Rage Online

I saw us win at Kenilworth Road in 1987 to guarantee top-flight survival, as one of the very few away fans officially allowed in (a coachload of Oxford United Juniors). Deano's last-minute winning header was scored right in front of us, and we went mental despite our tender years!

Anyway, in the midst of all this Checkatrade hand-wringing no-one's mentioned we're playing Franchise FC this Saturday...

Kernow Yellow wrote:Anyway, in the midst of all this Checkatrade hand-wringing no-one's mentioned we're playing Franchise FC this Saturday...

Best to not open that particular can of worms! Suffice to say, I'll be watching some local non-league on Saturday.

For those looking for alternative fixtures tomorrow and don't mind a bit of travel, Brackley are away at Tamworth and Banbury are away at Biggleswade.

Kairdiff Exile wrote:

Kernow Yellow wrote:Anyway, in the midst of all this Checkatrade hand-wringing no-one's mentioned we're playing Franchise FC this Saturday...

Best to not open that particular can of worms! Suffice to say, I'll be watching some local non-league on Saturday.

You're a serial boycotter of games - the ultimate conspiracy theorist

He won't stop until his moral indignation prevents him from watching any football at all

Strange to boycott a home league match of OUFC

OUFC4eva wrote:

Kairdiff Exile wrote:

Kernow Yellow wrote:Anyway, in the midst of all this Checkatrade hand-wringing no-one's mentioned we're playing Franchise FC this Saturday...

Best to not open that particular can of worms! Suffice to say, I'll be watching some local non-league on Saturday.

You're a serial boycotter of games - the ultimate conspiracy theorist

To be fair, it saves him traveling all the way from Wales.....

I wonder what would happen if some slight tweaks to the competition were made, would it make it more palatable. Hopefully we can all agree that the competition needed refreshing - it had been dying on it's knees for sometime, crowds were low at all clubs until we played a local rival or got to the semi final point and this had been the case for a number of years - most clubs treat it is a distraction and we have only done well recently by treating it seriously.

I would make the following tweaks:

1. The rules are the same for all clubs, so if we want to play our youth team we can.
2. I don't have an issue with premier league clubs playing provided the rules are the same and they whack more money into the pot. They currently use the FA cup and league cup to play their B teams - yet there was not protest against Swansea/Newcastle when they did this - quite the opposite. If we're going to have a meaningless cup we may as well make some money from it, and if it helps get some trickle down of money from the top leagues the better.
3. Premier league/championship clubs do not benefit from any of the prize money - it is purely used for league one and league 2 teams - if they all get knocked out in round one the money will be shared equally among them. However, the one that gets the furthest gets the winners pot.
4. The authorities sign an agreement that Premier League clubs will not be allowed to enter B teams into the league structure for the next 25 years - this should end any argument about this being "the thin end of the wedge".

So this format benefit all teams - the premier league clubs get to play their younger players (if they should so wish) against some grizzled pros, the lower league clubs get a pay day and based on this year are still likely to progress in the competition if they want to and if they don't they can also send out a B team or enable some fringe players to get a game.

I do get the feeling that no matter what is said/happens some fans will boycott the final just because their position is so entrenched now. As has been said on the other site there are better ways to do this - for example we don't take our seats until 15 minutes in/a joint protest is held during the game with banners and the like - would be hard for the TV cameras to ignore and there it will be commented on in the reports of the match so the EFL won't be able to claim that by turning up the fans were not happy. I accept not going at all would also send a strong message out, but this would cost the club much needed funds and would deprive the players of support on possibly the biggest day of their lives. We wouldn't feel united as a club if the team run out to a sea of blue and hardly any yellow would it?

ty cobb wrote:I wonder what would happen if some slight tweaks to the competition were made, would it make it more palatable. Hopefully we can all agree that the competition needed refreshing - it had been dying on it's knees for sometime, crowds were low at all clubs until we played a local rival or got to the semi final point and this had been the case for a number of years - most clubs treat it is a distraction and we have only done well recently by treating it seriously.

I would make the following tweaks:

1. The rules are the same for all clubs, so if we want to play our youth team we can.
2. I don't have an issue with premier league clubs playing provided the rules are the same and they whack more money into the pot. They currently use the FA cup and league cup to play their B teams - yet there was not protest against Swansea/Newcastle when they did this - quite the opposite. If we're going to have a meaningless cup we may as well make some money from it, and if it helps get some trickle down of money from the top leagues the better.
3. Premier league/championship clubs do not benefit from any of the prize money - it is purely used for league one and league 2 teams - if they all get knocked out in round one the money will be shared equally among them. However, the one that gets the furthest gets the winners pot.
4. The authorities sign an agreement that Premier League clubs will not be allowed to enter B teams into the league structure for the next 25 years - this should end any argument about this being "the thin end of the wedge".

So this format benefit all teams - the premier league clubs get to play their younger players (if they should so wish) against some grizzled pros, the lower league clubs get a pay day and based on this year are still likely to progress in the competition if they want to and if they don't they can also send out a B team or enable some fringe players to get a game.

I do get the feeling that no matter what is said/happens some fans will boycott the final just because their position is so entrenched now. As has been said on the other site there are better ways to do this - for example we don't take our seats until 15 minutes in/a joint protest is held during the game with banners and the like - would be hard for the TV cameras to ignore and there it will be commented on in the reports of the match so the EFL won't be able to claim that by turning up the fans were not happy. I accept not going at all would also send a strong message out, but this would cost the club much needed funds and would deprive the players of support on possibly the biggest day of their lives. We wouldn't feel united as a club if the team run out to a sea of blue and hardly any yellow would it?

You are Shaun Harvey and I claim my £5!

ty cobb wrote:I would make the following tweaks:

1. The rules are the same for all clubs, so if we want to play our youth team we can.
2. I don't have an issue with premier league clubs playing provided the rules are the same and they whack more money into the pot. They currently use the FA cup and league cup to play their B teams - yet there was not protest against Swansea/Newcastle when they did this - quite the opposite. If we're going to have a meaningless cup we may as well make some money from it, and if it helps get some trickle down of money from the top leagues the better.
3. Premier league/championship clubs do not benefit from any of the prize money - it is purely used for league one and league 2 teams - if they all get knocked out in round one the money will be shared equally among them. However, the one that gets the furthest gets the winners pot.
4. The authorities sign an agreement that Premier League clubs will not be allowed to enter B teams into the league structure for the next 25 years - this should end any argument about this being "the thin end of the wedge".

Isn't this pretty much exactly the same as the Coca-Carling Rumblewoods Milky Cup just with no prize money for Prem/Champ clubs?

I do get the feeling that no matter what is said/happens some fans will boycott the final just because their position is so entrenched now.

Conversely, I get the feeling that some fans are finding any excuse to justify going to the final. As I've said before/elsewhere, I can understand why people have or have not boycotted the competition so far. What I can't understand are those who have boycotted so far, but are now finding reasons why a boycott of the final isn't appropriate. IMHO, the objectives of the boycott have not been reached until there is confirmation that this "experiment" will not continue next season. And that won't really happen until the rules and entrants for next season are announced.

Well lets hear some alternatives - what would you boycotters want the format to look like next season - revert back to what it always has been, or try something new - if so what?

And given Coventry are likely to sell 30,000 tickets plus and I imagine we'll take at least 20,000 the tactic of staying at home is going to be somewhat redundant - still if it makes you feel better.....................

I also think most of the 33,000 fans who went last year have not been boycotting because of the format, they have been boycotting for the same reason they have for years - it's a competition that no-one cares about and they have better things to be doing on a Tue night!

I went to see Oxford City at Wembley, I'm not going to turn down the chance to see my club play there and possibly win some silverware for the first time since 1986 because of the massive idiot that is Shaun Harvey. I thought the way the conference was run was an utter shambles but it was not going to stop me supporting my team in the play off final.

Hog posted this idea on another thread and I added the last paragraph.

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Hog wrote:
I will continue my boycott through all the rounds but if we got to Wembley and it wasn't against an U'21 team then I'd consider it ...

Anyway, I've given a little thought to how to revise the format to try and increase interest and wonder what you think?

There are 48 teams in L1 and L2 so divide them into 16 groups of three where the three are geographically as close as possible so you get the local derby interest so potentially higher crowds and less midweek travelling for supporters. They play each other home and away and group winners progress to a knock-out where the opponents are again decided on the nearest clubs geographically playing one another once only with the lowest placed team in the League getting home advantage (or the other way round if you prefer). Do the same for the next round and the semi-final.

If we use this season as an example the groups could look like this:

1. Carlisle, Hartlepool, Bradford City
2. Morecambe, Fleetwood, Blackpool
3. Bolton, Accrington, Sheff Utd (tricky to fit them in!)
4. Oldham, Rochdale, Bury
5. Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Grimsby
6. Mansfield, Chesterfield, Notts County
7. Shrewsbury, Crewe, Port Vale
8. Northampton, Coventry, Walsall
9. Luton, Stevenage, MKD
10. Colchester, Cambridge, Peterborough
11. Millwall, Orient, Barnet
12. Gillingham, Southend, Charlton
13. Slumdon, Oxford, Wycombe
14. Newport, Bristol R, Cheltenham
15. Portsmouth, Crawley, AFCW
16. Plymouth, Exeter, Yeovil

There might be an argument to say each group should include at least one club from each division but I don't have the time nor will to do it! Of course you could argue it may become stale after a couple of seasons if the same clubs are in the same groups each year but I'm guessing that promotion/relegation will shake the geography up a bit and move clubs around? Not sure!
The two finalists would end up playing eight games in all.

I guess there would still have to be something about the strength of side teams put out I'm not too sure what to do? Perhaps the purely arbitrary minimum six players who started the last first team game?


To put the icing on your revamp cake, perhaps a bigger prize would encourage clubs and fans to take it more seriously. A prize in the form of automatic entry into Round 2 of the League Cup for the finalists?

theox wrote:To be fair, it saves him traveling all the way from Wales.....

I'm not travelling up from Cornwall either. But I will be watching St Columb U11's vs Bodmin Youth FC this weekend. Can I count that as a boycott?

Well, I suppose I probably had some of those comments coming! But I will take them in the spirit in which I am sure they were made.

I've stopped thinking of these things as "boycotts" anyway, as I don't think it's helpful. I just won't pay my hard-earned money to watch Oxford play in games which insult my (and others') intelligence. Games against teams who exist because they stole another's club, game in formats the existence of which threatens the long-term future of the club, games designated as "military days" with all the attendant flag-waving and posturing. People can choose to do what they want with their money, and I'll choose what to do with mine - but it certainly doesn't involve any of the above.

In reply to the question about what should replace the current Football League Trophy format, my view is still that there'd be merit in having one midweek cup format, combining the Football League Cup and the Football League Trophy, involving sides from all four "professional" divisions, probably with a group stage comprising one from each league, possibly on a north-south basis, followed by a straight knockout non-geographical phase. It'd go on a bit, but perhaps the group stages could take place preseason / early season. Doubtless full of challenges, but that'd be my starter for ten. Having two separate midweek cup competitions, neither of which are taken seriously is in no-one's interests.

Anyway, good to see common sense restored and Oxford United FC being awarded three point for a technical walkover in today's non-fixture.

I don't mind attending home games against Franchise, especially when we win in the last few minutes! And boy did their team (Baldock apart) come across as a narky, nasty lot. Can't believe how many fans they've got though. I kept wishing we could start a chant to the tune of "Poison Arrow" - "Who stole a club? You did you did..."