Checkatrade Trophy

[Tangled up in Blue]

"Checkatrade change still costing clubs at the turnstile


The latest bulletin from the Checkatrade Trophy includes the lowest crowds in the history of Port Vale (601 v Burton), Oxford United (929 v Northampton) and Walsall (702 v Middlesbrough) and the worst attendance for a game at Cambridge United (469 v Southampton) since at least 1970, the same year they replaced Bradford Park Avenue in the old Fourth Division.
Not for the first time, the thought occurs that maybe it is time for the Football League, rather than insisting the changes to this competition have “proved successful”, to drop the pretence and accept, in fact, they have made an absolute pig’s ear of it."

No apologies for posting this particular Guardian link.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/oct/13/eden-hazard-real-madrid-chelsea

Ps Can a mod correct the typo in the thread title please?

 

[The Big Dady]

Ps Can a mod correct the typo in the thread title please?

Done

 

[Swiss Tony]

What about a straight knockout cup(FA cup style) which includes L1 and2 teams the vanarama national league plus invited teams of similar standard
from Scotland wales and NI.
Semi finals and final played at various stadiums around England.just a thought to make more interest for us lower league fans;

 

[mattitouk]

Although i'm not a great fan of it either, i can honestly see the benefits to smaller league clubs like us... and for this reason i fully support it, in it's current format.
I also like the idea of keeping it regional in the early stages, for the benefit of the travelling fans in a mid week.

£20,000 just to enter into it.
£10,000 for each group stage win & £5,000 for a draw (within 90 minutes)

So potentially £50,000 in cash for just getting out of the group stages.

Another £20,000 for winning round two, another £40,000 for winning round three, £50,000 for winning winning the quarter final.


Compare that with the League cup (considered by many as 2nd only to the FA Cup)... there is no money prize money at all, until the losing semi - finalists... and only in that case they receive just £25,000

To put it into context, we would have to reach the league cup final at Wembley and lose (say against Man City, Spurs, Chelsea, Liverpool etc) in order to receive the same amount of prize money (£50,000) that we could earn in just winning all our games in the group stage of the CheckaTrade Trophy.

 

[rigsby]

It doesn’t matter which one or what format, attendances are down for all cup competitions. So a bigger cup with more travelling would be a non starter. Most managers would look to lose first round.

It is much better in its regional group format as mangers really can give youth a game.

Every fan always wants to see youngster given a chance but sadly rather than get your £4 out and come and support them. Some prefer to slag the likes of CP for not picking a player they have never seen play.

 

[RomfordB92]

Unfortunately I don't think attendances will improve whilst the Prem reserves are in. It just defeats the object for me, I know the competition was hardly thriving before, but this is not the rip-up and revamp it needs.

On a side-note, I've just seen Southend have released the ticket prices at £8 for adults. £1 for U16s is good, but are people really going to pay near-on a tenner to come and watch a reserve game? It's a mess, clubs will obviously have to charge enough to cover the costs of running the game, but with a game of such low appeal, realistically, for people to come you can't be charging that amount. Real catch 22 and it needs to be addressed.

 

[tottenham541]

£6 for season card holders and £8 for normal fan, expect a biggish 800 odd fans for this one.

 

[kaymac]

I'd suggest letters of complaint to Mr Shaun Harvey at the EFL who still thinks the revamp has vastly improved the competition. He may even read them after removing his sizeable head from the sand....