Here's a question for those of us boycotting the FLT.
It's the obvious one. Say Wycombe somehow make it to the latter stages of the FLT. Sensing the chance of silverware and a trip to Wembley, do we keep up the boycott, or do we gradually shuffle back into the stands?
I must admit, despite my strong feelings about the appalling decisions taken this summer, if we made the final I would probably abandon my principles for a chance to see Wycombe at Wembley.
I know this makes me a complete hypocrite.
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Work commitments meant I was unable to attend last night and also mean that I will be out of the country when the next group match takes place, so I have a cop-out for the boycott or not question for those. I am also a fan of Wycombe Wanderers who hates missing any competitive matches the team plays, so feel a strong temptation to attend the final group game if work commitments do not again preclude my attendance.
I had been tending towards trying to get to that last group game, until I started typing my post this morning on the Northampton Match Day thread and realised just how much the initially publicised scope of the competition - League One, League Two, Premiership Academy U-21 - has now been stretched, with little clear publicity, to League One, League Two and Premiership/Championship U-23 and any other reserve players who can't get a first team game. I am now tending towards boycotting the competition, but don't honestly know what I will do when match day comes. That will be down to a head versus heart struggle on match day.
I think it would depend on who we are playing. If we are playing a genuine League One or League Two team, especially Col U, Bristol Rovers, or Oxford I hate to admit I would probably go.
If we end up with a mouth-watering clash against Derby U23s + their senior squad back up journeymen I'll give it a miss.
Having not been to a JPT game for many years I don't think I can honestly say I'm boycotting it this year. Interesting to hear some would not go based on who we are playing but I probably would go to a big game so I suppose that counts semi finals and finals.
I wouldn't
Nor would I attend a play off final (or any other final for that matter) against MK Dons
So here is a great round up in the papers today for you. While I have no problem with any of our fans doing what they want to. I strongly believe that this needs solidarity throughout. It was interesting that I read elsewhere we sold 3, yes three tickets in advance for this game. But still 74 went along. I would love to hear any comments from supporters who did go and why they felt the need to support the competition. I am cynical and do wonder if Strangers were in the away end for what ever reason.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/31/checkatrade-trophy-sees-attendances-fall-as-the-bteamboycott-bites
I am with RITM, I have rarely gone to these games anyway (probably 3 or so in my life, and usually only for sad ground tick-off purposes) so it would be a bit of a stretch to call my non-attendance a "boycott".
Having been to Wembley already to see Wycombe, the prospect of going there again is not that big a deal, especially not when we would be likely to be rattling around even more for the tinpot trophy final than we were for the L2 Playoff game.
If we managed to make the final with a L2 or L1, then happy days, but u21/23 (B team) definite no from me.
Can someone clarify if these u21/23 players in the B team have to be British youngsters to participate, as I was under the impression this format was to help British talent to get exposure to meaningful football ?
Here is a clue to that one!
Not sure I follow the point. I have no idea which of those 17 names would qualify to play for a British national side.
Another fine piece of journalism on one of last nights games
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/carlisle-utd/match-reports/article/High-scoring-game-as-Carlisle-Utd-enter-the-B-Team-era-in-disfigured-Trophy-036a0c95-9203-42e6-aae3-9d3af43304ee-ds
@Right_in_the_Middle
This one any better? Dont forget we are supposed to be helping the National team with this "Project" are we not?
Great match sponsor!
Sorry @M3G . Still no idea who is British qualified or not. I'm thinking better of you to assume a foreign sounding name might be a foreign qualified player. It's not that simple.
Having said that the name Antonee Robinson stands out as the worst spelling of that particular first name I have ever seen.
I believe you have to field (only) six players under 23. Don't think they have to be British but may be wrong. So basically an utter shambles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37226544
I have it on good authority that 63 of those in the Wycombe end were scouts, there to watch this up and coming Ainsworth kid.
I went last night because I enjoy watching Wycombe play in competitive matches and there is little to no chance these days of us fielding a bunch of youngsters I've never heard of.
@AttitudeEra I've no right to criticize you for going to the game, but do you worry what the long term impact of this experiment could have in clubs like ours?
Hopefully you can research this all yourself, if your that bothered that is. I dont mind if your not.
@floyd Trust me I did weigh up the pros and cons of going and will continue to do so for future games/rounds.
However going to a nearby away game to watch/encourage a team that has been struggling try to turn a corner and gain some confidence won out in the end on this occasion.
Enough has been said via official channels in my opinion (categorically stating that this will go no further than the 'JPT') that if the powers that be DID try to extend this beyond the 'JPT' there would be mass outrage. This has also been a chance for reactions of the public to be gauged and, while going increased the attendance, almost all talk in social media/forums ahead of the games nationwide revolved around the nature of the competition. All BBC local radio stations also spent most of last night's show prior to kick off focusing on the negatives surrounding the competition.
Ultimately my personal thoughts on the competition are that depending on other factors (whether your team has a large squad/is in good form or not/is carrying injuries/already has a reserve or youth team/wants some extra gate money) it is a useful competition and I couldn't care less if these Prem/Champ teams are in it, as long as that's as far as it goes.
While it would be better if they were not involved, I do think the little group format is not the worst idea in the world, and I would keep that going forward, on the proviso that it is literally 4 teams closest to each other geographically, and not 4 teams 'from the south'.
I'm not. The nationalities of the Swansea B XI isn't even likely to be some obtuse quiz question going forward
The format of this cup used to be little groups, albeit maybe groups of 3 (i think), and they cut them because it was deemed a bit pointless.
So to add the groups back in, with an extra guaranteed game on top is one of the many strange decisions.
A simple 64 team knock out would have been better, if they had to make the other changes
But then all the B teams would already be out!
@AttitudeEra I admire your faith that people who run football give a rip about anything other than making money! I certainly understand your position about wanting to support the team.
Didn't the old auto windscreens shield have a group stage when we first got into the football league?
I think merging this competition with the League Cup, doing away with early round byes and stipulating that Premier League teams had to play a certain number of u23s in those early rounds might have been a better idea.
Let's face it - this is a hugely devalued competition and no one is really interested unless we get to the latter stages. I've never gone to these games personally and clearly other fans have little or no interest. I don't like the u23 idea and to me it just another reason not to go. I have no objection to others going - enjoy your footie - you only live once.
"Enough has been said via official channels in my opinion (categorically stating that this will go no further than the 'JPT') that if the powers that be DID try to extend this beyond the 'JPT' there would be mass outrage."
@AttitudeEra I was almost fooled by this too, until I realised today that they already have gone further - changing from the originally published (still posted this a.m. on the EFL website) competition rules requiring six U21 players in the Invited Club sides to allowing six U23 players - without publicising the rule change and hoping nobody would notice the change. I would have thought that switching to U23 as the requirement will allow the Prem/Champ clubs much more scope to play second-stringers who can't get a match in the first team, instead of focussing on young, inexperienced academy players, than an U21 requirement would have.
It is a step closer to the "B Team" proposal already, without any mass outrage because the rule change does not appear to have been publicised anywhere. Presumably, the rule change must have been communicated directly to the secretaries of the clubs involved. I can only speculate on whether the rule change communicaiton was accompanied by a "keep this under your hat, we don't need the negative publicity" message.
I'm another who can never get excited about the JPT so won;t be going although not particularly boycotting. This is basically a reserve league for the Premier League and Championship...good luck to the team and I hope it's a money spinner, but I would imagine the final will be a pointless game between two big name youth teams. Another route to Wembley for lower league teams blocked in my view
While I did notice that, I'm quite content with the promises that it is and will be limited to the JPT. Whether there are further aims or aspirations beyond that remains to be seen, but it has been stated in the public domain enough times that there would be sufficient uproar if anything else were to be proposed.
Added to that it would seem a number of clubs (who are the ones who get to actually vote) have realised that they have made a mistake voting this in and would be much more careful if the vote were to be regarding a 'league 3'.
As it stands the competition in question (the trophy) is not, in my opinion, any worse as a spectacle or competition in its format this year than it has been anyway in previous years with low interest, low crowds, and even league 2 teams fielding 'B' teams.
I boycotted and will boycott the final too, went to a corking game - Wembley 4-5 Cockfosters, which was a whole lot more enjoyable than my last couple of experiences at the National Stadium up the road
Thanks @M3G; my understanding from your links and other sources, it's not consigned to only British u23s, all and sundry can play.
This Mickey mouse Cup, effectively is tailored to help Category A (B teams) get meaningful competitive games, and not solely to develop British u23, I'm annoyed even more.
At the time of the original proposal I thought it said homegrown rather than English or even British players.
The definition of homegrown is "A home-grown player will be defined as one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the Season during which he turns 21)."
So how this benefits the English national team I have no idea.