 1–0 SK Leiderkranz-Turner
St Pats AC 2–1 State Univ
Lynchana Borderers AC 1–2 Sherwood Forest FC
ROCK Utd 2–3 Ravens FC
Jeromesville FC 2–2 Kellerville AFC
Patterson Park FC 2–0 Principia SC
Andover Borough SC 7–3 Bridgend Metros FC
Forresters FC 0–2 Trinity FC
Coolville United 0–0 Maineville Marauders
Lewistown Town 0–1 Fairport Harbor FC

First Round, 2nd Leg
Valley View SC 2–4 Jamestown Rovers FC (Jamestown Rovers win 8-6)
Springfield City 2–2 Westphalia County FC (Westphalia Co win 3-2)
Carlisle FC 1–3 Greenlea United FC (Carlisle win 4-3)
West Liberty Rovers FC 0–1 Brentwood Borough FC (Brentwood win 2-0)
East Endinborough AFC 4–6 Maritime Athletic SC (Maritime win 7-4)
Eastview SC 1–1 Brentford FC (Eastview win 5-4)
SK Leiderkranz-Turner 0–2 Alton Athletic Club (Alton win 3-0)
State Univ 0–1 St Pats AC St Pat's win 3-1)
Sherwood Forest FC 3–2 Lynchana Borderers AC (Sherwood Forest win 5-3)
Ravens FC 3–2 ROCK Utd (Ravens win 6-4)
Kellerville AFC 2–2 Jeromesville FC (agg 4-4, Jeromesville win 4-3 on PK) 
Principia SC 2–2 Patterson Park FC (Patterson Park win 4-2)
Bridgend Metros FC 1–1 Andover Borough SC (Andover win 8-4)
Trinity FC 1–1 Forresters FC (Trinity win 3-1)
Maineville Marauders 2–0 Coolville United (Maineville win 2-0)
Fairport Harbor FC 1–2 Lewistown Town (agg 2-2, Lewiston win on away goals)

Second Round, 1st Leg
Bridgend Metros FC 1–1 Brentwood Borough FC
Llewellyn Turnpike SC 3–0 Maritime Athletic SC
Alton Athletic Club 3–2 Sherwood Forest FC
Patterson Park FC 2–0 Lewistown Town
Carlisle FC 1–1 Middletown City FC
North Royalton Town FC 0–1 North Lima SC
Westwood Sprites 2–0 St Pats AC
Meadowdale FC 3–2 Jamestown Rovers FC
Sanborn Borough SC 2–4 Nor-Dale AFC
Hamilton Wanderers FC 0–1 Middlebourne City AFC
Westphalia County FC 2–3 Jamestown City FC
Linden Woods FC 1–3 Newmarket Saxons FC
Trinity FC 2–2 Mansfield C&W FC
Eastview SC 1–0 Maineville Marauders
Jeromeville FC 1–2 Ravens FC
Salisbury City FC 2–4 Victoria & Albert SC

Second Round, 2nd Leg
Brentwood Borough FC 3–3 Bridgend Metros FC (agg 4-4, Bridgend win on away goals)
Maritime Athletic SC 3–2 Llewellyn Turnpike SC (Llewellyn Turnpike win 5-3)
Sherwood Forest FC 3–3 Alton Athletic Club Alton win 6-5)
Lewistown Town 1–0 Patterson Park FC (Patterson Park win 2-1)
Middletown City FC 5–3 Carlisle FC (Middletown City win 6-4)
North Lima SC 0–1 North Royalton Town FC (agg 1-1, North Royalton win 3-1 on PK)
St Pats AC 2–3 Westwood Sprites (Westwood win 5-2)
Jamestown Rovers FC 0–0 Meadowdale FC (Meadowdale win 3-2)
Nor-Dale AFC 0–0 Sanborn Borough SC (Nor-Dale win 4-2)
Middlebourne City AFC 2–1 Hamilton Wanderers FC (Middlebourne City win 3-1)
Jamestown City FC 1–1 Westphalia County FC (Jamestown City win 4-3)
Newmarket Saxons FC 3–5 Linden Woods FC (agg 6-6, Linden Woods win on away goals)
Mansfield C&W FC 3–1 Trinity FC (Mansfield C&W win 5-3)
Maineville Marauders 2–1 Eastview SC (agg 2-2, Eastview win on away goals)
Ravens FC 3–1 Jeromeville FC (Ravens win 5-1)
Victoria & Albert SC 2–1 Salisbury City FC (V&A win 6-3)

Holders Llewellyn Turnpike were knocked in the Third Round, while Ravens FC and Patterson Park carried the Third Division's banner into the last 8

Third Round, 1st Leg
Nor-Dale AFC 2–1 Ravens FC
Hamilton Wanderers FC 3–2 Bridgend Metros FC
Middletown City FC 3–2 Mansfield C&W FC
Linden Woods FC 1–2 Llewellyn Turnpike SC
Eastview SC 2–1 Middlebourne City AFC
Alton Athletic Club 2–1 Patterson Park FC
North Royalton Town FC 5–4 Westwood Sprites
Victoria & Albert SC 2–2 Jamestown City FC

Third Round, 2nd Leg
Ravens FC 4–2 Nor-Dale AFC (Ravens win 5-4)
Bridgend Metros FC 4–3 Hamilton Wanderers FC (agg 6-6, Hamilton win on away goals)
Mansfield C&W FC 1–1 Middletown City FC (Middletown City win 4-3)
Llewellyn Turnpike SC 1–3 Linden Woods FC (Linden Woods win 4-3)
Middlebourne City AFC 4–2 Eastview SC (Middlebourne City win 5-4)
Patterson Park FC 5–3 Alton Athletic Club (Patterson Park win 6-5)
Westwood Sprites 0–0 North Royalton Town FC (North Royalton win 5-4)
Jamestown City FC 1–1 Victoria & Albert SC (agg 3-3, Jamestown City win on away goals)

Quarterfinals, 1st Leg
Ravens FC 4–3 Middletown City FC
Middlebourne City AFC 3–4 North Royalton Town FC
Linden Woods FC 0–1 Patterson Park FC
Jamestown City FC 1–0 Hamilton Wanderers FC

Quarterfinals, 2nd Leg
Middletown City FC 1–0 Ravens FC (agg 4-4, Middletown City win on away goals)
North Royalton Town FC 1–1 Middlebourne City AFC (North Royalton win 5-4)
Patterson Park FC 0–2 Linden Woods FC (Linden Woods win 2-1)
Hamilton Wanderers FC 1–0 Jamestown City FC (agg 1-1, Jamestown City win 5-4 on PK)

The only major knockout competition that doesn't have neutral site semi-finals saw two local rivalries played out to determine who would play for the trophy.

Semi Finals, 1st Leg
Jamestown City FC 1–1 North Royalton Town FC
Middletown City FC 2–0 Linden Woods FC

Semi Finals, 2nd Leg
North Royalton Town FC 1–1 Jamestown City FC (agg 2-2, North Royalton win 5-4 on PK)
Linden Woods FC 3–2 Middletown City FC (Middletown City win 4-3)

Final
North Royalton Town FC 3–3 Middletown City FC (Middletown City win 5-3 on PK)(at Sportsmen's Park, Belle Haven)

Middletown City won the 49th National League Cup after an exciting 90 minutes and penalties to win their first domestic cup title.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

National League 3rd Division Season in Review

The largest division configuration in NSL history saw an exciting race that culminated with a final day overtake and an increase in scoring from previous seasons.

The East saw Coolville, Ravens, E Endborough and Brentwood slug it out through the majority of the season, but a final day loss by United and a draw by Ravens allowed Brentwood to overtake both with a 2-1 win over rivals Patterson Park.

In the West, Bridgend pulled away from Trinity & Forest over the second half of the campaign to win the section, to set up a single game final for the overall title.

East                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Brentwood Borough FC     40   21  12   7    96   66  +30    75
 2 Coolville United         40   22   8  10    87   63  +24    74
 3 Ravens FC                40   22   8  10    87   66  +21    74
 4 East Endinborough AFC    40   21   9  10    77   56  +21    72
 5 St Pats AC               40   21   5  14    74   67   +7    68
 6 Jamestown Rovers FC      40   19   7  14    80   72   +8    64
 7 Greenlea United FC       40   14  12  14    66   67   −1    54
 8 Forresters FC            40   16   5  19    46   53   -7    53
 9 Kellerville AFC          40   13  11  16    69   80  −11    50
10 Eastview SC              40   13   9  18    81   89   −8    48
11 West Liberty Rovers FC   40   11  11  18    42   54  -12    44
12 Patterson Park FC        40   11   9  20    64   71   −7    42
13 Valley View SC           40   10  12  18    71   81  −10    42
14 Lynchana Borderers AC    40   10   8  22    69   85  -16    38

   West                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Bridgend Metros FC       40   25   7   8   102   67  +35    82
 2 Trinity FC               40   22   9   9    83   61  +22    75
 3 Sherwood Forest FC       40   21   6  13    94   84  +10    69
 4 SK Leiderkranz-Turner    40   19  10  11   103   85  +18    67
 5 Westphalia County FC     40   16   9  15    73   69   +4    57
 6 Maritime Athletic SC     40   14  13  13    78   89  -11    55
 7 Carlisle FC              40   14  12  14    77   75   +2    54
 8 Andover Borough SC       40   13  10  17    79   79    0    49
 9 Lewistown Town           40   13   9  18    51   50   +1    48
10 Springfield City         40   13   9  18    39   49  -10    48
11 Principia SC             40   12   9  19    66   80  −14    45
12 ROCK Utd                 40   12   7  21    73   98  −25    43
13 State Univ               40    8   8  24    55   90  −35    32
14 Jeromeville FC           40    7  10  23    63   91  −28    31

World Cup 81/82/83/84

FAC Shield Season in Review

A new configuration was also in store for the semi-professional Shield competition, and now 4 sides will be promoted to the 3rd Division.

East                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Mansfield County SC        34   16  10   8    54   40  +14    58
 2 Blacksburg Area FC         34   17   6  11    72   57  +15    57
 3 Engineers Club             34   17   5  12    55   44  +11    56
 4 East Liverpool             34   16   8  10    45   35  +10    56
 5 Dragons FC                 34   16   6  12    68   59   +9    54
 6 St John's SC               34   14  12   8    47   38   +9    54
 7 McIlroy Station FC         34   15   7  12    33   29   +4    52
 8 Center Point FC & RFC      34   14  10  10    60   58   +2    52
 9 New Harmony                34   13  10  11    41   30  +11    49
10 Meadowlarks SC             34   13   8  13    37   35   +2    47
11 Red Wing FC                34   13   7  14    60   63   −3    46
12 Charter Twp FC             34   11  13  10    57   53   +4    46
13 Union Miners FC            34   11  11  12    59   63   −4    44
14 Riverdale United FC        34   12   6  16    62   68   −6    42
15 Maplewood AFC              34   10   6  18    50   70  −20    36
16 Old Fort SC                34    7  11  16    49   62  −13    32
17 Milton AFC                 34    7  10  17    53   81  −28    31
18 Hills & Dales FC           34    7   8  19    35   52  −17    29

   West                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Western & Southern RR FC   34   17  10   7    65   51  +14    61
 2 Collinsville United FC     34   17   5  12    73   64   +9    56
 3 Shiloh FC                  34   15  10   9    70   61   +9    55
 4 Ridge Raiders SC           34   14  13   7    79   63  +16    55
 5 West Alden United FC       34   15   7  12    49   45   +4    52
 6 Edgewood Eagles SC         34   14  10  10    46   42   +4    52
 7 Berwick Rangers FC         34   15   5  14    51   45   +6    50
 8 FC Monroe Central          34   14   8  12    46   38   +8    50
 9 West Chester               34   14   7  13    54   50   +4    49
10 Blue Aces SC               34   13   8  13    49   50   −1    47
11 Linden Lions FC            34   11  11  12    62   64   −2    44
12 Battenberg Bruins SC       34   11  10  13    45   47   −2    43
13 Hampton SC                 34   11  10  13    35   37   −2    43
14 Jaynesville SC             34   10   9  15    69   83  −14    39
15 East Linden SC             34    9  10  15    46   62  −16    37
16 RFCP AC                    34    9  10  15    28   51  −23    37
17 Independent Laborers AC    34    9   9  16    47   53   −6    36
18 Brecon Borough             34    7  10  17    43   51   −8    31

Playoff Semi Final 1st Leg
Collinsville United FC 1–2 Mansfield County SC
Blacksburg Area FC 1–2 Western & Southern RR FC

Playoff Semi Final 2nd Leg
Mansfield County SC 0–0 Collinsville United FC (Mansfield County win 2-1)
Western & Southern RR FC 4–3 Blacksburg Area FC (Western & Southern win 6-4)

Playoff Final
Western & Southern RR FC 1–2 Mansfield County SC (at Sportsman's Park, Belle Haven)

All four semi finalists promoted to the 3rd Division

Mansfield County took the title for the first time, but missed out on the chance to make it a rare Double when they lost to Dragons in the FAC Trophy.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

FAC Women's Cup Review

Reduced to just 32 eligible clubs, the women's Cup saw a five round battle.

Hamiliton Wanderers Ladies SC 1–2 Greenlea United Ladies SC
Meadowdale Ladies FC 3–2 Ravens FC Ladies
White River Women FC 3–5 Sherwood Forest Ladies FC
E Endborough Ladies FC 1–0 Mansfield Ladies SC
Shirley Metros Ladies FC 1–1 Riverside City Ladies FC
Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC 0–0 Suburban Ladies SC
Salisbury County FC Ladies 2–4 Middletown City FC Women
Triad Rovers SC 0–1 Jamestown City Ladies FC
Westwood Sprites Ladies FC 1–4 Mel-Wood FC Ladies
Newmarket Ladies SC 2–0 St Warren FC Women
Nor-Dale Ladies AFC 0–1 Newport Ladies FC
New Richmond FC Ladies 2–6 Clayton City Ladies FC
Linden Ladies FC 0–0 Southend AC Ladies
Brentford Ladies FC 2–0 Georgetown Athletic Club Ladies
Queens Park SC Women 3–4 Shiloh FC Ladies
Leiderkranz Ladies SC 4–5 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC

Replays
Riverside City Ladies FC 0–1 Shirley Metros Ladies FC
Suburban Ladies SC 1–4 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC
Southend AC Ladies 1–3 Linden Ladies FC

E Endborough Ladies FC 1–3 Clayton City Ladies FC
Mel-Wood FC Ladies 2–3 Meadowdale Ladies FC
Newmarket Ladies SC 0–2 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC
Shirley Metros Ladies FC 0–1 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC
Shiloh FC Ladies 2–4 Brentford Ladies FC
Newport Ladies FC 4–3 Linden Ladies FC
Middletown City FC Women 3–2 Sherwood Forest Ladies FC
Jamestown City Ladies FC 3–3 Greenlea United Ladies SC

Replay
Greenlea United Ladies SC 0–1 Jamestown City Ladies FC

Newport Ladies FC 0–3 Meadowdale Ladies FC
Middletown City FC Women 1–2 Ridge Raiders Ladies FC
Brentford Ladies FC 1–0 Clayton City Ladies FC
Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC 1–0 Jamestown City Ladies FC

Ridge Raiders Ladies FC 2–1 Llewellyn Turnpike Ladies FC (at Park Grove Stadium, Lindenwood) 
Brentford Ladies FC 0–2 Meadowdale Ladies FC (at Salisbury Stadium)

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Second Division season in Review

Hamilton Wanderers captured their record sixth 2nd Division title, breaking the tie they held with Riverside City, while Sanborn Borough secured a return to the Championship also.

Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Hamilton Wanderers FC    38   20   9   9    47   32  +15    69
 2 Sanborn Borough SC       38   20   6  12    74   55  +19    66
 3 Llewellyn Turnpike SC    38   17   9  12    87   72  +15    60
 4 North Lima SC            38   16  11  11    33   25   +8    59
 5 Salisbury City FC        38   15  13  10    54   47   +7    58
 6 Westwood Sprites         38   16   8  14    79   73   +6    56
 7 North Royalton Town FC   38   16   8  14    67   73   −6    56
 8 Jamestown City FC        38   16   8  14    63   64   −1    56
 9 Victoria & Albert SC     38   16   7  15    80   81   −1    55
10 Middletown City FC       38   16   6  16    69   67   +2    54
11 Nor-Dale AFC             38   16   6  16    62   59   +3    54
12 Brentford FC             38   14  10  14    73   73    0    52
13 Newmarket Saxons FC      38   13  13  12    69   70   −1    52
14 Middlebourne City AFC    38   14   7  17    72   74   −2    49
15 Meadowdale FC            38   13   9  16    61   64   −3    48
16 Linden Woods FC          38   12  10  16    70   77   −7    46
17 Mansfield C&W FC         38   12   8  18    54   57   −3    44
18 Alton Athletic Club      38   11  10  17    68   82  −14    43
19 Fairport Harbor FC       38   11   9  18    61   83  −22    42
20 Maineville Marauders     38    8   9  21    43   58  −15    33

Commonwealth of Baker Park Sports News

Who is online