Watch out, here comes the premier league to EFL trophy

[Tango]

sharrowblade wrote:

But playing at Bootle or Marine doesnt have quite the same allure for supporters wanting to watch their team take on Liverpool Reserves. No disrespect intended to those two clubs.

Having been fortunate to watch the Pool on all Premier League grounds (except the new WHU one) would much prefer to play at grounds like Bootle or Marine in this comp.

[se20blue]

Manchester City latest club to pull out

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36763761

[DySporting]

Stupid idea - of the 16 clubs invited only Stoke City, Everton, West Brom, Swansea and Middlesbrough have accepted

Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Manchester United, Liverpool and West Ham - refused

Leicester City, Newcastle United, Southampton and Sunderland undecided

Replacement teams likely to be invited - Norwich, Reading, Derby, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Fulham, Brighton, Wolves

What they do if 16 teams don’t accept will be interesting. Is anyone going to want to watch a weakened Notts County v Burton U21’s?

[pompeypete]

And I thought the idea was to give the young darlings of the premier clubs a game.

Just cancel the whole competition as no one is interested.

Let the Div 1 & 2 have their day at wembley.......
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[derby1884]

Good evening and welcome to Sky’s new Super Tuesday!.

“Peter – as a former Stoke player, you must be ever so excited abiout this match!”

“Well, not really, Martin”

<<Director>>

“Peter – as a former Stoke player, you must be ever so excited about this match!”

“Apparently so, Martin”

“The best of Stoke’s academy players pitting their wits against their old rivals from Notts County!”

“They’re rivals?”

<<Director…”Martin. Please??”

“Ah, yes, from just down the road. Well, that road, turn right, then turn left, then right again”

“Should be a cracking match, eh, Peter?”

“Yes, Martin. Glad to see that Stoke have entered into the spirit of things with their 5 Croatian defenders and 3 Nigerian midfielders”

“But they do have Harry Smith up front, Martin! He’ll draw the crowds in!”

“Apparently the gate is 437, Martin. That includes 35 addicts from Notts”

“The lineups, Peter, tell us about the lineups!”

“Buggered if I know, Martin. They couldn’t even be arsed printing a programme…”
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[foxes1]

See my team Leicester City are in it. Mind you I don't agree with it. I mean who would want to see 2 premier league teams reserves play at Wembley (If any of them get there I wouldn't). Let the lge 1 and 2 teams have their day out at Wembley.
We will be playing Sheff Utd, Grimsby and Walsall.

[pompeypete]

Pompey will face Reading’s Academy side in the group stages of the newly-restructured EFL Trophy.

The Blues will also go up against Bristol Rovers and Yeovil after this morning being drawn in Group A of the southern section – with dates of the games to be announced.

The inaugural EFL Trophy, which was opposed by the club, is sure to figure low on the agenda of Paul Cook’s side, who are keen to earn promotion from League Two this term.

Barnsley won the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy last term at Wembley, before the competition’s rebranding and the decision to introduce category one academy sides.

Sorry Lost Interest...........
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[sellsell39]

why is Cambridge in a Northern Group ?

And yet West Brom & Coventry are in a Southern Group ?

Have I lost a sense of direction ?

[Grumpypants]

What about Cheltenham Town being in the Northern Group A, along with Everton, Bolton and Blackpool. Sheer and utter farce.

[DySporting]

Idiotic idea - Notts County playing at Rochdale, Hartlepool and Sunderland. Genius!

I’m told the reason that Cheltenham are classified as more northern than Coventry is divisional!

They should have had a midland section. My 9 year old could have organised the geographic draw better.

[Five and In]

Everything about it is a fiasco.
Top flight clubs should have no involvement at all.
I hope all the top flight clubs get knocked out early doors and the competition becomes meaningful for the smaller clubs again.
The regional draw was probably done by the same people who put Australia in the Eurovision song contest and the Premier league involvement was the brainwave from the ones that put a man who "didn't know what he was doing here" in the England job!

[Dorking]

AFC Wimbledon have been put with...

Swansea, Newport and Plymouth Argyle!!!

Does someone have a problem with geography???

[Goalsandwickets]

In the context of congested fixture lists, a subject which has been debated for 50 years at least, there is a question as to why this competition still exists?

But accepting that it does, how would it be if there was a Wembley final between 2 PL academy sides? Or will they all get beaten at the group stages?

PS A contact of mine at a Championship club told me that the majority of players from 15 upwards in their academy are not English. Even at that level, it seems clubs operate along the globalised game principles and practices.

An involvement to help improve young English players? I'll believe it when I see it.

[derby1884]

I don't collect modern day reserve/youth issues - so in two minds whether to bother with any programmes involving the XI representing Derby County.

But that's a bit hypocritical of me - I'll search for pre-season friendlies where the Derby lineup barely contains a first team squad player. I suppose there's no difference. If anything the EFL game, being competitive, should take precedence.

Anyone else in a quandary?

(I'd be far happier if Derby had just said no thanks to the whole thing)
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[goodison]

As an Everton fan, who have entered, I'm not overly in favour of it. With the games being played on international weekends, a lot of the better young players will be away on U21 or youth internationals anyway. Although not a great idea, if they have to include the teams, I would prefer them not to be allowed to qualify from the group stage, therefor they still get competitive games, but the Trophy is only for League One and Two teams from the 1st knockout round onwards.

[se20blue]

Has the EFL seen sense

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37440689

[littlewiggy]

It would seem so and I for one applaud them.
As I applaud everybody who has shunned attending the League Trophy this year.

The greedy pigs can go and stick their noses in some other poor bugger's trough.

Having said that, if we don't hurry up and sack Warren Feeney (one win in his last 21 competitive games now), I fear it won't be any of our business for much longer.

[pompeypete]

se20blue wrote:

Has the EFL seen sense http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37440689

Some good news at last

Power to the people

Will they get the 90% needed........money will talk.

But don, t forget the lower clubs will be losing income of 4 home games.


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RESPECT..................

Flickr pages in the process of closing......

Happy to forward any info on Pompey...

[derby1884]

Winter break - bad move. The worst of the weather - in terms of it making modern day football "unplayable" is to be found in February. Later than I imagine the decision-makers would be looking at.
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[littlewiggy]

Newport County share an already terrible pitch with two peanut-hugging teams.

Our winter break would need to be from November to May.