FFUK Champions League – Second Qualifying Round
24 teams participated in the second qualifying round of the FFUK Champions League – the 16 winners from qualifying round one joined by 8 teams making their first appearance in the competition. The fixtures were won and lost in Gameweek 29.
The highest-profile fixture was probably the face-off between two WhatsApp group members Blakey and Justin McCarthy – the tie won 60-57 by Justin. James Downie, representing Montenegrin outfit Sutjeska, won his tie by a solitary point while at the other end of the spectrum Danny Burgess and his Dundalk side scored an insane 95 points and beat Damien O’Neill by a whopping 51 points!
Here’s a full run down of the results:
| Manager | Points | Points | Manager | Winner | Club | |
| Sam Blake | 57 | vs | 60 | Justin Mc Carthy | Justin Mc Carthy | Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) |
| Adam Vardy | 68 | vs | 43 | Mike Cowans-Kebby | Adam Vardy | Piast Gliwice (POL) |
| Jason Beal | 36 | vs | 41 | Chris Galloway | Chris Galloway | FC Kobenhavn (DEN) |
| Paul Baker | 62 | vs | 58 | Joe Warrington | Paul Baker | Ferencváros (HUN) |
| Danny Burgess | 95 | vs | 44 | Damien O’Neill | Danny Burgess | Dundalk (IRL) |
| Pete Cronin | 48 | vs | 38 | Duncan Hannigan | Pete Cronin | Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) |
| Neill Goodwin | 62 | vs | 51 | Steven Watson | Neill Goodwin | Sarajevo (BIH) |
| James Coffen | 60 | vs | 68 | Richard Green | Richard Green | HJK Helsinki (FIN) |
| James Downie | 41 | vs | 40 | Richard Willis-Hutchinson | James Downie | Sutjeska (MNE) |
| Duncan Galloway | 15 | vs | 58 | Nick Johns | Nick Johns | AIK (SWE) |
| Daron Russell | 54 | vs | 39 | Andrew Fogaty | Daron Russell | Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) |
| Peter Hayes | 67 | vs | 49 | Toby Glicher | Peter Hayes | PSV Eindhoven (NED) |
All the details can be found on the FFUK CL Google Sheet.
There’s no rest for the wicked though and the Champions League qualification rolls on, into the Third Qualifying Round. The 12 winners above are joined by a further 8 teams. The 20 ties will produce 10 winners to progress into the Play-Off, to be joined by two final qualifiers. The 6 winners of the Play-Off Round will enter the Group Stage.
Here’s the Third Qualification Round draw in full:
| Manager | Club | Manager | Club | |
| Justin Mc Carthy | Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) | vs | Neill Goodwin | Sarajevo (BIH) |
| James Downie | Sutjeska (MNE) | vs | Danny Burgess | Dundalk (IRL) |
| Lewis Bell | PAOK (GRE) | vs | Chris Lovegrove | Ajax (NED) |
| Pete Cronin | Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) | vs | Paul Baker | Ferencváros (HUN) |
| Richard Green | HJK Helsinki (FIN) | vs | Chris Galloway | FC Kobenhavn (DEN) |
| Nick Johns | AIK (SWE) | vs | Adam Vardy | Piast Gliwice (POL) |
| David Sullivan | İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR) | vs | Daron Russell | Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) |
| Malek Mansour | Krasnodar (RUS) | vs | Jordan Davison | Porto (POR) |
| Jamie Stewart | Club Brugge (BEL) | vs | mark leathem | Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) |
| Peter Hayes | PSV Eindhoven (NED) | vs | Jemma Gibson | LASK (AUT) |
My tie vs league co-organiser Pete Cronin looks to be a highlight! Of the 12 teams that progressed from the Second Qualifying Round, only two did so in real-life! My Ferencvaros and and our other co-organiser Chris Galloway‘s FC Kobenhavn.
The Third Qualifying Round ties will be contested in Gameweek 30 ….. if it ever happens!
Cheers,
Bakes
FFUK 