2017/18 Checkatrade Trophy thread

[AFaceInTheCrowd]

What are your intentions for the EFL trophy this season?

Notts will face an Everton b team and I just can't stomach the thought of the competition and won't attend a fixture in the competition.

The EFL have rigged it to consist of local games so they can point to attendances increasing and continue with this format. We play back to back games vs Mansfield in the League then cup. In previous years Stags brought 1000 in the competition it will be interesting to see how this is affected by playing the league game immediately before.

 

[valefan16]

Couldn't care less myself and won't attend. When asked at a fans forum Ned Kelly said "we want to get to Wembley for you" but would expect us to make five or six changes as per last season.

 

[shoddycollins]

Don't even know who we've got and when they're played.

 

[PUSBCCFC]

Won't bother going unless we got far again. I disagree with the tournament, but won't go because the early rounds don't appeal to me.

Wembley last season was the best day/weekend I and most Coventry fans have ever had. Would do anything to have 45,000 celebrating a win there again.

 

[Son of Cod]

Only proper saddos went to these games before the B-team stuff anyway.

 

[Gladders]

There is a charity match been organised between our fans and donny fans they are hoping to have a bigger crowd at that game than at the EFL trophy game, let's hope they pull it off.

 

[roversfan2001]

I'm 'boycotting'. Really I just can't be arsed watching us play two teams in the same league as us in some no-mark competition. Our other game is on my birthday so I'll probably go with some mates.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Less of a boycott this season and more completely ignoring the fact this competition still exists.

My one hope is Artell, being more of a manager than Dull Davis, is outspoken against the shambles and makes a mockery of it. Sadly I think he'll toe the club's line in being vague around it all so they don't have to admit they voted in favour and remain supporters of this shower of shit.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

You've either got to be pig-ignorantly thick or not care about the infiltration of the Premier League on lower league football to attend any games in this competition, and I have considerably more sympathy with the extremely small minority who fall into the latter of those two categories.

There's realistically very little as supporters these days we can do to influence the crass at the higher echelons of the game, it's gone too far now and money is significantly more important than we are, but showing our disdain for the way they are looking to utilise and exploit our clubs for their own personal gain via this competition is one of the few things we can actually have a major impact on. It disappoints me, but more than that it seriously angers me, that there are people who will allow this to be a success by failing to grasp the seriousness of what is trying to be achieved, even more so this year than last now that they've actively rigged the group draws in order to boost the attendance levels after the vast majority did a great job in boycotting up until at least the final last season, which undid all the hard work done before and gave a catalyst for them to push it through again this year. You can absolutely guarantee that by the end of the season they'll be pushing how much the fans are now buying into it as the average attendance goes up 50% or whatever it ends up being, because some mugs can't stay away from a midweek reserve team competition set up to actively harm their club in the long-term. You're not doing anyone any favours by attending except for the likes of Harvey, Scudamore, and those running the "big" clubs, and I pity you if you can't see it.

 

[shoddycollins]

Only proper saddos went to these games before the B-team stuff anyway.

you're only saying that cos Grimsby weren't in it for years and when you finally get back into the league your chance to win a decent cup final is ruined.

 

[shoddycollins]

I'm 'boycotting'. Really I just can't be arsed watching us play two teams in the same league as us in some no-mark competition. Our other game is on my birthday so I'll probably go with some mates.

Hardly a boycott is it?

 

[Son of Cod]

you're only saying that cos Grimsby weren't in it for years and when you finally get back into the league your chance to win a decent cup final is ruined.

Seriously thinking of reporting you for continuous chatting back.

 

[shoddycollins]

I'm mostly disappointed that having reached the final more times than anyone else, we aren't taking a stand as defenders of this competition.

 

[shoddycollins]

Seriously thinking of reporting you for continuous chatting back.

I'm in a bullish mood this morning.

 

[valefan16]

Less of a boycott this season and more completely ignoring the fact this competition still exists.

My one hope is Artell, being more of a manager than Dull Davis, is outspoken against the shambles and makes a mockery of it. Sadly I think he'll toe the club's line in being vague around it all so they don't have to admit they voted in favour and remain supporters of this shower of shit.

Issue for us mate is we have each other which will bring more than usual added to the fact we have Newcastle U21 and their fans will watch anything so bet they bring a few more than most too!

 

[roversfan2001]

Hardly a boycott is it?

Inverted commas. I don't agree with the competition one bit but as I've already said I'll be going to our game against Stoke's academy.

 

[shoddycollins]

Issue for us mate is we have each other which will bring more than usual added to the fact we have Newcastle U21 and their fans will watch anything so bet they bring a few more than most too!

True, I was in Newcastle last weekend, they were playing a friendly but you'd have thought they were home to Sunderland.

 

[Luke Imp]

I struggle for midweek games anyway, so I'll not be at any of them.

If I could get to the games, it'd only be the U23 ones I wouldn't bother with.

 

[CFC91]

Didn't go to any last season, won't go to any this time around. Imagine our home game v Man City B will draw a crowd though unfortunately. Think we had 800 and 1100 in our 2 home games last season which says a lot. Took nearly 200 to an away game at Luton in the next round though bizarrely.

 

[Gladders]

 

[Greenacres]

I haven't missed a home game, including pre-season friendlies, other than when I have been away travelling, for about six or seven seasons. I will be withdrawing my support for this competition and have urged my friends to do the same...I'm pretty sure that none of them want to be referred to in future as "scabs" or "traitors". It has taken us years to move from the fifth to the fourth division of professional football, why would anyone in their right mind support the B-team idea and potentially send us back again?

 

[Vanni]

I seriously struggle to understand those who say they won't go to any games involving B teams but will go when their lot is playing a L1 or L2 side. You're all missing the point, and that is that your attendance at any match in this competition will be added towards the total average attendance. The people who are desperate for this thing to be successful do not care that Cambridge vs Crawley attracted 2500 fans, while only 500 were at the Cambridge vs Everton B team match. They'll simply add the two att. figures together and claim that the average was 1500. What's so hard to grasp about all this?

I've got even less time for those fans who say they'll watch games in this farce of a competition if/when their club makes it to the semis or the final. You're either boycotting or you're not.

 

[Laker]

Apparently we've got Peterborough in our group which is "technically" the our first competitive game against the scum for 15 years. I haven't got a clue when it is and won't be going but I imagine it'll be fairly well supported.

Hate this competition, hate the Premier League and hate most of the clubs in it.

 

[Posh Red]

I won't attend any games again this season, in fact I wouldn't even go if it were free entry.

 

[Indian Dan]

I could invest $7 and watch on iFollow

Fuck that

 

[Kenneth E End]

We're playing Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow night which just feels bizarre.

 

[Ban Fat Stan]

I won't be watching any Barnet games in this competition..... If we get to the final I'll definitely be going.

 

[Richard Cranium]

We're playing Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow night which just feels bizarre.

You're not though are you. Speaking of which what are they going with this season? B teams, U21s or U23s?

And how come there are games tomorrow? Premier League sides never dictating what dates they can do again are they?!?!

 

[Gladders]

Yes they are dictating dates, EFL realised they wouldn't play again unless they could choose dates, which makes it a bigger farce, and no you're not playing Spurs, you're playing games Spurs U21 (well only 6 of them have to be U21!)

 

[hellogregory]

Same as last season. Won't be attending any matches in this competition home or away.