Back to the thread question - No I wouldn't go. Wants the point of boycotting something if you then give in just because it's a tasty tie?
Either go and show that you agree with the competition or not. There can be no half measures if we want this competition to fail.
I'll happily sit in the bar and spend my £20 on food and drink - I just will not attend the games.
Whilst all this is academic for me living overseas, it seems that the new format has reinvigorated a traditionally crap competition. As much as can be done to support WWFC is positive IMHO, so going to home games and hoping for a win and the extra 10K in the bank plus confidence boost and ball on the floor practice in a competitive match is all good.
I don't subscribe to the "gateway drug" theory with this competition either, thereby defaulting to a position of: "Whatever's good for the Chairboys gets my vote." If there really are no long term negative consequences to the format of the EFL, I can only see the positive sides of the changes.
This u23 thing, IMO doesnt address English (Welsh) development issues one bit, with the current rulings on who is home grown or not.
It's simply a "B team", disguised, as helping developing, so called home grown talent, which it don't, having players from
"Rest of the world" from 15-20 years old who are eligible to play under this u23 rule and Mr Who aged 23+, who "Club A" bought for a few zillion from South America to get some competative minutes is a joke.
It's the principle, stop hoovering up ALL the talent, and having nothing that can adjust to meaningful competative matches and making a mockery of L1/L2 Cup.
El Dorado. Bloody hell. Very vague memories of my parents watching it. Apparently the sets are still up somewhere in Spain because no-one's ever bothered to do anything else with the land.
Interesting comment by Stevenage Chairman, Phil Wallace -
"Alongside most other clubs our position at Stevenage was to see how it went for one season, he explained. My personal view now is that this is not the way forward for future years. We didn't have much of a choice as we were told rejection would not be looked upon favourably by the Premier League and it might have repercussions elsewhere."
The big stick approach by the Premier League doesn't suprise me. They tolerate the League teams but couldn't quite honestly put plenty of them out of business if they wanted.
Sad thing is the money leaving the games via huge wages and agents fees could actually make the lower leagues a more vibrant and competitive place that would help youth developement and ultimately the whole of football.
I think they could potentially put lower league clubs out of business.
BTW (with it, aren't I), has anyone else received a missive from AL3 (James Cave) regarding boycotting of EFL Trophy matches? I've no idea who he is. Seemed a rude, if intriguing, approach. Wonder how he got my address.
A shambles is precisely what it's been. The way the rules have been decided looks like one of those stories you had to do as a kid when someone writes one line and folds the paper over so you don't know what's come before but you have to add the next line. Just when you think the game can't be run even more ineptly.
The competition has been a complete and utter mess (rules, rationale, etc.). However, I feel that Andrew Howard has made a very practical, business (rather than emotional or football) based decision in trying to take advantage of it as the club will make money from it - and remember they lost money on games under the old competition. On that basis alone (WWFC making much needed money from it) I have no problem with the competition as an experiment for this season. Don't want to see it continued next season though.
If the FL clubs can enter by choice, why can't we? Would be fantastic to see a competition comprised of more U21 teams than genuine FL teams. Absolute shambles.
I really think the Prem will be a closed shop within a decade. No relegation like the MLS.
Vaguely interestingly only four of the ten premiership teams got through and therefore get more games. Arguably the biggest three (Chelsea, everton, west ham) all got knocked out with just one win in nine games. Four of the six championship teams got through.
Hard to see this carrying on in view of the almost complete lack of supporter interest.
@EwanHoosaami And while we're at it, why don't we chuck them out of the League Cup as well? Never understood why, after the 1992 split, we didn't give them the heave-ho. It is the Football League Cup, after all.
@NewburyWanderer said:
EwanHoosaami And while we're at it, why don't we chuck them out of the League Cup as well? Never understood why, after the 1992 split, we didn't give them the heave-ho. It is the Football League Cup, after all.
Good point, once division 1 became the "Premiere" league, it should have happened automatically
If a club has a small squad, with fringe players or ones that have been injured needing to be given a game, surely it is better to play in this competition that just a scratch game on the training pitch?
@wingnut said:
If a club has a small squad, with fringe players or ones that have been injured needing to be given a game, surely it is better to play in this competition that just a scratch game on the training pitch?
Whilst I see your point, however, earlier this season we only had 14 fit players + Richardson & GA. Hardly fair that some so called development squads can have any number of a mixture, (i.e. Stoke played Crouch the other day FFS!), we have to risk the few fit players hoping we don't increase the traffic flow through the physios door. The whole set of rules is an utter shambles and is not contributing a jot, the future of the England team which is one of the hierarchies' main selling points.
If there was any doubt as to what the Premier League's agenda is, the twitter post M3G linked to confirms it. Hopefully the FL clubs will show some backbone and kick B-teams firmly into touch rather than scrabbling after some crumbs brushed down from the feast on the top table.
Comments
Back to the thread question - No I wouldn't go. Wants the point of boycotting something if you then give in just because it's a tasty tie?
Either go and show that you agree with the competition or not. There can be no half measures if we want this competition to fail.
I'll happily sit in the bar and spend my £20 on food and drink - I just will not attend the games.
Whilst all this is academic for me living overseas, it seems that the new format has reinvigorated a traditionally crap competition. As much as can be done to support WWFC is positive IMHO, so going to home games and hoping for a win and the extra 10K in the bank plus confidence boost and ball on the floor practice in a competitive match is all good.
I don't subscribe to the "gateway drug" theory with this competition either, thereby defaulting to a position of: "Whatever's good for the Chairboys gets my vote." If there really are no long term negative consequences to the format of the EFL, I can only see the positive sides of the changes.
It's 'invigorated' the competition in the same way Eldorado 'invigorated' soap opera.
You had to admire the hype but it was even shittier than the existing shows.
This u23 thing, IMO doesnt address English (Welsh) development issues one bit, with the current rulings on who is home grown or not.
It's simply a "B team", disguised, as helping developing, so called home grown talent, which it don't, having players from
"Rest of the world" from 15-20 years old who are eligible to play under this u23 rule and Mr Who aged 23+, who "Club A" bought for a few zillion from South America to get some competative minutes is a joke.
It's the principle, stop hoovering up ALL the talent, and having nothing that can adjust to meaningful competative matches and making a mockery of L1/L2 Cup.
El Dorado. Bloody hell. Very vague memories of my parents watching it. Apparently the sets are still up somewhere in Spain because no-one's ever bothered to do anything else with the land.
Interesting comment by Stevenage Chairman, Phil Wallace -
"Alongside most other clubs our position at Stevenage was to see how it went for one season, he explained. My personal view now is that this is not the way forward for future years. We didn't have much of a choice as we were told rejection would not be looked upon favourably by the Premier League and it might have repercussions elsewhere."
Wonder what the "repercussions" would have been?
The big stick approach by the Premier League doesn't suprise me. They tolerate the League teams but couldn't quite honestly put plenty of them out of business if they wanted.
Sad thing is the money leaving the games via huge wages and agents fees could actually make the lower leagues a more vibrant and competitive place that would help youth developement and ultimately the whole of football.
I think they could potentially put lower league clubs out of business.
BTW (with it, aren't I), has anyone else received a missive from AL3 (James Cave) regarding boycotting of EFL Trophy matches? I've no idea who he is. Seemed a rude, if intriguing, approach. Wonder how he got my address.
Some great crowds in the Checkatrade tonight. The best has to be 308 at Middlesbrough - bet the atmosphere was electric.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/nov/08/efl-trophy-football-league-failure
Hard to argue with any of this although Mr Howard would possibly try to...
Hopefully that is the death knell for the competition.
Heads need to roll for this absolute shambles of a competition.
In any other professional setting, such a horrendous decision and terrible execution of a project would result in you losing your job.
A shambles is precisely what it's been. The way the rules have been decided looks like one of those stories you had to do as a kid when someone writes one line and folds the paper over so you don't know what's come before but you have to add the next line. Just when you think the game can't be run even more ineptly.
AFC Wimbledon substituted 2 players in the first minute to get around selection rules shows just how pathetic the competition is.
The competition has been a complete and utter mess (rules, rationale, etc.). However, I feel that Andrew Howard has made a very practical, business (rather than emotional or football) based decision in trying to take advantage of it as the club will make money from it - and remember they lost money on games under the old competition. On that basis alone (WWFC making much needed money from it) I have no problem with the competition as an experiment for this season. Don't want to see it continued next season though.
An example of how some good can come from even this competition.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37926623
What a heart breaking story
Can you actually believe this!
FFS! Talk about riding rough shod over minnows.I would seriously love the FL clubs to collectively point two fingers in their direction.
If the FL clubs can enter by choice, why can't we? Would be fantastic to see a competition comprised of more U21 teams than genuine FL teams. Absolute shambles.
I really think the Prem will be a closed shop within a decade. No relegation like the MLS.
Vaguely interestingly only four of the ten premiership teams got through and therefore get more games. Arguably the biggest three (Chelsea, everton, west ham) all got knocked out with just one win in nine games. Four of the six championship teams got through.
Hard to see this carrying on in view of the almost complete lack of supporter interest.
@EwanHoosaami And while we're at it, why don't we chuck them out of the League Cup as well? Never understood why, after the 1992 split, we didn't give them the heave-ho. It is the Football League Cup, after all.
Good point, once division 1 became the "Premiere" league, it should have happened automatically
If a club has a small squad, with fringe players or ones that have been injured needing to be given a game, surely it is better to play in this competition that just a scratch game on the training pitch?
Whilst I see your point, however, earlier this season we only had 14 fit players + Richardson & GA. Hardly fair that some so called development squads can have any number of a mixture, (i.e. Stoke played Crouch the other day FFS!), we have to risk the few fit players hoping we don't increase the traffic flow through the physios door. The whole set of rules is an utter shambles and is not contributing a jot, the future of the England team which is one of the hierarchies' main selling points.
I believe one or two clubs have resorted to substituting players within minutes of kick-off.
I think that also happened in the predecessor cup though too.
If there was any doubt as to what the Premier League's agenda is, the twitter post M3G linked to confirms it. Hopefully the FL clubs will show some backbone and kick B-teams firmly into touch rather than scrabbling after some crumbs brushed down from the feast on the top table.
It did and I seem to recall that the team that did it were fined.
That early sub farce should surely be rewarded with some sort of bringing the game into disrepute charge