So, who is in league 2 for 21/22

[Chief Rocka]

It'll be The Mags U23's surely?

 

[kieran_vale]

you might laugh - but in the past 3-4 years we have had several players on loan from Blackburn's U-23 side and signed all of them permanently;- Lewis Hardcastle (now retired), Tom White and Matty Platt.

Pools will probably get lumbered with Leeds U23's (I think they actually played an U-21 side)

I’d have thought they’d more likely get Sunderland (who for some godforsaken reason actually take this cup seriously) and Newcastle U23’s.

Was once a decent distraction but now frankly I’d rather we throw every game and get knocked out straight away. We’ve picked a few injuries to key players in this in recent past.

 

[chipmunx]

It'll be The Mags U23's surely?

possibly - you or Carlisle will get them

 

[Robshep]

The common denominator of these irritants being???

Bolton

 

[chipmunx]

It'll be The Mags U23's surely?

EFL 2 fixtures are out on Thursday (not exactly sure of the time - but possibly 9am) - so maybe the pizza cup draw won't be too far away.

 

[kieran_vale]

Suppose depending if Boro choose to enter a team this year then Hartlepool might get them alternatively.

 

[Robshep]

Suppose depending if Boro choose to enter a team this year then Hartlepool might get them alternatively.

They will probably get Bradford City or Lincoln City, seems to work that way. Harrogate another likely one.

 

[shoddycollins]

Carlisle are frothing at the mouth now we’re back, frothing..

honestly hadn't noticed till today.

 

[shoddycollins]

possibly - you or Carlisle will get them

doesn't seem to relate to location, not that we've noticed anyway. We've not had Newcastle in this competition but last year we had Villa. Think given that the U23 teams always play away, location isn't taken into account when placing them in groups.

 

[Agombar stool]

Bolton

Nailed it.

 

[AdamStag]

the FA trophy is a non league cup and therefore doesn’t count in my view, i absolutely hated the bloody thing.

If your team has won the bloody thing its a sign of being tinpot.

 

[jacobncfc]

the FA trophy is a non league cup and therefore doesn’t count in my view, i absolutely hated the bloody thing.

If your team has won the bloody thing its a sign of being tinpot.

Didn’t you lot release a Wembley song when you got to the final?

 

[AdamStag]

Didn’t you lot release a Wembley song when you got to the final?

If i’m totally honest i don’t recall us doing that (probably erased such a season out of my head!).

Darlington won the game thankfully i remember us all saying at the time how cringe it would be to win the thing, more of embarrassment. The main gripes i had with it is that there were needless replays and that bizarrely took priority over league fixtures.

Maybe others view it differently but if my side were going for promotion i’d want to be out of it ASAP, unless you draw some park side no-ones ever heard of in the early rounds and play your kids.

 

[jacobncfc]

If i’m totally honest i don’t recall us doing that (probably erased such a season out of my head!).

Darlington won the game thankfully i remember us all saying at the time how cringe it would be to win the thing, more of embarrassment.

Maybe others view it differently but if my side were going for promotion i’d want to be out of it ASAP, unless you draw some park side no-ones ever heard of in the early rounds and play your kids.

I like winning football games. Had the same view on the Football League Trophy (although the B teams have clearly fucked that up). I mean I’m hardly going to see Notts win the FA or League Cup am I, so why wouldn’t I want us to win a cup final at Wembley?

 

[Fedora Dale]

A belated welcome back to one of our two most frequent Football League opponents, Hartlepool (Darlo, who aren't yet back, being the others).

Finely balanced overall:
Dale 55 wins
Pools 50 wins
33 draws

And a fixture which contained the best dual sending off I've ever seen, Messrs Doolan and Monkhouse going at each other like Leonard and Hearns rather than the normal "handbags"...

 

[denzel ecfc]

Even if there weren't B teams in it I would probably still not bother as I am sick of playing Cheltenham and Newport.

Cant they just invite some non league sides in to give us something different?

 

[Conker]

Didn’t you lot release a Wembley song when you got to the final?

haha I think somebody made one and a director liked it.

 

[Boz]

Even if there weren't B teams in it I would probably still not bother as I am sick of playing Cheltenham and Newport.

Cant they just invite some non league sides in to give us something different?

Didn’t they used to have NL teams in during a previous version of the tournament. Much better than B teams!

 

[AdamStag]

Didn’t they used to have NL teams in during a previous version of the tournament. Much better than B teams!

i agree, they had the top 16 NL sides in with league 1 and 2 sides? (mor sure if 16 as that would add upto 64 so 32 in each group and so on)

I thought that was a cracking idea but it got scrapped. sadly not likely to happen again.

Surely it’s better to give some non-league side like chesterfield a chance than everton 23s?

 

[kieran_vale]

Didn’t they used to have NL teams in during a previous version of the tournament. Much better than B teams!

They did for a year or two around 2003 or thereabouts as I seem to remember they had the top 10 of that league qualify for it or something like that.

 

[Chief Rocka]

A belated welcome back to one of our two most frequent Football League opponents, Hartlepool (Darlo, who aren't yet back, being the others).

Finely balanced overall:
Dale 55 wins
Pools 50 wins
33 draws

And a fixture which contained the best dual sending off I've ever seen, Messrs Doolan and Monkhouse going at each other like Leonard and Hearns rather than the normal "handbags"...

Best sending off(s) I’ve ever seen at a football match that, there was about 2,000 of us that day a lot in fancy dress and I think we got our arses caned 4-0.

 

[BarraMatt]

If i’m totally honest i don’t recall us doing that (probably erased such a season out of my head!).

Darlington won the game thankfully i remember us all saying at the time how cringe it would be to win the thing, more of embarrassment. The main gripes i had with it is that there were needless replays and that bizarrely took priority over league fixtures.

Maybe others view it differently but if my side were going for promotion i’d want to be out of it ASAP, unless you draw some park side no-ones ever heard of in the early rounds and play your kids.

I assume you were all in the Darlo end then?

 

[valefan16]

They did for a year or two around 2003 or thereabouts as I seem to remember they had the top 10 of that league qualify for it or something like that.

They did the season we won it as we beat Chester who were non league at the time.

used to be the 48 + 8 National League sides.

 

[Fedora Dale]

Best sending off(s) I’ve ever seen at a football match that, there was about 2,000 of us that day a lot in fancy dress and I think we got our arses caned 4-0.

Just looked up the game. April 2007. Pools already promoted, Dale had hoisted themselves from bottom at Christmas to comfortable top half safety, thanks to appointing Keith Hill for the first time. A sunny day, big away following, beer flowing, everyone having a laugh (probably at the expense of Darlington and their daft/criminal chairman). Even an early goal for Dale by Glenn Murray didn't spoil the party atmosphere.

Still 1-0 to Dale after 75 minutes, when a somewhat agricultural tackle by Richie Barker on Adam Rundle led to a penalty for Dale, which Chris Dagnall converted, and earned Barker a red card.

I think Andy Monkhouse was of the opinion that Rundle had dived, so the first time the latter got the ball after the restart Monkhouse tried to kick him into orbit. Doolan intervened and battle commenced...

The ref did well to stop the fracas continuing, showing Monkhouse an immediate red and pointing straight to the tunnel, but keeping Doolan on the pitch for a 90 second bollocking, until Monkhouse had gone into the stand, before showing him his red card. Don't know if they had any "afters" in the dressing room, but at least this allowed the match to be finished - ended 2-0.

 

[AdamStag]

I assume you were all in the Darlo end then?

I wish i didn’t go in the first place given the game, it was well worthy of the competition

 

[northstandexile]

Just looked up the game. April 2007. Pools already promoted, Dale had hoisted themselves from bottom at Christmas to comfortable top half safety, thanks to appointing Keith Hill for the first time. A sunny day, big away following, beer flowing, everyone having a laugh (probably at the expense of Darlington and their daft/criminal chairman). Even an early goal for Dale by Glenn Murray didn't spoil the party atmosphere.

Still 1-0 to Dale after 75 minutes, when a somewhat agricultural tackle by Richie Barker on Adam Rundle led to a penalty for Dale, which Chris Dagnall converted, and earned Barker a red card.

I think Andy Monkhouse was of the opinion that Rundle had dived, so the first time the latter got the ball after the restart Monkhouse tried to kick him into orbit. Doolan intervened and battle commenced...

The ref did well to stop the fracas continuing, showing Monkhouse an immediate red and pointing straight to the tunnel, but keeping Doolan on the pitch for a 90 second bollocking, until Monkhouse had gone into the stand, before showing him his red card. Don't know if they had any "afters" in the dressing room, but at least this allowed the match to be finished - ended 2-0.

Sir Richie Barker and Adam Rundle were team mates at Mansfield.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Right I'm starting to get my head round this and having got institutionalised down there things seem a bit different so I need these questions answered.

What is an ifollow and how does it work?

Do we get a reserve team?

Are Salford even bigger bellends than they were before?

What's it like playing Forest Green?

Do you still get these stupid fines if you play less than 10 regulars in the LDV trophy or whatever it is now?

For more recent promoted clubs, how's the standard compared to the NL?

I'm looking forward to it. Bearing in mind the lack of pre season I'll be happy with 20th. Although if we keep our key players and manager we might do alright. But then I haven't seen any football here for 4 years. I don't really have any expectations just enjoy it and not get relegated.

And I really want to smash Newport the way they gloated on when they stayed up.

 

[BarraMatt]

For more recent promoted clubs, how's the standard compared to the NL?

We were pretty horrific so our games lacked in quality, even some of the better sides seemed to be dragged down to our level, either that or they didn't need to be any more than average to beat us. From what I saw, there isn't a gulf in standard but the mistakes you'd get away with in the Conference you get punished for here. Out of the 22 games we lost last season I reckon 17 or 18 of them were by a single goal, and probably 60% of those defeats we conceded after a fuck up. Not that I pay a lot of attention to this xG stuff as it is at the end of the day irrelevant, but based off our stats it had us finishing mid table.

 

[Bone Idle]

Right I'm starting to get my head round this and having got institutionalised down there things seem a bit different so I need these questions answered.

What is an ifollow and how does it work?

Do we get a reserve team?

Are Salford even bigger bellends than they were before?

What's it like playing Forest Green?

Do you still get these stupid fines if you play less than 10 regulars in the LDV trophy or whatever it is now?

For more recent promoted clubs, how's the standard compared to the NL?

I'm looking forward to it. Bearing in mind the lack of pre season I'll be happy with 20th. Although if we keep our key players and manager we might do alright. But then I haven't seen any football here for 4 years. I don't really have any expectations just enjoy it and not get relegated.

And I really want to smash Newport the way they gloated on when they stayed up.

1, Plug your laptop into your telly
2, Only if you can afford one, so no
3, Yes
4, Fucking difficult
5 Yes
6, Shit



7, In your fuckin dreams.

 

[Chief Rocka]

We were pretty horrific so our games lacked in quality, even some of the better sides seemed to be dragged down to our level, either that or they didn't need to be any more than average to beat us. From what I saw, there isn't a gulf in standard but the mistakes you'd get away with in the Conference you get punished for here. Out of the 22 games we lost last season I reckon 17 or 18 of them were by a single goal, and probably 60% of those defeats we conceded after a fuck up. Not that I pay a lot of attention to this xG stuff as it is at the end of the day irrelevant, but based off our stats it had us finishing mid table.

The best bit about NL games were the oppo striker could be clean through on goal after a Keystone Cops calamity from your defence and still spoon the fucker 6 foot wide, I guess you don’t get that insurance policy up here so much.