GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Bah, why didn't I say that.Key difference being that the AFL is a closed shop, thus it's no need to crown more than one champion: in English football (and in most other football leagues) clubs have the opportunity to "promote" if they finish in a good position in the lower leagues.
The FA Cup is thus a competition where every team (subject to some kind of standards to ensure your average team of 45-plus inbred punters doesn't turn up) plays, in case a good team should suddenly turn up from out of the blue; the League Cup is only for teams from the four top leagues.
Guess I should have pointed out that in the Championship, and Leagues 1&2 there are finals as such, for the play-offs, to determine who goes up.