Football League Trophy - Why the negativity?

[Red Bill]

Some years ago, Manchester United, the then FA Cup holders, decided not to defend the title and opt out of the FA Cup so they could take part in the World Club Championship, a decision that was roundly and rightly in my opinion slated by fans commentators and pundits alike. As someone who certainly when I was young, regarded the FA cup as the highlight of the football year and more important even than the championship, I was disgusted by their dismissive attitude to the world's most famous knockout completion. Sadly since then this attitude has become the norm amongst the Premier Leagues top teams, and that wonderful completion has been relegated to little more than a sideshow on a normal Saturday whilst league matches are still being played with teams fielded right up until the later rounds of the competition full of reserves and youngsters.

Sadly to me I now notice this same attitude from some fans towards the FL Trophy and I don't understand why. For teams like us and the many others who have spent their entire existence in the lower leagues and who probably always will, The FL trophy represents the only realistic opportunity to win a trophy at Wembley in a national, professional competition. Lets face it the only national trophy we've ever won in our 116 year history, is the fourth division championship in 1990 (I'm not counting the conference playoff trophy as thats essentially a runners up cup or the league play offs for 4th place), our trophy cabinet's not exactly bursting with silverware, yet still I hear some of our fans describing the FL Trophy as tin pot, Mickey Mouse or a waste of time and I just don't get it. Its an established competition between professional league first teams and I think we should try our hardest in all competitions we play in including this.

The format introduced last year and unfortunately in my view, carrying on next, is IMO at best disrespectful and at worst an insult to lower league teams and their fans. Are we such whores to the great god money that the pride of winning a completion should be relegated to second place behind earning a few quid? With the money men in charge of football and many clubs not even bothering to consult their fans, I expect the format is here to stay so we'll just have to accept it. Well if that's the way it is, that's the way it is so I believe we should still do our best to win by putting out our best team as I have no interest at all in watching an under 21 tournament.

I'd be really interested to hear other people's thoughts on why the do or don't support the completion and why fans of a team as lowly and historically limited in cup success as us should dismiss the completion as tin pot.

 

[Jason H]

Some years ago, Manchester United, the then FA Cup holders, decided not to defend the title and opt out of the FA Cup so they could take part in the World Club Championship, a decision that was roundly and rightly in my opinion slated by fans commentators and pundits alike.

Wasn't really their decision to make, I seem to recall - they didn't "decide" not to enter the FA Cup, rather the FA Cup 3rd round that season was moved to before Christmas, a direct clash with the World Club Championship.

 

[IndoMike]

If I remember correctly MU were obligated to participate in the World Club Championship and therefore were screwed up for the other Cup. Could be wrong, though.

 

[IndoMike]

And i do believe Hants started a thread on the same subject which can be found on this page of threads.

 

[Red Bill]

Wasn't really their decision to make, I seem to recall - they didn't "decide" not to enter the FA Cup, rather the FA Cup 3rd round that season was moved to before Christmas, a direct clash with the World Club Championship.

They didn't have to take part in the WWC Jason, they wanted to, so a decision must have been made to opt out or not. The point is they were slated for it and I believe rightly so. However the Man U part of the post was to add context to my question about how fans view the FL Trophy, so in itself its unimportant outside of the reaction to their decision and how attitudes to competitions have changed in the years since.

 

[Red Bill]

And i do believe Hants started a thread on the same subject which can be found on this page of threads.

Ah in that case my apologies, in that case mods could perhaps move this to the other thread. Do you know the title of the thread as I'm interested in people's thoughts?

 

[LOG]

The problem is that it ranks below the league, FA Cup and League Cup, at just one spot above the Devon Bowl.

Whilst it would, of course, be "nice" to win, "nice" doesn't pay the bills and you won't get a sell out for a JPT match against Bury but you will for an FA Cup match against Liverpool.

I appreciate that this sounds all a bit mercenary but it's also the reality.

 

[Jason H]

They didn't have to take part in the WWC Jason, they wanted to, so a decision must have been made to opt out or not. The point is they were slated for it and I believe rightly so. However the Man U part of the post was to add context to my question about how fans view the FL Trophy, so in itself its unimportant outside of the reaction to their decision and how attitudes to competitions have changed in the years since.

They didn't have a choice - they asked the FA (who had been, IIRC, part of the three-line whip) if they could be awarded a bye to the fifth round - I think the WCC clashed with the 4th round too that year - but obviously the FA said no.

There has been a lot of revisionism around this more recently to suggest United snubbed the FA Cup - they didn't, at least not deliberately.

Anyway I agree with you re: the FLT, I like it as a competition, but clearly the ulterior motive around Prem B teams has been too difficult a cross to bare for many. I can understand that but conversely I enjoyed the Oxford match last season even in defeat, it was great to see some of our youngsters in action e.g. Smallcombe.

 

[IndoMike]

Ah in that case my apologies, in that case mods could perhaps move this to the other thread. Do you know the title of the thread as I'm interested in people's thoughts?

It's called "How should we treat the Football LeagueTrophy" by Hants.

 

[Red Bill]

The problem is that it ranks below the league, FA Cup and League Cup, at just one spot above the Devon Bowl.

Whilst it would, of course, be "nice" to win, "nice" doesn't pay the bills and you won't get a sell out for a JPT match against Bury but you will for an FA Cup match against Liverpool.

I appreciate that this sounds all a bit mercenary but it's also the reality.

The difference being that we have almost no likelihood of ever winning the League cup or FA cup and for me the opportunity to see us triumph against our peers makes it just as interesting. From a pure spectators perspective, the money issue doesn't come into it and I don't see why playing Sheffield United (i know that possibility is gone now) in the FL trophy is any less exciting than playing Barnet in the league.