2017/18 Checkatrade Trophy thread

[CFC91]

It really is a pathetic competition. Our local paper aren't helping matters trying to give away loads of tickets to people. Absolute sham

 

[PoolieTom]

Don't worry you have the FA Trophy now instead, just as prestigious a competition.

You can mock, but in all honesty I am quite looking forward to the FA Trophy. I'd much rather play Dulwich Hamlet than Everton B Team!

 

[GTFCfish]

You can mock, but in all honesty I am quite looking forward to the FA Trophy. I'd much rather play Dulwich Hamlet than Everton B Team!

Yeah I was like that at first, but the novelty soon wears off.

 

[PoolieTom]

Yeah I was like that at first, but the novelty soon wears off.

It will probably wear off for me when Dulwich Hamlet do in fact turn up at VP in the first round and dick us 2-0, too!

Nah, I'm hoping for a draw against one of the North East teams, obviously Darlo would be brilliant (or absolutely horrendous). Blyth/Spenny/Shields etc would all be decent days out for us

 

[GTFCfish]

It will probably wear off for me when Dulwich Hamlet do in fact turn up at VP in the first round and dick us 2-0, too!

Nah, I'm hoping for a draw against one of the North East teams, obviously Darlo would be brilliant (or absolutely horrendous). Blyth/Spenny/Shields etc would all be decent days out for us

Our first season in it we lost 2-1 at Chasetown with our first team playing, reality check that was!
After that we did pretty well in it, 2 Finals a Semi Final and a Quarter Final but I never went to a Trophy game myself in all our 6 years down there.

 

[DangerousSausage]

You can mock, but in all honesty I am quite looking forward to the FA Trophy. I'd much rather play Dulwich Hamlet than Everton B Team!

I'd rather play Dulwich. One of the soul-destroying things about B teams in Germany is that nobody cares about them. They bring no fans (literally) and when they score a goal, no-one cheers. For fans of Dortmund, for instance, the results of BVB II are barely even a sideshow. I much prefer matches against small town or village clubs that bring 30 people and a drum, because the match is important to them and they give it everything they've got, even if that isn't much.

I'm probably missing your point though

 

[Si Robin]

I love the FA Trophy, but then we won it when it meant something to non-league clubs.

Was actually irritated when Gary Johnson failed to take it seriously and we ended up losing to Oxford City a couple of years ago.

 

[Gladders]

I'd rather play and get beat by Dulwich Hamlet or whoever than any B team

 

[Richard Cranium]

I would surrender a 5-0 lead at home to Truro City and have to go all the way down there for a 3rd round replay in January on a Tuesday night and have it stay 0-0 until the 119th minute in extra time only for Adolf Hitler to come off the bench and stick one in the top corner and send us out than play any B side.

Just scrap the whole completion for good IMO.

 

[DangerousSausage]

I would surrender a 5-0 lead at home to Truro City and have to go all the way down there for a 3rd round replay in January on a Tuesday night and have it stay 0-0 until the 119th minute in extra time only for Adolf Hitler to come off the bench and stick one in the top corner and send us out than play any B side.

Just scrap the whole completion for good IMO.

Not keen then?

 

[Nat Brown's Foil Coat]

Hope you're all prepared for Lincoln's crowds in this competition to be stupidly big, some of our newer fans are too enthusiastic and won't buy into the boycott.

 

[Camborne Gills]

I'd rather play Dulwich. One of the soul-destroying things about B teams in Germany is that nobody cares about them. They bring no fans (literally) and when they score a goal, no-one cheers. For fans of Dortmund, for instance, the results of BVB II are barely even a sideshow. I much prefer matches against small town or village clubs that bring 30 people and a drum, because the match is important to them and they give it everything they've got, even if that isn't much.

I'm probably missing your point though

Err.................no you aint

 

[Camborne Gills]

I would surrender a 5-0 lead at home to Truro City and have to go all the way down there for a 3rd round replay in January on a Tuesday night and have it stay 0-0 until the 119th minute in extra time only for Adolf Hitler to come off the bench and stick one in the top corner and send us out than play any B side.

Just scrap the whole completion for good IMO.

I actually laughed out loud to that, superb!!!

 

[Posh Harry]

If you disagree with the entire concept and ideology behind it, and refuse to attend any games, do it, by all means.

If you want to attend the games, feel free.

If you disagree with it but also want to attend, that's fair enough.

Whatever our opinions, don't bother trying to ram it down everybody's throats. It's a personal choice. Everybody is entitled to one.

Me personally - I'll attend every game. I have an ongoing streak currently running of consecutive Vale games (home/away, league/cup/friendlies) that stretches back to April 2015 so I want to keep that going on a personal level. Doesn't mean I agree with the concept. I just don't see why some silly little ruling should mean I miss out on watching my team. I support Port Vale FC regardless of what the apparent long-term plan is in regards to B teams etc..

So I'll be at Oldham away, and the Crewe and Newcastle home games because it's my choice to do so. However, I perfectly understand and appreciate those that choose to stay away. What I refuse to accept and will damn sure condemn is those exact same people crawling out of the woodwork should their side get to the latter stages and potentially make a Wembley final.

To coin a phrase. FFS. So you are happy to contribute towards the demise of your club and all those of a Similar size and ethic because you can keep your own personal run of games going. Well done you. When in a few years you have kept that run going and it is the last game your team ever plays then I am sure your children will be proud. 'Who shall we support now dad'. You are EXACTLY the type of person who should be saying no. I go to every game but i won't do this. You are exactly the type of fan who needs to stop going, to put their fucking foot down and say, sorry, enough of this shit. it is your chance to say "Football is eating itself and I will not contribute to it by allowing my own club to be part of it".

You carry on with your run of games and be proud. Alternatively you could not go, and when people ask why, you can tell them that it is your small way of supporting the future of your team, and that you don't give a shit about a personal milestone.

Good luck with that.

 

[Dan Phillips]

You're a fucking idiot if you think attending fixtures in this competition will have absolutely any bearing on B teams in the future. If they want them, they'll have them. It's as simple as that. The EFL will be bribed with dirty Premier League monies and all clubs will bow down as they don't want to lose out on financial gain.

I'm sure Shaun Harvey is going to implement a plan to have B teams in on the basis that I attended a Checkatrade Trophy group game away at Oldham Athletic on a Tuesday night.

 

[#Beebot]

You're a fucking idiot if you think attending fixtures in this competition will have absolutely any bearing on B teams in the future. If they want them, they'll have them. It's as simple as that. The EFL will be bribed with dirty Premier League monies and all clubs will bow down as they don't want to lose out on financial gain.

I'm sure Shaun Harvey is going to implement a plan to have B teams in on the basis that I attended a Checkatrade Trophy group game away at Oldham Athletic on a Tuesday night. [emoji38]

Basically this. The question is whether the PL will be prepared to offer enough subsidy to EFL clubs to offset any projected drop in attendances. If they are, that's B teams in the EFL. They've rolled over several times already when presented with a short term cash injection (EPPP and now two seasons of the Trophy) and will do so again.

 

[Laker]

Don't worry you have the FA Trophy now instead, just as prestigious a competition.

It's a very prestigious competition. Only top clubs win that thing.

I've thought about B teams in our league and what my response would be. I think I'd just sack off club football altogether and follow another sport locally. I don't watch much top flight football anyway but I do watch some European games. I'd probably continue with international football and then get my head into county cricket and domestic motorsport again.

Cambridge United Football Club would exist but I'll refuse to watch us in a competition where it's not an even playing field.

 

[Posh Harry]

You're a fucking idiot if you think attending fixtures in this competition will have absolutely any bearing on B teams in the future. If they want them, they'll have them. It's as simple as that. The EFL will be bribed with dirty Premier League monies and all clubs will bow down as they don't want to lose out on financial gain.

I'm sure Shaun Harvey is going to implement a plan to have B teams in on the basis that I attended a Checkatrade Trophy group game away at Oldham Athletic on a Tuesday night.

You may be right but neither you or I know that. What I do know is that if fans just lie on their back and have their tummies tickled, it is even more likely to happen. If you want B teams then that is your right to have your opinion. If you don't then imho you are letting the only opportunity you may ever have to stop it or possibly contribute to stopping it, slip through your fingers. Enjoy Oldham, lovely place on a Tuesday night, especially when getting your tummy tickled.

 

[Kenneth E End]

You may be right but neither you or I know that. What I do know is that if fans just lie on their back and have their tummies tickled, it is even more likely to happen. If you want B teams then that is your right to have your opinion. If you don't then imho you are letting the only opportunity you may ever have to stop it or possibly contribute to stopping it, slip through your fingers. Enjoy Oldham, lovely place on a Tuesday night, especially when getting your tummy tickled.

Posh fans have their tummy tickled every week with McAnthony as chairman.

 

[GTFCfish]

Posh fans have their tummy tickled every week with McAnthony as chairman.

Interesting, but Posh Harry is a Grimsby fan.

 

[Chris FGR]

So first of all Dyke and his panel of "experts" put forward the b teams in the EFL plan, which obviously took a bashing and was supposedly put on hold/dropped. Then suddenly the EFL Trophy gets an "exciting" revamp allowing b teams to play in it, and then the Whole Game Solution extra division idea gets floated with it not being absolutely clear where the extra clubs will come from. That's been put on hold as well but would anyone be shocked if it resurfaced?

Reckon they will try and sneak this through at some point, bribe most of the small clubs enough and they'll agree to anything it seems.

When that happens lower league football will be fucked, but no one will care cos the Premier League is the best league in the world.

The only way fans can make any difference is to vote with their feet, might not work but it's better then doing nothing.

 

[DangerousSausage]

You're a fucking idiot if you think attending fixtures in this competition will have absolutely any bearing on B teams in the future. If they want them, they'll have them. It's as simple as that. The EFL will be bribed with dirty Premier League monies and all clubs will bow down as they don't want to lose out on financial gain.

I'm sure Shaun Harvey is going to implement a plan to have B teams in on the basis that I attended a Checkatrade Trophy group game away at Oldham Athletic on a Tuesday night.

If FL chairmen know they're going to encounter a lot of fan resistance they'll think twice. If crowds in the Trophy double, the powers that be will be able to assume that they can sneak B teams into the League without it affecting attendances too much. If they halve then it's different. And frankly the only way to get most of these people to think again is by hitting them in the pocket.

It wouldn't be easy to implement this. Bunging clubs a few quid to allow B teams into an already ailing competition is a bit different to allowing them into the League and playing 20 fixtures against them. That would seriously affect the attractiveness of the League for sponsors and fans and that would in turn have an impact on future TV deals. No-one cares about West Brom II v Stoke II. Yesterday I watched my German team play a league fixture against a Bundesliga B team, the away attendance was 4.

So it's a bit of a hard sell anyway. What Harvey & co are desperate to see is an improvement in crowds for these matches, otherwise it'll be impossible to push through. If the FL and chairmen are convinced they can push this through without it having any adverse effect on crowds they'll give it a go. That's why it's important to stay at home for these matches.

If you don't want your club to bow down you could make an example by not bowing down yourself.

 

[PoolieTom]

I'd rather play Dulwich. One of the soul-destroying things about B teams in Germany is that nobody cares about them. They bring no fans (literally) and when they score a goal, no-one cheers. For fans of Dortmund, for instance, the results of BVB II are barely even a sideshow. I much prefer matches against small town or village clubs that bring 30 people and a drum, because the match is important to them and they give it everything they've got, even if that isn't much.

I'm probably missing your point though

Nope, not missing my point mate. I fully agree with you.

 

[shoddycollins]

I would say the way this competition has been debased hurts us more than it does any other club because more than anyone else, we really did love this competition. Six time finalists, and we let those six finals become part of what defined us.

 

[Dave'Davvo'Davidson]

Boycott this competition.
Do your duty.

 

[Vanni]

Don't you worry Dave, we're boycotting this competition.

BTW, I'm wondering if you're trying to sign up again to this forum for what will be the 4th or 5th time. You've got one thing in your favour though mate and that's perseverance and not giving up. But here's a helpful tip - just changing location from Staffordshire to Kent will not fool anyone.

 

[Lance Stoe]

Fuck going to these games. I'll be missing these games even though we are playing Grimsby. I wouldn't even go to Wembley to watch us in this fraud of a trophy. I used to attend these games and it was an ok trophy but now it's been damaged beyond all repair. How is it even an attractive proposition to pay money to watch our league system potentially get eroded. Go and watch a non league game if you need a football buzz on that particular evening or go to the cinema or stay at home and watch a box set. Anything but justify the dirty capitalist leeches who govern the EFL. Shaun Harvey can go and take a running jump.

 

[Camborne Gills]

One good thing about being an exile, there is no way that I can be tempted to attend. In fact, I have only ever been to one FL Trophy game ever.

(Brentford v Gills in 1988, and that was only because I lived in Ealing at the time)

 

[Richard Cranium]

I used to go to all our games in the Paint trophy, fair enough it helps that since we came back into the league we've only had away games at Notts twice and one at home and lost the lot but can remember Darlington away on a Tuesday before we got relegated.

I'll definitely not be attending any games in the current format and even if it was reverted back they've made an absolute mockery of a competition that was always a good chance of a cup final for us in Leagues one and two. Think it needs to be scrapped all together now. Take Premier League teams out of the league cup instead.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Good effort from Burton last night...................................oh hang on!