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Future of the EFL / Checkatrade Trophy

The clubs will be discussing the future of the completion in the coming weeks. Pompey are showing excellent initiative in approaching their supporters for their views to help the club make up their mind on future approach (statement from their CEO below). Wonder if WWFC and other supporter owned clubs will take a similar approach?

http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/statement-from-pompey-ceo-mark-catlin-about-future-of-the-efl-trophy-3588157.aspx

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Comments

  • Get rid of it, and the league cup whilst we are at it. Then the FA cup can be restored to it's rightful glory.

  • Keep it for League 1 & 2 teams, but have £1million prize money for the winners. This amount of dosh would allow many teams to push on to the next level, or just guarantee their survival for a few more years, so would be taken very seriously by clubs in the lower divisions.

  • Who is going to pay that kind of prize money? Especially when Peter Crouch isn't getting a run out?

  • @Stewie63 where's that £1 million prize money coming from?

  • It appears to me a case of sporting intergrity over cash. I'm guessing the thirst for cash will win out.

  • Its not a format, especially in the early rounds that I find particularly attractive, not entirely sure I would bother with a group game even played just down the road, but despite those misgivings this season has proven highly lucrative financially and beneficial certainly in the early rounds in giving squad players an opportunity. The "slippery slope" conspiracy theories seem to me just that - any further proposals re league membership are a choice for he lower league clubs to make if ever they are tabled - this cup doesnt matter either way.

    Having seen it for a year, if the same financial package is on offer, I would go for it.

    Do agree with someone above who questions the point of the league cup though.

  • I doubt Southampton fans are questioning the point of the league cup.

  • Just ask yourself why we even need the competition? You dont want to watch it, it obvious when you see attendances over all the years. Clubs don't really want it. Fans don't want it. Groundsman don't want it.

  • The Corinthian spirit of sporting integrity is fine for amateur football. A professional club has to run as a business. Players and staff have to be paid, cash is a necessity not just a thirst.

    It's a matter of finding a balance between competitions with prize money that interest fans, and giving playing opportunities for the whole playing squad including development players.

    The alternative to the lesser competitions is to return to reserve team football.
    How many people will be interested enough to go and watch reserve team football? How much revenue would it raise to pay the players?

    Alternatively, WWFC could turn the clock back 60 years, return to amateur football and drop down the pyramid to the appropriate level. That would really keep the current fanbase interested.

  • @bluenotes Amateur football?? Blimey that was abolished in 1974! We played in the Rothmans Isthmian league then with money initiatives for scoring goals and a host of other things. Even in Semi-Pro times all comps were sponsored so what you saying it a bit extreme isnt it.
    You can try and dress up any lower league cup competition all you want but you wont ever get the interest especially in group stages. Scrap it.

  • edited February 2017

    I'd scrap it altogether.

    Fans aren't interested. It's never been popular, and in its present format hardly anyone turned up.

    I'm sure the club are grateful for the cash they made, but on the other hand, the seven midweek matches in this competition have probably contributed to our current slump in the league.

  • It's a tricky one isn't it. No doubt the money from both Cup runs has been a bonus this year so it will be interesting to see what they do/change about it next term.

  • Kashket might never have come to prominence so quickly (and let's hope not fleetingly!) without the new Group stage.

  • @M3G, you are right the amateur game did go open, although my memory didn't stretch to remembering the year. I remember the moans about 'selling out' all too well, despite the fact that players had been paid generous expenses and the term shamateurism was in common usage.

    I did have tongue firmly in cheek when I suggested returning to amateur football.
    I just think people need to be realistic about how a club can afford to operate on a professional level.

    The lower league competition has been around for many years in various forms with different sponsors. I doubt it will ever be popular with fans, but the clubs will continue to enter it for both financial and player development reasons.

    If a club does not have a reserve team then I don't see an alternative way to bring on development players and keep all players involved, unless clubs resort to squad rotation. It then becomes difficult to maintain consistency. I suspect that a competition at this level will continue for any years to come, and the fans will continue to moan about it.

  • fans of a football team moan @bluenotes ? When does that ever happen...?

  • Why would it get scrapped entirely after all these years?

    Whether anyone agrees or not with this year's format, there is an equivalent base, trophy or cuplet at every single level of English football, even down at the level I play at!

  • Maybe Wycombe fans or Trust members will be asked for their views

  • How about keeping the current format but invite some Welsh League / Scottish Lowland league teams in to make up the 64 instead of the under 21 teams.Keep it North /South up to the final .Maybe play the group games over 7 days pre season ? Just a thought .

  • This might get laughed at, but personally I'd scrap the FLT and make the League Cup just for 2nd-4th tier teams. Give the European spot for winning the League Cup to the FA Cup winners, which might at least convince middling Premiership teams to take the competition more seriously.

  • Not a bad idea at all,never understood how the PL teams were allowed in the League cup

  • You already get a European spot for winning the FA Cup.

  • Ah ok, cheers mate.

  • They'll do well to revitalise this cup won't they though.

    They've tried the groups, they've tried knockouts, they've tried byes, adding non league teams, and then finally this year the "academy teams".

    The wad of extra money has to stay, that's for certain. But what else can they do?

    Only include teams that don't make it through to a certain round of the league cup?
    Just go back to a knockout/bye system?
    Scrap it?

    It's tough

  • @Malone There's a thought - the "EFL Plate" for all those EFL - not Premiership - teams that don't get through the first round of the League Cup.

  • Worrying twat trying to big up the Checkatrade debacle. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39425301

  • What wouldn't we have given for a 70,000 gate at Wembley!

  • He forgets Coventry fans are particularly desperate for any hint of success due to of shit ownership, here's an idea instead of chasing competition formats fans don't want how about tightening rules for owners that they do

  • You been on the sherbet Morris?!

  • I'm sure some clubs have seen this competition as a success this season. I'd say Wycombe were one.
    If you focus purely on the money and ignore the fans, the odd rules and the huge number of games it might work.
    Trouble for me is that all of those things should be important.

    Seems a whole age ago we lost that semi final doesn't it?

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