There seems to be a lot of interest in a competition that people are boasting about boycotting. The money earned would seem to have blotted out any misgivings for this season at least and hopefully it can be revamped in the future.
I think this competition has a place as a behind closed doors training ground competition. I found it sad last night that the first tweet from the club last night after the penalty save announced how much money had been pocketed. The competition really is only about the money and doesn't care a jot about fans or clubs with squads too small for the rotation required for the extra games.
Why not just play it early afternoon on training grounds and cut the costs of opening grounds? It's not like players gain experience playing in front of crowds is it?
Well done for the team to get through last night. Will be interesting to see how the crowds go in the next round and if we rotate the squad as much.
always some miserable c**t eh rightinthemiddle at the end of the day the money we have made will probably allow us to sign Sam Saunders or similar and that should see us promoted if we keep everybody else fit.
Winning is indeed a habit. While the structure of the competition has been far from ideal this year, I find it a bit sad to suggest moving the whole thing behind closed doors.
Yes, people have spoken about the prize money, but several tens of thousands of supporters chose to go and watch their sides last night across the country. Why would we want to carry on playing the games but stop them all from coming in to watch? It's always been a tinpot competition, this year it has just become a bit more tinpot. The deregionalisation has been the biggest farce imo.
As long as ticket sales allow sides to break even I don't really see the problem. With a quoted 700+ crowd that's almost £3k per team before any costs, which is cutting it very fine indeed, but food and drink, parking and the like should just about balance the books.
Why not play all friendlied behind closed doors too, and while we're at it the first round of the league cup?
Several tens of thousands? Total attendance across the seven games where attendance was made public (Swansea/Wolves wasn't declared) was just 9,341. To be honest other than the ridiculous Academy/U21/U23/reserves/whatever thing and the double standards used in who can play which players, I'm more in the can't be bothered rather than actively boycotting camp. Midweek doesn't help due to work but none of our games so far has really appealed, or been to far away. Yes it's a bit sad, but so far the prize money has been the chief factor for me giving a toss.
@MindlessDrugHoover Sorry that was quite clearly a mistake - I started out with 'several thousand', then saw the figure and intended to change it to 'ten thousand' but ended up with 'several tens of thousands'. LOL.
Over all the games played in this cup, you are probably in the 100,000 to 200,000 range for people who have chosen to have a night out watching a game of football. Personally my interest would only be stirred, even if the game was local, at around the QF stage, but a number of people have had a night out, we have made a tidy sum and its given fringe players (eg at the time Scott Kashket) a chance to have a game and stake a claim. Its far from impossible we may have a Wembley date at the end of it (although date of the next round just before a big FA Cup game perhaps makes that less likely.) Overall objectively its been a plus for WWFC this year. Indeed it could well be argued it has far more point than the League Cup does. (go on without looking it up who got to the semis last year, who has got to the semis this year come to that)
DevC makes a very good point. Without this cup competition we may never have seen Kashket's full potential and he may never have got a first team opportunity.
It does appear to be a double edged sword this competition. As already pointed out by others, it gave Kashket a platform to shine, has brought in some much needed funds & given the likes of DeHavilland, Muller, Bean et al some noteworthy game time to improve their match fitness. On the flip side, they have double standard rules on player selection, shite abuse from the prem sides, playing the likes of Crouch, when it is supposed to be for the development of future England stars & foreign kids. Can entirely eff up a small squad like ours if we got a couple of long term injuries.
This season, hopefully we have benefitted financially, (not forgetting the cost outlay to play these games), however there may be a downside come the meatier end of the season, when the players start dropping like flies as the number of games take their toll, physically & mentally?
There's an argument to be made that we should play our first choice team against whoever we draw in the Checkatrade and a second string team against Tottenham. That way we are most likely to maximise financial returns and a trip to Wembley.
Obviously no-one in their right mind would play a second string team against Tottenham - they'd be a players' revolt for a start, made even worse if we got on the television and became a complete laughing stock in front of the whole nation. But I wouldn't be entirely surprised if we played our first 11 in both matches, hoping the adrenaline of a big, prestigious FA Cup tie would cancel out any tiredness from playing twice in a week.
We could certainly do with a home draw in the lead up to Tottenham and Swansea U21 would be the ideal draw, as we could rest players and it would still be very winnable. I'd imagine the remaining sides will start taking the competition seriously now with Wembley on the horizon. Steve Evan's Mansfield would be best avoided in my opinion.
Because of the team selection rules for the Checkatrade I imagine we will see our "stars" rested on the Saturday before as well so that more of the second string can start in the Checkatrade tie.
Really not sure we are good enough to rest players against Luton Town, not sure we have a big enough squad either to need to. Yesterday all those eligible and fit played or were on the bench.
Surely the players can play three games in 10 days? Apart from the odd rotation I don't see any major changes to the teams for any of those three games.
If the club wants this success it can't just give up on it at this stage
of course the Luton game and Checktrade game once drawn is more important than the Spurs game, we are never gonna beat Spurs whatever team they play look how easily they beat Villa and they only put out 3/4 players.
Comments
There seems to be a lot of interest in a competition that people are boasting about boycotting. The money earned would seem to have blotted out any misgivings for this season at least and hopefully it can be revamped in the future.
I think this competition has a place as a behind closed doors training ground competition. I found it sad last night that the first tweet from the club last night after the penalty save announced how much money had been pocketed. The competition really is only about the money and doesn't care a jot about fans or clubs with squads too small for the rotation required for the extra games.
Why not just play it early afternoon on training grounds and cut the costs of opening grounds? It's not like players gain experience playing in front of crowds is it?
Well done for the team to get through last night. Will be interesting to see how the crowds go in the next round and if we rotate the squad as much.
always some miserable c**t eh rightinthemiddle at the end of the day the money we have made will probably allow us to sign Sam Saunders or similar and that should see us promoted if we keep everybody else fit.
I think @Right_in_the_Middle is spot on, it is a bit disheartening to hear so many people focused on the financial aspect of it.
As to @wingnut's point, I think the competition is awful in conception and execution, but I'm pleased we're doing well in it. Winning is a habit.
@tewkesburychairboy - I don't think there was snow involved, it was only in October:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7031376.stm
Winning is indeed a habit. While the structure of the competition has been far from ideal this year, I find it a bit sad to suggest moving the whole thing behind closed doors.
Yes, people have spoken about the prize money, but several tens of thousands of supporters chose to go and watch their sides last night across the country. Why would we want to carry on playing the games but stop them all from coming in to watch? It's always been a tinpot competition, this year it has just become a bit more tinpot. The deregionalisation has been the biggest farce imo.
As long as ticket sales allow sides to break even I don't really see the problem. With a quoted 700+ crowd that's almost £3k per team before any costs, which is cutting it very fine indeed, but food and drink, parking and the like should just about balance the books.
Why not play all friendlied behind closed doors too, and while we're at it the first round of the league cup?
Several tens of thousands? Total attendance across the seven games where attendance was made public (Swansea/Wolves wasn't declared) was just 9,341. To be honest other than the ridiculous Academy/U21/U23/reserves/whatever thing and the double standards used in who can play which players, I'm more in the can't be bothered rather than actively boycotting camp. Midweek doesn't help due to work but none of our games so far has really appealed, or been to far away. Yes it's a bit sad, but so far the prize money has been the chief factor for me giving a toss.
@MindlessDrugHoover Sorry that was quite clearly a mistake - I started out with 'several thousand', then saw the figure and intended to change it to 'ten thousand' but ended up with 'several tens of thousands'. LOL.
It's not the prize money per se, it's what the prize money means for a club like ours. Or, specifically, us.
Over all the games played in this cup, you are probably in the 100,000 to 200,000 range for people who have chosen to have a night out watching a game of football. Personally my interest would only be stirred, even if the game was local, at around the QF stage, but a number of people have had a night out, we have made a tidy sum and its given fringe players (eg at the time Scott Kashket) a chance to have a game and stake a claim. Its far from impossible we may have a Wembley date at the end of it (although date of the next round just before a big FA Cup game perhaps makes that less likely.) Overall objectively its been a plus for WWFC this year. Indeed it could well be argued it has far more point than the League Cup does. (go on without looking it up who got to the semis last year, who has got to the semis this year come to that)
DevC makes a very good point. Without this cup competition we may never have seen Kashket's full potential and he may never have got a first team opportunity.
It does appear to be a double edged sword this competition. As already pointed out by others, it gave Kashket a platform to shine, has brought in some much needed funds & given the likes of DeHavilland, Muller, Bean et al some noteworthy game time to improve their match fitness. On the flip side, they have double standard rules on player selection, shite abuse from the prem sides, playing the likes of Crouch, when it is supposed to be for the development of future England stars & foreign kids. Can entirely eff up a small squad like ours if we got a couple of long term injuries.
This season, hopefully we have benefitted financially, (not forgetting the cost outlay to play these games), however there may be a downside come the meatier end of the season, when the players start dropping like flies as the number of games take their toll, physically & mentally?
There's an argument to be made that we should play our first choice team against whoever we draw in the Checkatrade and a second string team against Tottenham. That way we are most likely to maximise financial returns and a trip to Wembley.
Obviously no-one in their right mind would play a second string team against Tottenham - they'd be a players' revolt for a start, made even worse if we got on the television and became a complete laughing stock in front of the whole nation. But I wouldn't be entirely surprised if we played our first 11 in both matches, hoping the adrenaline of a big, prestigious FA Cup tie would cancel out any tiredness from playing twice in a week.
We could certainly do with a home draw in the lead up to Tottenham and Swansea U21 would be the ideal draw, as we could rest players and it would still be very winnable. I'd imagine the remaining sides will start taking the competition seriously now with Wembley on the horizon. Steve Evan's Mansfield would be best avoided in my opinion.
Cheltenham would be ideal if they get through the next round.
anything to do with Evans is best avoided.
Because of the team selection rules for the Checkatrade I imagine we will see our "stars" rested on the Saturday before as well so that more of the second string can start in the Checkatrade tie.
Not sure Ainsworth will want to rest too many for Luton, given the potential promotion implications.
Really not sure we are good enough to rest players against Luton Town, not sure we have a big enough squad either to need to. Yesterday all those eligible and fit played or were on the bench.
The Luton game is more important than the Spurs game
@Bledlow_Blue Not in a million years is that statement true.
Okay - it is more important that we play a strong team V Luton than against Spurs.
Importance is pretty subjective in this scenario @Bledlow_Blue
Surely the players can play three games in 10 days? Apart from the odd rotation I don't see any major changes to the teams for any of those three games.
If the club wants this success it can't just give up on it at this stage
Our promotion winning side played eleven times in April 1993.
There was a Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday week included in that
Incredible scenes
of course the Luton game and Checktrade game once drawn is more important than the Spurs game, we are never gonna beat Spurs whatever team they play look how easily they beat Villa and they only put out 3/4 players.
agreed
We were never going to beat Wolves.
Or Wimbledon.
Or Leicester.
Football is about glory.
You agree that the checkatrade trophy next round is more important than the Spurs game?