First round of group games in the shiny new version of the Associate Members Cup/Autoglass Trophy/Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
As I say, new format, with a group stage of 16 groups of 4 teams before the knockouts begin. No Extra Time, teams level at 90 minutes get a point each for a draw, but also play penalties for a "bonus point".
As you've probably heard, as well as the usual League 1 and 2 teams, there's 16 Premier League and Championship academy "B" teams participating, one in each group. They have to field at least 6 u21s in the starting eleven.
The regular teams also have rules about fielding players, to make it more appealing they have to start at least 5 "first team" players, whatever the fuck that means.
Jayden Edwards
I have no idea if the rules then mean that if a B team gets to the final, they can bring in actual first team PL players alongside the kids, or whether it's only players registered with the Academy.
Kevin Nguyen
The only reason I care is because it's £10K for a win in this silly trophy and Morecambe need cash.
Grayson Sanchez
Mate im just letting you know now, precisely 12 people in England care about this tournament. Therefore no one will likely be in this thread, so go have a wank or something
Jace Thomas
Think 3 overaged outfielders and a goalkeeper are allowed, like in the development leagues.
Ryder Clark
5 players from the previous game.
Evan Russell
>We've the champions of England at home >No one is fucking bothered
This tournament sucks
Oliver Sanchez
Well 3/12 ain't bad.
Lot of fans boycotting an already poorly attended tournament, the u23/B teams are bad enough, the group stage is ridiculous, especially since there's a likelihood of games in the last round where neither team can get into the knockouts on a win.
Few of the owners who voted for it feel mugged off as most of the big PL clubs don't want to get involved, so they've got to sell tickets for a rainy midweek game with Blackburn Rovers reserves.
Juan Foster
>tfw listening to live commentary from the game while sitting at work
The guys who do commentary are kinda comfy but I care too much.
Parker Gonzalez
I guess yeah, apparently they're not allowed to call them u23 teams but it looks like the usual reserve rules plus six have to be even younger.
Carson Wilson
How to fix this tournament
1. Revert to previous format 2. Have clubs bundle the tickets with league matches 3. Winners play winners of League Cup at wembley pre-season a la community shield so little teams might have a big day at Wembley against Arsenal, Chelsea, United etc.
Levi Reyes
Or alternatively, throw it in the fucking bin next to the Full Members Cup.
Dominic Murphy
It could be saved if there was a big pot of gold at the end of the rainbow like promotion but then you're fucking around with the league structure for the sake of a handful of shitty tuesday night games.
I think my proposal is as close as you'll get to fixing this shithouse.
Ethan Flores
Nah I prefer having more games.
Swap U23 teams for some conference sides in preparation for when the FA fuck up everything with the 5 league format.
Adrian Brooks
I'm a selfish fan of a Champs club who are in it. Youngsters need more games so I'm happy.
Austin Harris
this looks absolutely fucking shite
well done FL on managing to make a tournament nobody cares about until the final somehow even worse than it was
Dylan Long
Then have a fucking rule saying the team has to be 100% English
Chase Ortiz
I'm not going either mate. I'll be surprised if there's more than 1 or 2 thou
Just pissed off that 5 of our players from Saturday have to play. Hopefully Moore to get some fitness and Hussey because he's wank and wants replacing.
Angel Collins
Mullin yay I guess
Justin Gonzalez
> Literally played Sheffield United just 5 years ago > They now have to play our youth team in a competitive match
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Brandon Johnson
Yeah, the Football League (or trendy new "EFL") are like a poor cousin of the FA, and should stick to running the 3 leagues properly rather than fucking about with cups.
The 5 league format is going to ruin the top end of non-league, which is perfectly fine as is. If it were my team, I'd much prefer being around the top end of the Conference than endless midtable results in "League 3"
Luis Lewis
>time is 19:44 wtf we're playing way too many regulars
I'm glad Reed, Chapman and Fleck are getting game time but why not start some kids like Brooks and Whiteman?
Joseph Adams
I completely missed the new sponsor for this as well: Checkatrade.
Should have gone the whole hog and called it the Talksport Listeners Cup.
John Gutierrez
Is DCL injured?
Chase Nguyen
How many of those are in your normal XI?
The best player we're playing is Gray. The rest are players we're about to sell or loan out
Ryan Green
I'd only ever agree to 5 leagues if the bottom ones were regionalised. Carlisle or Morecambe Vs Plymouth should just not be allowed to happen. It is not cost effective.
Sebastian Green
Odd point as the National League isn't regionalised, little North Ferriby United went all the way to Dover the other week and they aren't even professional.
Easton Martin
>aldershot v barrow is a competitive fixture in the national league >so is gateshead v dover
Is it any fucking surprise why so many clubs in non-league go bust when shite like that's happening?
Bring back Division 3N & Division 3S
Lucas Phillips
> All those 1st team players
Holy shit and just look at who we're playing. Someone's gonna die
Elijah Ortiz
Link to your lineup?
Our team isn't really settled yet but I've seen all but Reed and Chapman start.
Players who didn't start Saturday in brackets
Moore Freeman-(O'Connell)-Wilson-Hussey Coutts-(Fleck)-(Reed)-(Chapman) Sharp-Done
I fear for the day truro manage to get promoted to a national league.
Austin Richardson
Oh god I know half of these. We won't score past that lot.
Pic related: people with nothing else to do this evening
Aiden Perez
holy fucking shit
Angel Lopez
That's a big ground
Christian Ross
On the plus side we've nearly sold out Gills away this Sunday, even though it's on TV.
[spoiler]I'm going[/spoiler]
Nolan Turner
Jesus christ that's shocking. Football League must be proud.
I remember us playing in the same compeition when we were in league one and lost the northern quarter final to Rotherham. Good times. Still got about 10k for the home games though.
Sold out Wimbledon away as well, sometime before Saturday when I learnt I'd be in London that weekend.
Juan Ramirez
I live in London desu Missed out on Wimbledon tickets but I was at the Den the other week and at the lane this weekend as I was home for bank holiday.
Andrew Foster
>Here boss can I have two days off for Darlington vs Guernsey FC
Gloucester City being in the National League North is bizarre too, something to do with Worcester being sick of moving North/South depending on numbers
Leo Robinson
They've close the two stands you can see and there's about 2000 in the stand the photo is taken from.
If that's right this will be our lowest attendance for a competitive game since the 19th century.
Jayden Hall
Jesus look at the XI
Henderson, Jack Hobbs, Patrick Kisnorbo, Michael Morrison, Chris Powell, Nicky Adams (Bruno Berner 61), Matt Oakley, Andy King, Lloyd Dyer (Ashley Chambers 45), Barry Hayles (Matty Fryatt 45), Steve Howard.
King
Benjamin Foster
Just think how bad Blackpool at home is gonna be. 500 fans at best.
Camden Brooks
> Hamer off injured already
Are we actually giving this mug a pay slip?
Forest signed him for about an hour last season, shows how much he's worth
Gabriel Allen
Thank christ people have common sense and boycotted this tournament. I know atThere is hardly anyone at Bristol Rovers v Reading u23 (not much different from any game really) twitter.com/JPMcnamara7/status/770693709063196676
Evan Jenkins
He was terrible on loan at Bristol City
Jacob Thompson
Can't wait to see what Wembley will look like in the final
Nathaniel King
>Reading U23s vs Blackburn Rovers U23
Will be hilarious
Jordan Ward
Hopefully it'll be two actual teams in the final, you'd think it would be anyway.
It'll be interesting how these youth teams get on, in the earlier stages when the League sides don't give a fuck they're actually probably stronger, but later on as they bring in more first team players, the youth will get lumps kicked out of them.
Jose King
Fucking hell I was optimistic
Noah King
Fuck this cup
Gone from being the only route to Wembley and a decent day out for some clubs to being a weird hybrid of reserve team competition and attempt to shoehorn B teams into English Football
All involved should be thoroughly ashamed
Josiah Anderson
...
Cooper Thompson
wembeeeeerley
Owen Jones
fucking lol
Probably cost them more to put the game on than they made through tickets
Elijah Flores
>extreme oyston protesting.jpg
Dominic Howard
Yeah great day out for Bristol City fans, allowed us to win a double in 14/15
Benjamin Miller
>that steward/fan ratio
Well done to the EFL. Boycotts are always difficult to get right compared to other forms of protest, but they've made it easier than ever.
Jason Nelson
As a Carlisle fan Plymouth isn't usually too bad, and it's always one of those fixtures people like to check off
That it was on a Tuesday last year was a complete shan, mind
Cooper Sanders
Get a steward for every fan
Jordan Jackson
>the pish Wouldn't be shocked to see Junior Canaries at Wembley.
Henry Nguyen
> Youth Teams
We're playing:
Hamer (28) Hernandez (27) Wasilewski (36) Benalouane (29) James (25)
Thanks for the trophy btw, can't wait to fit it as a urinal in our East Stand
Christopher Walker
But Hamer is dog shit and will leak goals
Michael Clark
What's the actual point of this trophy anyway? Not even talking about the current format, but it's entire existence.
Anthony Turner
to give smaller clubs a day out at wembley
Camden Cox
which henderson la
hobbs and fryatt play together at forest with stephen henderson now
Juan Adams
lower league teams get a genuine chance to win something.
Bentley Morgan
Thanks satan, but Wasilewski will cripple the player before he can get a shot off
Angel Johnson
Good job he's been subbed off already then
Evan Walker
All the big PL teams refused this competition, I wonder why? Even if they just sent their youth team it would be better experience than playing against other PL youth teams
Samuel Ortiz
>tfw got Rochdale (ground I've never been to) and Hartlepool (very close and a good night out) away but wouldn't feel right going to either
At least the mention of a cup game at the SoL is enough to drive everyone away regardless of competition
Grayson Moore
Chance that lower league players will just kick the shite out of their kids
That's doing a disservice to most lower league players but I've seen it happen at matches when a young lad tries something fancy
Samuel Price
Don't want to be embarrassed by losing to league 1 and 2 sides. I'm actually being serious too, it would be detrimental to their youth development programs
Josiah Rogers
But they know the lower league teams will mostly ditch this competition now. Attendances are awful, there are too many games as it is and now it's going to be harder for them.
Evan Jenkins
As mentioned, a chance for smaller clubs to win something at Wembley against their peers.
As well as this FL Trophy, there's also the FA Trophy for teams in tiers 5-8, which is a cracking tournament for the best non-league clubs, and the FA Vase for teams below that who are the better ones in their counties. There used to be the Full Members Cup for teams in what are now the PL and Championship too.
Ethan Gomez
There's no way the FA will have this shit continue next season. Massive fuck up on their part.
They'll scrap it, bring in the new leagues then bring this cup back for League 1, 2 and 3 sides.
Dominic Peterson
>and the FA Vase for North East teams to kick shit out of whoever meets them at Wembley fix'd
They have a real stranglehold on that trophy.
Chase Ortiz
Arsenal should have entered this just so they might have a shot a winning something bigger than the Emirates Cup
Jaxon Ward
Its a shame really that a team like Leicester who just won the first division wouldn't play just kids and give them a positive experience instead of stroking the ego of shite senior players
Justin Clark
Our youth are playing in the Premier League 2 and League Cup. Ain't got time for no Checkashite Trophy.
Nathaniel Baker
The FA Cup is more important than the Emirates Cup though.
Hudson Collins
No, I mean like kids, kids e.g. promising u19s instead of players who should have some pride and move on for first team football
Nathaniel Wilson
Tru dat, Morpeth were class.
Putting the FA Trophy and Vase Finals on the same day for one ticket was a great idea too, wish I'd gone even without a team.
Tier 9 is really where it starts to get ridiculous. There's some really competitive leagues, then there's like the Essex Senior League with basically nothing feeding into it. Can't believe Hereford FC had to start here.
James Jones
>tfw because of this we can sing we've never lost Wembley old or new
I imagine a lot of clubs can sing that but singing it at Wycombe fans last year was sweet.
Ryder Bennett
I quite like being able to lose 4-1 and give absolutely no shits
Joshua Davis
>1,540 in attendance at Macron Stadium for tonight's @CheckatradeTrpy match. Thank your for your support. (63) 0-1 #BOLvEVE
5% full, not been a good debut for the Checkatrade EFL Trophy
Aaron Martin
...
Joseph Long
Demari Gray and Ben Chilwell are in our 1st team squad. Choudhary is on loan to Burton.
A few others play Brazil this weekend for England u18 and others for their countries.
Ian Williams
ahahahahaha
this is truly what the football league had in mind
oh fucking dear
Kayden Cox
Coventry's ground always looks like that. They're too busy inbreeding
Jaxon Martinez
Could be worse. We usually get about 6K for shitfests like this though.
Connor Bell
There's a chance some of the kids we loan out shortly, having to come back to play for our Dev squad midweek. What a kerfuffle.
Joshua Gray
Coventry is absolute trash No idea why they've got such a big stadium
Caleb Green
fuck off furfag
Nolan Jones
Because they thought they were a big club.
I remember the chants they did when they sent us down to League One. Fucking mongloid tossers. 30 years they spent in the top flight consecutively, fucking kys cov scum
Michael Ross
Get your mind out of the gutter pie boy. Shouldn't you be at work anyway?
Benjamin Rodriguez
> West Brom losing to lower league opposition again
These cunts need to get relegated
Carson Young
I genuinely don't know who even cares about this
Carlisle were leading 3-1 and blew it all in two minutes and I still don't care