[Archived] Efl Trophy

[Jock]

Q. What's the bloody point?

A. Some slimy sods will be making money .

[AllRoverAsia]

I suppose it's success will be measured by the TV operators and how much they and the PL can make out of it..

[tomphil]

They might as well just make a tournament for the top 8 Prem under 21's teams with a special invite to another 4 from around the country. That way Sky can be all over it @#/? about the usual teams, some decent gates will turn up and the usual suspects will crush everyone else and give them another final to play at Wenbley and fleece big club plastics with rip off ticket prices.

Bring back the Full Members Cup for U21's instead I say !

[JHRover]

Fixtures:

Rovers are away at Fleetwood in the week commencing 29th August.

Away at Carlisle week commencing 3rd October

Home against Oldham week commencing 7th November.

Interesting that West Ham have been admitted to the trophy despite claiming they can't play any games at the Olympic Stadium due to the terms of their tenancy, and by remarkable coincidence all 3 of their group games will be away from home.

Chelsea have also received special treatment as their fixtures will be taking place on different dates to everyone else.

[matt83]

I've just noticed this. Don't know how I've missed it all summer but what a joke. Hardly a competition I'd ever want to see rovers in (due to fact used to mean in bottom 2 divisions) but it seemed a nice little tournament for teams who could never dream of a Wembley day out.

[Stuart]

Seems a bit pointless this. If we were to win it it would become another Milk Cup that nobody recognises as a proper trophy anyway.

That said, local "competitive" games would be good - although will this create yet more fixture problems?

[perthblue02]

An article on the farce

http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/feature/241028/there-used-to-be-a-cup-competition-over-there-efl-trophy-draw-sparks-derision.html

[Tom]

I think the principle of it is all wrong but in a hypocritical fashion I am quite interested in our involvement in it.

Wonder if any of it is televised

[JHRover]

Surprise surprise some club Chairmen are now regretting voting in favour of the changes now they know the big boys won't be participating.

All that hot air about wanting to develop home grown players was nonsense. Those Chairmen saw the pound signs and greedily wanted games against the likes of Liverpool, United and Arsenal.

Its staggering that they approved these changes and went public about the invited teams without getting the thumbs up from their preferred clubs first. Now its caused a major embarrassment as so many have turned invitations down and they've had to invite unwanted clubs like Rovers and Reading into the equation.

I bet they were really looking forward to illustrious names, 'big clubs' and being able to showcase their predominantly foreign young talent. What a terrible shame for their plans that Rovers have gatecrashed the party with a British U21 team that will probably benefit greatly from the experience of playing against League sides in competitive fixtures.

Money rules the day. That's why Newcastle got invited in the first batch despite finishing below Rovers last season - glamorous name, possible fixtures at St James' Park and a couple of thousand travelling fans = quids in time. Nothing to do with developing their young talent.

[Stuart]

I've just noticed this. Don't know how I've missed it all summer but what a joke. Hardly a competition I'd ever want to see rovers in (due to fact used to mean in bottom 2 divisions) but it seemed a nice little tournament for teams who could never dream of a Wembley day out.

Chelsea fans trapping up to watch their B team?

Does anyone know if there are restriction on who PL clubs can play in one of these 'B team' matches? Is anybody who has played in the PL automatically ruled out for instance?

[perthblue02]

Chelsea fans trapping up to watch their B team?

Does anyone know if there are restriction on who PL clubs can play in one of these 'B team' matches? Is anybody who has played in the PL automatically ruled out for instance?

Theres now a wiki page up for it , only thing it says on PL players is

• For invited clubs – 6 of the starting 11 to be U21 (as at 30 June 2016).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016%E2%80%9317_EFL_Trophy

and from the Football League website http://www.efl.com/news/article/2016/efl-trophy-format-confirmed-for-201617-3170687.aspx

Does not seem to be any restriction on the number of foreign players either, so the BS about developing home grown talent is just that, combined with only 6 of the starting 11 need to be under 21

So basically the Football League (the oldest League in the world ) has turned to the oldest profession in the world and is whoring itself out to the Lion King League (who topped up the prize pool).

Surely with the advent of Premier League 2 the PL clubs young players will be getting enough game time without this competition, so maybe the Johnstone Paints Trophy is a test for allowing reserve sides into the football league

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3708793/Premier-League-launch-revamped-youth-divisions-boost-homegrown-numbers.html

[the original david brent]

I'm actually quite intrigued by Rovers u23s taking part in this. I've never been to a Johnstones Paint trophy game, nor have I ever followed Rovers away at Fleetwood (although I have been on their ground). I will probably go to Highbury to watch this and can imagine us taking a half decent following

[A cup of beans]

I'm actually quite intrigued by Rovers u23s taking part in this. I've never been to a Johnstones Paint trophy game, nor have I ever followed Rovers away at Fleetwood (although I have been on their ground). I will probably go to Highbury to watch this and can imagine us taking a half decent following

I'm strangely intrigued by this.

Will probably be my 1st game of the season.

[Husky]

I'm astounded there's been no follow up on this thread after the game against Fleetwood.

Another defeat.

392 crowd and £20 to get in? WTF?!?

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/14713101.FULL_TIME_REPORT__Fleetwood_Town_1_Blackburn_Rovers_Under_23s_0/

[Waggy76]

No one is interested in the competition ....

[AndyNeil]

I'm actually quite intrigued by Rovers u23s taking part in this. I've never been to a Johnstones Paint trophy game, nor have I ever followed Rovers away at Fleetwood (although I have been on their ground). I will probably go to Highbury to watch this and can imagine us taking a half decent following

I've read that there were 84 Rovers fans there...did anybody on here go?

[Rover_Shaun]

It seems that chucking U23's into a senior competition (like top clubs with their millions need help) has really caught the public's imagination

Fleetwood v Rovers U23

Attendance: 392.

[Parsonblue]

The Under-23's gave a good account of themselves at Fleetwood last night against more experienced opposition. Sadly, we didn't make the most of the chances we created in the second half and ultimately that cost the lads. Nonetheless, it's good experience for the young lads and they'll learn more from these sorts of games than the normal League fixtures. Fleetwood might have got more on the ground if the pricing had been reasonable. £20 and £10 concessions for this type of game is a nonsense.

[92er]

Apparently the Fleetwood chairman is unhappy with the changes to the competition and that is why there were no adult reductions - according to LT.

[arbitro]

It seems that chucking U23's into a senior competition (like top clubs with their millions need help) has really caught the public's imagination

Fleetwood v Rovers U23

Attendance: 392.

I think the ridiculous nature of this competition shows how out of touch the suits who run football are.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37226544

[JBiz]

I think the ridiculous nature of this competition shows how out of touch the suits who run football are.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37226544

I think it'll probably last a season before it's changed. Sad

[AggyBlue]

I was going to go until I found out the cost. No way would I pay 20 quid to watch the under 23's unless it was a cup final.

[JHRover]

The sad thing is that for the young players at Rovers and other clubs like your Norwichs and Readings, the opportunity to play in this competition is likely to be a genuinely enjoyable, valuable and beneficial experience in their career development. The opportunity to go toe to toe with senior players at League One and Two clubs in competitive fixtures will give our young players a good taste of what they are going to need to forge a career and compete in the English league system rather than the usual experience of going up against fellow youngsters and kids in the 'Premier League 2'.

Unfortunately the way it has been handled means that the paying supporters of the League One and Two clubs have been taken advantage of and made a mockery of. What was previously an opportunity of a lower league club going to Wembley and challenging for silverware has now been degraded to little more than an opportunity for the bigger boys to develop their younger players because the Premier League won't do anything to solve the problem, so it becomes the Football League's responsibility to do something about it.

The clubs have been persuaded to go along with the scheme by exploiting their fragile financial states and throwing money at the situation. The prize pot for winning this cup has been massively increased in an effort to win clubs votes. In addition, the original plan was to exclude clubs like Rovers and instead have the likes of Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool in the competition. No doubt had those clubs entered the story would be very different. Each of those would likely take with them several thousand travelling supporters, not to mention the opportunity for smaller clubs to go to Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge to play a match. It is that carrot that has been offered to the smaller clubs to get them to agree, so for those bigger clubs to turn down the opportunity will likely have scuppered the viability of this project in the longer term.

[Rover_Shaun]

It's a bloody stupid idea.

[the original david brent]

I've read that there were 84 Rovers fans there...did anybody on here go?

I went. Took my 5 year old daughter to her first away game. She really enjoyed it.

I think there were more than 84 rovers fans there - possibly a 100! There were 5 of us who were in the home side as they had a licensed kiosk open whereas the away side didn't. Obviously we will be recorded as 'home fans.' I also recognised a couple of faces in the home side who presumably did the same thing.

I thought we played really well. Dissapointing result. Just lacking in front of goal. I thought we played better football than Fleetwood. Indeed a couple of moves Rovers strung together were better than anything the first team have produced for a while.

Fleetwood had at least 5 players starting who who won at Southend at the weekend as the rules dictate so it wasn't their reserve team.

Mahoney is a real talent. Best player on the pitch. A naturally 2 footed player. Great first touch. Very skilful. Can put a cross in. Just needs to be stronger. Let's hope he can progress into a first team regular. I'm not sure if he would be more effective playing centrally off a target man.

Wharton played well. Won everything aerially and can play on the ground too.

There are a number of other decent players. Will they progress into first team? Not sure.

I just found it a refreshing change to watch young lads, quite a few who are local, actually play like they care.