Football League Trophy

Anything yellow and blue
Mooro
Grumpy old git
Posts: 3010
Joined: Fri May 12, 2006 5:32 pm
Location: Hellenic/Spartan border

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Mooro »

Just a thought

Instead of boycotting the last stages of the FLT, why don't the supporters groups of the four semi-finalists get together and organise some sort of co-ordinated action, that does not leave supporters under pressure to not go to see their side at Wembley.

The easiest idea would be some sort of independent colour (eg purple) and then call upon all supporters attending the semi-finals and final of the competition to wear/carry/wave something of that colour at the game - hence allowing anyone who wants to go to go, yet the four groups of supporters come together to represent the entirety of the Football League clubs in the protest and opposition to the way the competition has been run this season......
Geoff
Middle-Aged Spread
Posts: 1751
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:11 pm

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Geoff »

I don't trust the Football League to look at anything other than the attendance figures. For that reason my boycott stays in place.

Oxford have been to Wembley on three occasions and I have attended every time so it will hurt me not to attend this time, assuming we get that far. The only reason I would like us to win is so DE can recoup some money.
Jimski
Mid-life Crisis
Posts: 734
Joined: Fri May 12, 2006 6:50 pm
Location: Oxford

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Jimski »

I actually only half see it as a 'boycott' as such. There's also the fact that it's a bloody stupid devalued competition this season, thanks to the rule changes. So there's a "why should I care" factor too.
OUFC4eva
Grumpy old git
Posts: 2369
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:57 pm

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by OUFC4eva »

Image

If the U's win at at Kenilworth Road on March 1st they will play Coventry City at Wembley on April 2nd 2017.
Coventry overcame Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 at the Ricoh Arena in the other semi-final.
Old Abingdonian
Mid-life Crisis
Posts: 844
Joined: Mon May 29, 2006 10:05 am
Location: Blakeney, Gloucs

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Old Abingdonian »

I think Mooro's idea is a seriously good one.

If we beat Luton, then we could certainly work with Coventry fans (who are not the happiest bunnies in the world, for good reason) to at least make a press statement and take some symbolic action to show that, whether fans go to Wembley or not, the future of league football is more important.
recordmeister
Middle-Aged Spread
Posts: 1808
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:34 am
Location: London

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by recordmeister »

I've just noticed the date of the final. For the last one, I was away on business in Poland and ended up watching a Live Stream of the match in the lobby of my (albeit very nice) hotel. This year I've realised I'm away in Sweden on business for the date of the final. Ergo, I'm boycotting it and I would urge you all to do the same....!
theox
Middle-Aged Spread
Posts: 1162
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 10:33 pm
Location: Broncos

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by theox »

It is worth noting that Coventry City played their Semi-Final in front of just under 12,000 last night. Their last appearance at home at the same stage of this competition in 2013 saw just under 32,000 attend.
OUFC4eva
Grumpy old git
Posts: 2369
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:57 pm

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by OUFC4eva »

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/ ... y-12515349

Prize money for this season's competition.
recordmeister
Middle-Aged Spread
Posts: 1808
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:34 am
Location: London

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by recordmeister »

How does the prize money compare to last season, does any one know?

Oh, and if a B team had won it, would they have been entitled the same prize money?
theox
Middle-Aged Spread
Posts: 1162
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 10:33 pm
Location: Broncos

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by theox »

http://www.efl.com/news/article/2015/jo ... 28110.aspx

This says that last year's winner would get a total of £124,000.00 and suggests that this would be total winnings through all the rounds. Obviously a lot more this year but £1,000,000.00 was added to the pot by the PL in return for the inclusion of the B Teams. Talk about selling your soul......

All money won by B Teams throughout the whole tournament is put into a pot to be divided equally between all the proper teams in the tournament.
Radley Rambler
Grumpy old git
Posts: 2249
Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:36 pm

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Radley Rambler »

How's about this for an idea. Why doesn't the Football League decide upon what the format will be for next year before this year's final - announce it and then people will be able to decide whether to attend based on facts rather than supposition/concerns for the future.

Just a thought.
theox
Middle-Aged Spread
Posts: 1162
Joined: Mon May 15, 2006 10:33 pm
Location: Broncos

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by theox »

Radley Rambler wrote:How's about this for an idea. Why doesn't the Football League decide upon what the format will be for next year before this year's final - announce it and then people will be able to decide whether to attend based on facts rather than supposition/concerns for the future.

Just a thought.
That would be ideal but what are the chances of them actually doing that? They know it would be a PR disaster to announce that B Teams will be in the tournament next year but they want to stay in bed with the PL so, I presume that, ideally they would like to keep the B Teams in this competition. At the moment the outcry and media embarrassment in the early rounds is still too close to justify it. However, a big crowd at Wembley plus pictures of happy looking fans and directors will go a long way to 'proving' that the competition was a success. Perhaps the PL will also upgrade the prize money payment a bit to further sweeten the deal for clubs' boards who are wavering with their vote.

Despite his comments earlier on in the season, can you really imagine Eales et al voting for a competition, without B Teams, with reduced prize money next year when OUFC might be making a quarter of a million this year?

Let's face it, all decisions made in modern football are based on monetary factors not whether it is for the 'good of the game' or what the fans deserve.
ty cobb
Middle-Aged Spread
Posts: 1121
Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 6:55 pm

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by ty cobb »

Well the statement from the club on this is quite unequivocal http://www.oufc.co.uk//news/article/201 ... 13136.aspx

I think the point has been well and truly made and a large crowd at Wembley will not suddenly enable the EFL to claim all is well.

If we get through, and given our record at Looton it's a big if, the chance to see Oxford at Wembley with a chance of winning a competition, with a packed stadium will be too good to miss.

Does my attendance mean it more likely we will have B teams in the league in the future...................of course not.
Kairdiff Exile
Mid-life Crisis
Posts: 707
Joined: Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:59 pm

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

God, when I saw your post Ty, my first reaction was "Oh god, not another club statement...!" - I was relieved it was an old one you'd dug out.

As for the rest of your post, surely even you would admit that there is a slim outside chance that the FL might maybe possibly use a large Wembley attendance to justify the competition or to say that despite the earlier protests, fans came around in the end. We can argue about the likelihood of that, but it is at least a possibility. To me, that's enough the justify a boycott. I wouldn't be able to look back on the day with any warmth if it was used post-hoc by the FL to further damage lower-league football.
OUFC4eva
Grumpy old git
Posts: 2369
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:57 pm

Re: Football League Trophy

Post by OUFC4eva »

I've never seen Oxford win at Kenilworth Road - missed the 1998
league cup win but seen countless other games there.

Mind you I had never seen a win at the County Ground until last Sunday !
Post Reply