Re: EFL Trophy
 

Or perhaps they saw that they would have to open old Trafford for a few dozen people and realised how bonkers an idea it is.

Yes, it would be great to see accy there but to play at their main stadium is lunacy from a cost perspective. An irrelevant competition outwith the last couple of rounds at the best of times but now it's just crazy. Still not as daft as what we have up here by inviting Irish and Welsh clubs too but heading that way.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

I think Liverpool have turned down the invitation too.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

If the whole point of the invited teams is to bring through the best of young English talent, yet some of the big named teams (who in theory should have the best youngsters in their development squads) turn it down, then what's the point in this reformat?

Re: EFL Trophy
 

over the years they have tried different formats of the paint pot or tin pot trophy and nothing has really worked. best thing to do with it is put it to bed with the anglo italian competition, full members cup and other competitions dreamed up on the back of a fag packet over the last few years. make reserve and youth football more competitive as it used to be and leave div.1 and 2 clubs alone. we don,t want to be used as premier league fodder.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

Reveals just how disconnected is the administration of English football.
At one end there is a self-serving global corporations, built on debt and/or dodgy foreign investment (aka tax avoidance) , and at the other a retirement home for men with blazers.
In the middle, trying to survive despite the Premier League and FA, are most of the other clubs and their fans.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

Bradford EFL Cup tie ? Accrington Stanley FC :eek: Seems a bit pricy.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

As far as giving the chance for decent fixtures to the youngsters, I cant understand why they cant have a reserve league that runs alongside the real leagues, playing the opposite fixture (reserves at home when 1st team away etc). If home reserve matches were included in the cost of season tickets ( free) then they MAY get some kind of attendances

Re: EFL Trophy
 

This used to happen many years ago in Scotland. I can remember going to reserve games at ibrox in the eighties for free with my season ticket in reverse games with crowds over 10000 for big games and often in the top three biggest crowds of the day.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

The Central League http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A7x9U...pEQxidd.kSxw0-

Re: EFL Trophy
 

I see that groups are made up of 4 teams that is 3 teams from league 2 & 3 plus 1 invited team from the premier league.
Previously it was agreed the invited teams would have just 3 players over 21 plus a goalkeeper now that has been upgraded to 5 over 21s.
So by round 2 of this competition it will most likely be 16 invited premier teams & 16 teams from league 2 & 3 if the premier league clubs.
Just how is this an attractive format for lower league clubs, don’t think I’ll bother to watch the primo-donnas contest the final

Re: EFL Trophy
 

Rumours now that Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs are refusing the invitations. Apparently nobody has made the refusal official yet (including Man U & Liverpool) but the whole thing looks to be on shaky ground at the moment.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

used to happen in england too. there were various leagues throughout the country, including the central league, football combination down south, northern league for teams in the north east , cheshire league and i may be wrong but wasn,t there a lancashire combination or such for non league sides. they were all very competitive with teams made up of squad players and youth team players getting a chance. things changed for some reason in the 90,s when they were more like friendly games. you could watch your side every saturday, with 1st team one week and the stiffs the next. good old days before the diaticians and fitness coaches got their power.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

IN 62 when Stanley folded i went to blackburn and had a season ticket, reserve games there were free with em back then quite a few of us used to go so reckon it would help attendances.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

it,s a good way to introduce kids to going to games as well. more space for them to move about without anoying other fans. my first game was hartlepools reserves with a few hundred there so didn,t have to get in early to get to the front to see.

Re: EFL Trophy
 

Seems the FA have created a bit of a Google Page Ranking and logistical nightmare

Mind you it's the same people who gave the yes man Hodgson a job, so it's not a shock they can't organise their own football trophy competition