I fail to see how "This will help us deliver more and better home grown players which will deliver benefits to the national team and domestic league football at all levels", as claimed in the press release.
I don't know about the rest of you but I cannot abide seeing anyone at AP, on a match day, wearing apparel bearing a football club logo which has anything to do with any team other than WWFC, or whomever our opponents might be (and I don't really like them all that much either come to think of it); especially Premier League teams. Really pisses me off.
Haven't seen too many Celtic shits/hats, etc... but would probably make an exception for people supporting teams from foreign countries anyway. Just can't stand seeing Chelski scarves, etc.
@Cyclops I can't say it bothers me much and I actually think it a good thing if fans of Premier League clubs are not so condescending that they won't also attend matches in lower leagues.
There is always the chance - not just with kids, but with adults also - that they may like the experience enough to keep coming back. I know several very dedicated Wycombe fans who previously followed other clubs.
I remember once a young lad scored one of the half time penalties, whipped off the shirt he was wearing for his local youth side, and underneath was a Fulham shirt. I don't often call kids under the age of 11 wankers, but he certainly was.
Just saw a tweet that Man Utd have turned down an invitation to the competition. This makes me think a) how ludicrous of the EFL to make these changes without getting support from the academies, and b) maybe other clubs will follow suit and this mess won't even happen.
Seems silly of the Football League to issue the press release without confirming that the teams mentioned in it have agreed to take part. Man U turning it down after publication makes them look pretty stupid and further belittles both the competition and the League.
What a farce. The whole point this was being pushed was because PL teams supposedly wanted it, now the ones the geniuses behind this scheme were banking on being the big draws are declining to take part. I won't be touching it with a barge pole, that's for sure.
It seems absolutely amazing that they hadn't got the buy in of all these top teams before announcing all this! But clearly they got it all rushed through, and "presumed" it'd be fine.
So we could easily find that 6-8 of the top teams can't be pissed with this nonsense, and for starters, why on earth would a Man Utd for instance, want to open Old Trafford for a game v say...Accrington, and possibly have 8,000 there?
Meaning, we have to go down the list of quality, and invite some championship mediocrities to put their reserves in, when they have plenty of games all season in their 46 game league to bed them in anyway if so desired.
All meant to "aid the development of future stars" etc...ahem.
"... also said that the integration of Premier League category one academy graduates into the EFL Trophy should sooth any concerns that supporters of lower-division clubs have for their heritage.
"This is the beginning and the end of B teams - this is it," he said. "That's the whole point of it, to be honest. We are absolutely consistent on our view about no B teams in the regular Football League.
"Yes, of course we know some of our clubs would like B teams. We look abroad and we see the benefit of B teams. It's just for the English football structure and pyramid, it doesn’t work, and so this is it,” he added. “We can console all these worried Football League clubs’ supporters. This isn’t the thin end of the wedge, this is the wedge."
Comments
Surely no-one is going to any of these games?
I fail to see how "This will help us deliver more and better home grown players which will deliver benefits to the national team and domestic league football at all levels", as claimed in the press release.
You know those fat middle aged men who turn up at Wycombe matches wearing their Chelsea shirts? Yeah, them.
I don't know about the rest of you but I cannot abide seeing anyone at AP, on a match day, wearing apparel bearing a football club logo which has anything to do with any team other than WWFC, or whomever our opponents might be (and I don't really like them all that much either come to think of it); especially Premier League teams. Really pisses me off.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/wycombe-wanderers-appeal-for-celtic-fans-971496#6JqCY6T1mTtCPy97.97
Haven't seen too many Celtic shits/hats, etc... but would probably make an exception for people supporting teams from foreign countries anyway. Just can't stand seeing Chelski scarves, etc.
@Cyclops I can't say it bothers me much and I actually think it a good thing if fans of Premier League clubs are not so condescending that they won't also attend matches in lower leagues.
There is always the chance - not just with kids, but with adults also - that they may like the experience enough to keep coming back. I know several very dedicated Wycombe fans who previously followed other clubs.
I remember once a young lad scored one of the half time penalties, whipped off the shirt he was wearing for his local youth side, and underneath was a Fulham shirt. I don't often call kids under the age of 11 wankers, but he certainly was.
@Uncle_T OK, fine; but they can leave their Prem League paraphernalia behind.
I hope we get West Brom or Swansea. I can just picture the packed house for those on a Tuesday night.
Just saw a tweet that Man Utd have turned down an invitation to the competition. This makes me think a) how ludicrous of the EFL to make these changes without getting support from the academies, and b) maybe other clubs will follow suit and this mess won't even happen.
Black day in the world of the football league.
Make sure you sign this.
http://www.againstleague3.co.uk/bteamboycott-signup/
Seems silly of the Football League to issue the press release without confirming that the teams mentioned in it have agreed to take part. Man U turning it down after publication makes them look pretty stupid and further belittles both the competition and the League.
A shambles. Who actually wants this to happen then?
I would urge everyone not to go
This competition deserves to be an abject failure, with its final played out in front of an empty Wembley stadium
@eric_plant Totally agree. This competition will not receive a penny from me.
The ideal scenario would be two of the less glamorous academy teams getting to the final and playing in a virtually empty Wembley.
it's all falling apart: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jul/08/premier-league-clubs-opt-out-of-revamped-english-football-league-trophy
The idiots who cooked up this scheme need to be sacked.
And the sheep who voted for it really need to take a long hard look at themselves.
What a farce. The whole point this was being pushed was because PL teams supposedly wanted it, now the ones the geniuses behind this scheme were banking on being the big draws are declining to take part. I won't be touching it with a barge pole, that's for sure.
Also of interest is the fact that clubs appear to have not been served with 14 days notice of the proposals before being put to a vote by the FL (see http://www.againstleague3.co.uk/faq-whats-really-going-efl-trophy-changes/), which may render the vote null and void.
It would be wonderful if all of the "invited" clubs declined to take part. Make a farce of the whole stupid idea
It seems absolutely amazing that they hadn't got the buy in of all these top teams before announcing all this! But clearly they got it all rushed through, and "presumed" it'd be fine.
So we could easily find that 6-8 of the top teams can't be pissed with this nonsense, and for starters, why on earth would a Man Utd for instance, want to open Old Trafford for a game v say...Accrington, and possibly have 8,000 there?
Meaning, we have to go down the list of quality, and invite some championship mediocrities to put their reserves in, when they have plenty of games all season in their 46 game league to bed them in anyway if so desired.
All meant to "aid the development of future stars" etc...ahem.
Any idea what happened at the Supporters Summit yesterday?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36902612
Draw for the group stages today then. Can't contain my excitement at a possible draw with the Reading academy side. What an absolute shambles
West Ham u11's, Northampton & Coventry...
Will we be playing the West Ham academy at the Olympic Stadium?!
Will be interesting to see how the club spin this draw.
Inspiring stuff. You know a competition is fucking pointless when you're praying you draw Northampton because it will be more of a spectacle.
West Ham will be at home. In fact all three matches could be at home.
From a story on the PL site:
"... also said that the integration of Premier League category one academy graduates into the EFL Trophy should sooth any concerns that supporters of lower-division clubs have for their heritage.
"This is the beginning and the end of B teams - this is it," he said. "That's the whole point of it, to be honest. We are absolutely consistent on our view about no B teams in the regular Football League.
"Yes, of course we know some of our clubs would like B teams. We look abroad and we see the benefit of B teams. It's just for the English football structure and pyramid, it doesn’t work, and so this is it,” he added. “We can console all these worried Football League clubs’ supporters. This isn’t the thin end of the wedge, this is the wedge."
Convinced?
No