Football League Trophy

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Mooro
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Mooro »

To me, the FLT should continue as a tournament, as it does provide an opportunity for lower league clubs to make some progress in a competition, not really afforded by the other two cup competitions.
It has and should remain an outlet for clubs to introduce fringe players/youngsters into the first team, but without it becoming a reserves fixture, hence a minimum first team presence should be maintained.
The group phase helps with this, as it guarantees three games in which they can do this, so can share around who gets game-time, with clubs able to take it as seriously as they like, within these limits.
To make the group phase work, I would include Conference teams instead of B-teams, which in addiition would serve to help them gauge themselves against league opposition, and perhaps even boost attendances a little.
theox
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by theox »

Protest against the EFL being planned for outside Wembley on the day of the final - https://www.againstleague3.co.uk/initia ... y-stadium/ .
Hog
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Hog »

I guess the BBC aren't too impressed with the Chuckup cup either - on the fixtures list for this week they're describing Luton v Oxford as the Fourth Round rather than semi-final!
ty cobb
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by ty cobb »

So am I right to assume that many of the people on this forum won't be watching the game on TV on Wed - wouldn't want viewing figures to be used as an argument that the event is popular would we?
Kairdiff Exile
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

ty cobb wrote:So am I right to assume that many of the people on this forum won't be watching the game on TV on Wed - wouldn't want viewing figures to be used as an argument that the event is popular would we?
I think we've already established on p2 of this thread that comparatively few of us have (or want to have) S*y Sp*rts or other pay channels. Last year, I think I did go to the pub to watch the Millwall semi-final game on telly, but I won't be bothering this year.
theox
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by theox »

Kairdiff Exile wrote:
ty cobb wrote:So am I right to assume that many of the people on this forum won't be watching the game on TV on Wed - wouldn't want viewing figures to be used as an argument that the event is popular would we?
I think we've already established on p2 of this thread that comparatively few of us have (or want to have) S*y Sp*rts or other pay channels. Last year, I think I did go to the pub to watch the Millwall semi-final game on telly, but I won't be bothering this year.
Nice attempt at a wind-up Ty. Your assumption is correct though.

At some point you will get the hang of what a 'boycott' is.....
ty cobb
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by ty cobb »

Does it extend to not supporting clubs who rely on players from Premier league B teams?
theox
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by theox »

ty cobb wrote:Does it extend to not supporting clubs who rely on players from Premier league B teams?
Ideally, the rules would change somehow to stop the PL teams taking on dozens of youngsters every year. This, of course, would allow these youngsters, who at the moment will only ever appear in the Trophy B Teams or the U21 PL, to join other clubs and forge careers in the lower leagues. We have plenty of examples in our squad of players who have come out of the PL in their late teens (or thereabouts) but wouldn't it be nice if we had players like this coming out of our own academy on a regular basis (like O'Dowda)?

In the absence of anyone ever imposing any rules of any kind on the PL then loaning these players out is the next best thing so at least these players can actually play football.

A good case in point is McAleny. It is ridiculous that he is 24 years old and has only managed to play about 40 games in his career. He has spent 13 years at Everton and appeared in 2 games for them. The best way to develop in football is to actually play in proper matches.

Therefore, if the PL really cared about developing youth and specifically English youth for the good of the national team then they would either stop hoovering up every kid who can kick a ball or, at the very least, loan them out regularly and for longer periods.

If they do that then the EFL would not need to bend over every time the PL came looking for a solution to the problem they created for themselves by having squads of a ridiculous size. League 1 and League 2 clubs do not simply exist to make up the numbers and the Trophy should not be used to assist the PL with their problem.

You can say that the loan system plays a part in PL squad development but at least this system benefits the receiving club as well if the loanee plays well. It is also the case that a loan can work as a 'trial' and often leads to a permanent transfer.

So, no, supporting teams who use PL loan players or ex-PL players, and the players themselves, does not, in my opinion, form part of the boycott.
Isaac
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Isaac »

Come on Ty, this "whatabouttery" (Franchise, Sky Sports, Loan Players, Nestle) looks more like justifying your own attendance than anything else.
ty cobb
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by ty cobb »

I'll be watching the game on Wed on the box and IF we get to Wembley be going along - I don't feel the need to justify it to anyone!

Most, but not all, think going to watch MK dons v OUFC is ok, sky sports seems to be a no no, clubs like us relying on loan players from B teams is ok but supporting the lads at Wembley in perhaps the biggest game of their career is a no.

All very confusing isn't it. Rather than be a keyboard warrior why not take some of that justified anger and demonstrate against the game - 5000 fans with banners/protesting will have more impact than 5000 doing some gardening.
theox
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by theox »

ty cobb wrote:but supporting the lads at Wembley in perhaps the biggest game of their career is a no.
My inference from this is that your argument boils down to 'you are not a proper supporter if you don't go to Wembley'.

However, you are not going to Luton. Surely if Wembley is the biggest game of the players' careers then the game to get there must also be pretty massive. Why aren't you going to that to support the lads?

I know you don't agree with the #bteamboycott but don't for one instant think that anyone who is doing it is not a proper supporter and does not feel a great deal of angst for missing games. BUT I, and others, feel that the line has to be drawn somewhere in the battle to stop the PL and the EFL ruining the game completely. Maybe it won't make the slightest bit of difference but sometimes enough is enough.

I agree that a protest is a good idea. A protest is being planned outside Wembley by Against League 3. I would argue that doing it inside Wembley would a) be logistically difficult because you would need enough like-minded souls sitting together to carry it off and b) it's back to the problem of giving the EFL a nice large attendance stat to base their arguments on to continue the tournament in its current form.

If we make it to Wembley, I also plan to speak to the Ultras group about putting on a display before a home game prior to Wembley to make some sort of visual protest. I have no idea about what form this would take or whether it would be feasible as yet.
OUFC4eva
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by OUFC4eva »

theox wrote:
ty cobb wrote:but supporting the lads at Wembley in perhaps the biggest game of their career is a no.
BUT I, and others, feel that the line has to be drawn somewhere in the battle to stop the PL and the EFL ruining the game completely.
But the game was damaged irreparably in 1992 with the advent of the premier League - that
particular race has been run. The game has been wrecked and the soul ripped out of it !
ty cobb
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by ty cobb »

theox wrote:
ty cobb wrote:but supporting the lads at Wembley in perhaps the biggest game of their career is a no.
My inference from this is that your argument boils down to 'you are not a proper supporter if you don't go to Wembley'.

However, you are not going to Luton. Surely if Wembley is the biggest game of the players' careers then the game to get there must also be pretty massive. Why aren't you going to that to support the lads?

I know you don't agree with the #bteamboycott but don't for one instant think that anyone who is doing it is not a proper supporter and does not feel a great deal of angst for missing games. BUT I, and others, feel that the line has to be drawn somewhere in the battle to stop the PL and the EFL ruining the game completely. Maybe it won't make the slightest bit of difference but sometimes enough is enough.

I agree that a protest is a good idea. A protest is being planned outside Wembley by Against League 3. I would argue that doing it inside Wembley would a) be logistically difficult because you would need enough like-minded souls sitting together to carry it off and b) it's back to the problem of giving the EFL a nice large attendance stat to base their arguments on to continue the tournament in its current form.

If we make it to Wembley, I also plan to speak to the Ultras group about putting on a display before a home game prior to Wembley to make some sort of visual protest. I have no idea about what form this would take or whether it would be feasible as yet.
Not at all - I was simply concluding that the view on this forum is that supporting the team at Wembley comes second to continuing to make the point. I do agree with the B team boycott actually and didn't attend the earlier rounds, but then having not attended any of the earlier rounds last year due to family commitments and the fact I live miles from Oxford one may argue that it's more a case of I am not bothered enough by the competition to trek all the way to Oxford for a game in a soulless stadium in front of a couple of thousand. I think the club and EFL got the message loud and clear with some of the crowds being embarrassing, as is talk of what a "proper supporter" is. We all do what we can and we're not big enough to turn supporters away who don't/can't go to every game.

If the crowd is big and EFL use that as an excuse to continue the competition I will admit I got it wrong but I think they will be laughed out of town - everyone knows league 1 and 2 fans don't want B team football (unless it's in the league/FA cup).

3 times in 124 years. I went to see Oxford City at Wembley in a nothing game, I'm certainly not going to miss Oxford United at Wembley with a excellent chance of winning a cup no matter how tinpot. And with 25,000 tickets sold by Coventry already (before general sale) it's going to be a great day out despite the ticket prices.

Category 1: Adult £60, Concession £30, Junior £10

Category 2: Adult £48, Concession £24, Junior £10

Category 3: Adult £42, Concession £21, Junior £10

Category 4: Adult £36, Concession £18, Junior £10

Category 5: Adult £28, Concession £14, Junior £10

Category 6: Adult £20, Concession £10, Junior £10
Ancient Colin
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Ancient Colin »

Lots of people making lots of assumptions about Wednesday night, eh?
Jimski
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Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Jimski »

The boycott is one aspect (and one I agree with), but I just feel "meh" about the competition this season anyway. I really just don't care about it, in the way I don't really care about reserve games. Boycotting it is almost too easy.
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