Checkatrade Trophy 2018/19 Thread

[Posh Harry]

And there is the crux of the entire situation. We; the smaller clubs, will ultimately have little choice in the matter. Any boycott, as admirable as some may think it is, will not matter a jot to Shaun Harvey and his pals, and the result of whatever they intend.
If they want U21/23 sides in our League (I'm pretty confident nobody on here does), then it will happen. Then your choices are, continue to boycott any game they are involved in, support your side to try and escape upwards, take the drop downwards, start watching rugby, or cave in to what some think is an inevitability.

Ffs

 

[Dan_Macclad]

I've never had an issue with this competition. If anything it seems to drawn out with the groups etc..

But the prize money is useful for clubs like us and I'd prefer Blackpool in this than Dulwich Hamlet in the FA Trophy!

 

[denzel ecfc]

I've never had an issue with this competition. If anything it seems to drawn out with the groups etc..

But the prize money is useful for clubs like us and I'd prefer Blackpool in this than Dulwich Hamlet in the FA Trophy!

You'll learn. I loved the FA Trophy, going to places we would never ever go to otherwise - Kings Lynn, Stamford. Who wants to go to Yeovil again (no offence...). If they needed an extra 16 clubs to make 64 they could have gone back to inviting Conference clubs, we could have had a trip to Boreham Wood or Maidenhead...

 

[Tom_CUFC]

I've never had an issue with this competition. If anything it seems to drawn out with the groups etc..

But the prize money is useful for clubs like us and I'd prefer Blackpool in this than Dulwich Hamlet in the FA Trophy!

Again, for those of you new to the league, it is not the competition fundamentally that people are opposed to, no-one gave a toss 4 years ago, sure a lot would like to see it scrapped regardless (including me), but in it's previous format it was fine, a chance to blood some reserves and an opportunity to get to Wembley.

That largely still rings true but the obvious difference is the B teams and THAT is what people have issue with, not the competition itself. Go back and read the original statement when this was brought out, the reasons why they did it have pretty much all been conclusively rebutted in the last few years, proven bullshit, and despite their continued rhetoric about not letting B teams into the pyramid you only have to look at the way the clubs caved over EPPP when the PL threatened to withdraw funding to know that it wouldn't take much if the PL teams do this enough and think they fancy more.

They've taken down their webpage sadly but look at Against League 3's Twitter for past articles on this (a good one from Vice here - https://sports.vice.com/en_uk/artic...failed-first-season-of-the-checkatrade-trophy) as well as theuglygame and through the Guardian.

This is about way more than money, way more than Wembley and way more than winning something, it's about the integrity of our competitions and more importantly our clubs in the face of fighting the machine that is the Premier League to prevent them overpowering us even more. The only thing that can stop this is fan pressure, and the best way to do that is to NOT GO, at ANY STAGE of the competition, doing so is jeopardising the future of all our clubs.

It's an extremely small price to pay, and it still bemuses me that some people just don't see it.

 

[RebornKirtonRed]

one only has to check out the beast that is the gambling scene with National Lottery etc.....In order to gain more income the Wednesday Draw was proposed, a huge cry about encouraging the poor spending even more of their benefits and child allowance payments on Government greed but throughout huge media coverage it was insisted that the Wednesday Draw would be a totally seperate entity from the Saturday Draw and that a midweek rollover would not be part of Saturday's draw and viceversa.

So how did all that turn out then ?.....add to it that onece two draws a week was the obvious saturation point for most peoples purses and the 3day wait for the draw to take place testing the attention span of even the most erudite goldfish the Scratchcard was introduced to provide that quickfix between draws , as if that wasn't enought there are now countless spinoffs and and international lotteries you can waste your money on................just goes to show what can happen once a toehold is gained and the unusual is allowed to become the norm

 

[Dan_Macclad]

I think people need to chill out.

Lower league integrity was lost as soon as they let Crawley into the league.

 

[JJ1532]

I think people need to chill out.

Lower league integrity was lost as soon as they let Crawley into the league.

I'm confused. What did Crawley do that was so egregious? At least they spent a bit of time in the Conference Premier, had a reasonable(for the level they were at) fan base and an already built stadium before their injection of money. If you want a team to poke, then Fleetwood should be the first choice.

 

[Conker]

Agreed re Crawley, Fleetwood.

It’s about time Burton Albion go back down mind.

 

[Dan_Macclad]

I'm confused. What did Crawley do that was so egregious? At least they spent a bit of time in the Conference Premier, had a reasonable(for the level they were at) fan base and an already built stadium before their injection of money. If you want a team to poke, then Fleetwood should be the first choice.

All much of the same whichever bankrolled non league club you pinpoint.

 

[PaulHaddock]

Tactics Tim proving his knowledge here:

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...come-feeder-clubs-for-premier-league-big-boys

 

[Imp in Branston]

All much of the same whichever bankrolled non league club you pinpoint.

Yep, we have the likes of Fylde, Ebbsfleet, Salford etc to all join us at some point.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Tactics Tim proving his knowledge here:

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...come-feeder-clubs-for-premier-league-big-boys

It really is frightening the amount of times this bs is spouted. Sherwood is of course wrong, but even Rosenior misses the point. If Crawley are linked to Brighton, loaned a few of their players and told to play in a certain way, that's the end of Crawley and the start of Brighton B.
The fact that Crawley have played at a higher level than Brighton did in the 1990s seems to evade these twerps.
Maybe it's time to purge the idiot ex-pros from football

 

[Stripes]

All much of the same whichever bankrolled non league club you pinpoint.

Crawley came into money at a time when going out and buying very good players could still enough to win the Conference. Prossibily an arrogant statement! Or was it a case of Matt Tubbs single handedly being the difference. He was immense at the time.

Yes we came into money and did spend a bit at various times, but that alone would never be enough in a league that had/has become extremely competitive. It didn't really work out for us until we assembled a good team, by no means all big time charley's. The experience of near misses seems to be the order of the day. This year Wrexham may finally be getting their act together, so maybe they will be this seasons winners at least.

We too did our apprenticeship in the conference nineteen years. And hopefully will continue to build the club up sensibly, excepting the Stars possibly being a bit of a wind-up. You do see Dale Vince in the chip shop (swerving the dodgy sausage of course), looking like any other regular bloke, excepting his sparkly boots! Having supported a football league club myself for many years I can see things from both sides. The thought of AFC Flylde coming straight through does not seem deserved, so I'd have to pretend we're a proper club now, despite the funny name that will always suggest otherwise, and tell these pretenders to politelly fook off.

 

[immariner]

Tactics Tim proving his knowledge here:

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...come-feeder-clubs-for-premier-league-big-boys

If anyone was in any doubt about the obvious mission creep, there it is. Leicester City B, sorry, Lincoln City fans- do you give a shit now?

 

[Chris FGR]

Tactics Tim proving his knowledge here:

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...come-feeder-clubs-for-premier-league-big-boys

HAHAHA it's incredible. Someone has actually managed to come up with an EVEN WORSE idea then b teams in the league. At least with b teams smaller clubs won't lose their identity.

Don't get me wrong, both ideas are shite but to suggest that smaller clubs should be feeder clubs and basically be run just for the benefit of the big clubs is arrogant as fuck and would take away all of the integrity/credibility of the EFL.

Btw what the fuck is Liam Rosenior on about? His dad last managed Gloucester 20 years ago. And going by how tough it's been trying to get back to Meadow Park as well as the lack of sponsorship, support for their cause and current fanbase I can't see how you can say "the club means everything to the local area."
If it did they'd have been back in Gloucester years ago.

 

[Indian Dan]

What Sherwood actually means is there are not loads of clubs willing to accept PL riches by becoming a feeder club - but there are loads of club owners willing to take the cash and say bollocks to the fans of those clubs.

 

[AdamStag]

That's a bit unfair, unintentionally I'm sure.

We are one injury away in defence and upfront from being in a bit of a tricky situation, but in midfield we do have loads of depth. Gibbens who started against Lincoln, only made his professional debut in defence against Macclesfield and we had zero defenders on the bench.

One injury upfront and our only back-up is a youth product who has one made one professional apperance from the bench too.

The fact we do not have a game on saturday did make the squad stronger but it was still seven changes.

Which is why I was so baffled the lad on loan from Derby is yet another midfielder. Hmm.

 

[Conker]

Which is why I was so baffled the lad on loan from Derby is yet another midfielder. Hmm.

Same - it’s going to be a pointless signing unless he makes a huge impact off the bench or keeps a starting eleven place.

The 3 match ban for Mellis is not a huge problem with or without the new lad.

 

[Luke Imp]

What also doesn't help r.e. PL youngsters is the high contribution of wages they want for them. They make it incredibly costly to sign them, so they miss out on first team football (bar the really good ones who end up at feeder clubs - see Chelsea).

I don’t understand why Cowley suddenly does not want to take the cups seriously, Lincoln have more strength in depth and better quality from last season.

He should go for it on fronts really.

To be fair we made seven changes ourselves but it was still a strong squad, probably made stronger due to our Saturday game being postponed.

Fair. I'm in two minds.

Winning is never a bad thing to do, regardless of the competition and whether it's a priority or not. Cup competitions have also served us well money wise and creating a winning mentality.

On the other hand, our performances dropped off in the final stages of last season. I know we have more numbers this season, but we don't have a replacement per se for Akinde. Green is obviously decent (injured for the midweek game anyway). And in central midfield we don't either (as proved yesterday when we ended the game with a combination of a two number 10's and a RB in there).

So yeah, more numbers but whilst we've got cover, there are certain positions we need to protect where there's still a drop off in quality.

 

[Davidimp]

Think the highly rated Chelsea youngster Hudson-Odoi is apparently on a million a year in wages

 

[Chris FGR]

If your club was a feeder club, whose feeder club would you be?

I reckon Lincoln would be Leicester's, Bury would be Man City's, Notts would be Forest's, Mansfield would be Derby's, Stevenage would be Spurs', Cheltenham would be Bristol City's and Grimsby would be Scunthorpe's.

 

[Posh Harry]

If your club was a feeder club, whose feeder club would you be?

I reckon Lincoln would be Leicester's, Bury would be Man City's, Notts would be Forest's, Mansfield would be Derby's, Stevenage would be Spurs', Cheltenham would be Bristol City's and Grimsby would be Scunthorpe's.

Ouch. Chris, that really hurts

 

[Bee sting]

What happens to clubs that play ineligible players in this cup? Do they get thrown out, and if so, what happens to the other 2 games in the group? I say this because as far as I'm aware, Crawley played Bondz Ngala who is still under a 2 game ban having been sent off playing for Barnet, he served 1 match of 3 banned, but hasn't yet served the other 2.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

What happens to clubs that play ineligible players in this cup? Do they get thrown out, and if so, what happens to the other 2 games in the group? I say this because as far as I'm aware, Crawley played Bondz Ngala who is still under a 2 game ban having been sent off playing for Barnet, he served 1 match of 3 banned, but hasn't yet served the other 2.

Does the cards issued in these games thing work the other way and bans from proper matches don't apply in Checkafraud land?

 

[Son of Cod]

Ouch. Chris, that really hurts

Yep, we'd be Hull's. Scunny is where they go when they realise they're too good for us but not good enough for the Championship.

 

[rudebwoyben]

It really is frightening the amount of times this bs is spouted. Sherwood is of course wrong, but even Rosenior misses the point. If Crawley are linked to Brighton, loaned a few of their players and told to play in a certain way, that's the end of Crawley and the start of Brighton B.
The fact that Crawley have played at a higher level than Brighton did in the 1990s seems to evade these twerps.
Maybe it's time to purge the idiot ex-pros from football

No they didn't. They were in the Southern League while Brighton were in Division 3.
Sherwood just continues to be bigly ignorant and embarrassing though.

 

[Davidimp]

What happens to clubs that play ineligible players in this cup? Do they get thrown out, and if so, what happens to the other 2 games in the group? I say this because as far as I'm aware, Crawley played Bondz Ngala who is still under a 2 game ban having been sent off playing for Barnet, he served 1 match of 3 banned, but hasn't yet served the other 2.

Oops!

 

[denzel ecfc]

No they didn't. They were in the Southern League while Brighton were in Division 3.
Sherwood just continues to be bigly ignorant and embarrassing though.

Er no. Crawley have played in League One. Brighton have played in League Two. It's not hard to understand.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Er no. Crawley have played in League One. Brighton have played in League Two. It's not hard to understand.

Fair enough, I misread your message but that applies to lots of clubs (e.g Hull City and Grimsby Town).

 

[PaulHaddock]

Er no. Crawley have played in League One. Brighton have played in League Two. It's not hard to understand.

I get what you mean but I don’t see how it’s relevant? We were a league above Man City 20 years ago too.