As an avid Football Manager player, I too hate the fact prem teams have their u21s in there. That idea about throwing some National League teams in there is a brilliant idea, I would love that! Similar to the Scottish Challenge cup inviting N Irish and Welsh teams.
@georgemacpherson1992 only started to because it stops the chairmen for moaning about the no replays while adding 5 more games to an already stupidly packed game calander
I remember when National League clubs did play in it. Scarborough knocked Port Vale out of both it and the FA Cup in the same season. I was at both games.
The Scottish Challenge Cup also has Under-21 teams for Premiership clubs too, so it’s very similar to this trophy. Welsh & Irish clubs are no longer taking part
@@ollieduracell provides youth players a chance with the first team. Rashaad Drysdale and Oli Godziemski both got their first team debuts but I do see your point
@@Alwaysred100 They all seemed to be lacking a bit, other than the kids they were quite normal, which one do you say is from Stockport? I'm a County fan and none of them looked familiar.
The tournement did have National League teams in for a time in the mid-2000's. One of my lowest times ever as a Forest fan was being knocked out in the first round away at Woking. Absolutely honking! I really don't believe there is anything they could do to generate any interest in it, until the semi finals when the 4 teams involved realise they're just a win away from Wembley.
The two changes I would make is: Make it the League Trophy, and replace the U21s with the 24 National League sides. The Premier League, EFL and FA to create a fully-funded and advertised "National Academy League", with seperate U18, U21 & U23 competitions, open to all teams in the top five Divisions, and featuring promotion & relegation.
I'm originally from The Netherlands but living in Scotland. B-teams absolutely failed in The Netherlands, they made the Dutch second tier far less attractive. These clubs hardly attract any fans, their effect on player development is very much debatable, they make it harder for smaller clubs to sign players as big clubs use these teams to hoard players, including plenty who have no chance of reaching the first team. In the past these players would be loaned out or transferred. I also feel strongly that the B-teams devalue the Lowland League. In my opinion, there are no advantages to B-teams in the senior setup, only disadvantages. I'd want them removed from the Dutch pyramid, the Lowland League / SPFL Trust Trophy, the EFL Trophy in England and so on.
We already have issues with clubs in the Premier League hoarding players, if you look at the size of their squad, development squad (U-23s, U-21's) and the number of players they have out on loan. The only positive is that most of them do send out quite a few players on loan, but the downside is that if you are a club lower down the pyramid (mine play at level five, in the National League) you can get some decent players in on loan but there is always a risk of relying on them and suffering a recall exactly when you don't need it to happen. I don't know anyone who supports a team at the level mine plays at, or much higher, who is in favour of B-teams.
Im from united states and follow MLS and USL. Theres this cup competition like the FA Cup called the U.S. Open Cup. Both MLS and USL compete in it. Last year MLS decided to quietly withdraw from a NATIONAL CUP by only letting basically the U21s to compete. And it pissed off everyone. It would be like if Premier League clubs only sending their U21s in the FACup
The 2019 EFL Trophy final between Portsmouth and Sunderland was brilliant. 85,201 passionate fans 40,000 for each club . 2-2 after extra time Pompey winning 5-4 on penalties.
That was the exception that proves the rule. Having two big one-city-clubs in the third league at the same time with large fan bases was unusual and probably won’t happen again for a long time.
I used to go to the odd game in this competition but I haven't since the U21 teams were introduced. I'm glad English football fans largely boycott it- the thin end of the wedge. The depth of the English pyramid is special and should be protected at all costs. As an aside, your man who suggested bringing National League teams in- they did do that around 20 years ago. The most famous result was Woking beating Nottingham Forest.
The EFL trophy shouldn’t include any premier league teams. Premier league teams aren’t even part of the Football league. They can’t give the football league one competition for themselves ?
As a Bradford city fan think we face av under 21s next. Last season we got to the semi final. Would like to add nl teams though not under 21s from premier league.
I don’t like it at all. It’s been boycotted by most fans since the change. You can see how the attendance is at this game. Awful. They should turn it into a L1/L2 knockout competition and allow NL and below teams to participate.
I'm a Bradford City fan and I like this competition. We have a big squad but don't have a reserve team. This competition gives us supporters a chance to see players who don't get into the matchday squad playing in a competitive game. Although the money for winning games and getting through to the next rounds isn't enormous at least it is income that you wouldn't otherwise get. We were one game away from Wembley last season and we witnessed some good and entertaining football along the way. Re the U21s,, we get the chance to see some promising premier and international stars of the future as they practice a more disciplined possession-based style of football.
True, as an Arsenal fan, I've been going since they started entering and in that first season, I remember seeing a young Saka, Smith Rowe and Nketiah playing in it against Coventry and Northampton.
Another problem is most fans can't be arsed with this until you get to the semi finals and have a chance of the final to Wembley. Happened with Bolton two year ago when we won it. Season ticket holders who didn't bother with the group stage or last 16 even quarters all crawled out the woodwork when we got Accrington in the semis and went gloryhunting down to Wembley for the final.
@bluevan12 Extra income? I'd be surprised if the cost for putting the games on, particularly the group stages, outweighs the gate money, what with staff wages, electricity etc.
It is typical that Football League club fans are such hypocrites about this competition. Love the Wembley finals but hate actually watching the games that gets them to that stage.
There's quite a long history of obscure cup competitions in English and Scottish football. Who remembers the Simod Cup? The Watney Cup? The Texaco Cup? When a team like Aston Villa fields what is essentially a youth team one has the chance of seeing one or two players who eventually make it to the big time as regular starters for their club. It's worth remembering that the vast majority of professional footballers never win trophies. In his early days at Nottingham Forest Brian Clough's side won the Anglo-Scottish Cup (another long-forgotten obscure competition) and Clough noticed how the players reacted to actually winning silverware.
@@TheDriller-Killer There was also the ScreenSport Super Cup - which had the teams that would have qualified for the European cups for the 1985/6 season. Should have been sponsored by Disney, and officially branded The Mickey Mouse Cup 😁😁😁😁
@@CheekyBandit I didn't actually know about that one, tanx for the info. I seem to remember Chelsea doing well one year in the Simod Cup, though I've got a feeling it only ran for 5 years max Also seem to remember that the Simod Cup was originally named The Full Member Cup and the Freight Rover Trophy etc... the All Members Cup? or maybe the other way round. I assumed it was discontinued as there already was the Football League, F. A. Cup, League Cup and the European trophies (European, Cup-Winners and UEFA Cup) to go for.
In Ireland we have the Leinster and Munster Senior Cups. League of Ireland teams enter these competitions alongside amateur sides from said provinces (clubs in Connacht and Ulster don't have an equivalent). Most LOI clubs enter their U21s or extremely heavily rotated sides. The MSC is straight knockout. The LSC has a Last 16 Group Stage which is played during the LOI preseason. There are always, on paper, huge upsets. Last year Wilton United knocked out Cork City in the MSC for example. Amateur sides Usher Celtic and St Mochta's have reached the LSC final the last two years (Usher losing to Bohemians, Mochta's to St Pats). Rockmount beat Cork City in the 2020 final. The early rounds are normally played during the LOI preseason (January - mid February). Fixtures in the later rounds are shoe horned in around league, other cup and European games. Crowds are generally low, although there have been exceptions. Shelbourne played at home to Bohemians in the 2023 LSC semi final and the ground was nearly sold out. An amazing match that finished 4-3 to Bohemians. Last year was devalued when Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne and Bohemians announced they were entering their U21s rather than their first teams. St Pats, Drogheda United and Dundalk all entered their first teams, although heavily rotated.
Great video Sam mate, defo a competition when you get to the knock out stages teams should go for as it’s a trip to Wembley. If your ever down in England for a video again let me no
A handful of years ago i went to the Final of this tournament with my brother, Pompey vs Sunderland, 85k in Wembley, place was JUMPING. amazing match, great tourny.
Absolutely. It's a nothing competition until one has a chance at having a final at Wembley. lol As a Bluenose, to hear Birmingham's manager say they take the competition seriously is the right attitude.
Initially, I was against it and still am to a degree, but it’s been like this for a while now so can’t see it changing any time soon. I think the best thing it can do in terms of the EFL sides is provide competitive game time for fringe players and players returning from injury, a bit like reserve games used to do.
One of the greatest things about English pyramid is that we never went down the B team route there was always enough historic clubs to make it a competitive and vibrant league system. To think of a Man Utd B team in the Championship playing teams that were in the original and oldest Football league in the world from 1888 makes me shudder.
I used to go to all the Stevenage JPT games, however since the B Teams came in, in 2016 I’ve not been to a single one. It’s ruined the competition which was solely a lower league competition for L1 and L2 who had a decent chance of getting to Wembley. Now it’s a playground for U21 academies. The next step will be B teams in L1 and L2. #BTeamBoycott
It is a competition that I don't know much about, despite being a Forest Green Rovers supporter. I don't know why there can't be a competition for teams from League 2 down and the U21s have their own competitions. It would be great for supporters of non-league teams like mine to get some exposure.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth in the EFL trophy final attracted more fan than the Super Bowl. So there is potential there. But the earlier stages with the under 21 premier league teams does cheapen the tournament.
I’ve been watching another competition this year….Premier 2 international cup…I follow Borussia Moenchengladbach and have been to Middlesbrough,Sunderland, Blackburn and West Ham.Crowds have only been a few hundred like the EFL trophy games but as I visit football grounds . It’s been great to visit the grounds when there’s only a few hundred .I like these smaller competitions 👍
PLEASE PLEASE COME TO ONE OF OUR HOME LEAGUE GAMES SAM🍊You will really see the atmosphere if you can sit in the north and it will be booming maybe come up for the Bolton derby should be bouncing !
I don't mind the academy sides being in this competition. It gives the league teams two guaranteed home games as the academies do not play at home in the group stage. As you said, only 1 progressed. Some games get a bigger gate due to playing the PL sides. This trophy has always been very poorly supported until the last round before the final.
Honestly, I think it's a great competition. It gives league 1 and 2 teams a genuine chance of winning a trophy at Wembley that you almost certainly wont get in the FA or League cup when playing at this level. The under 21 teams being it it is ridiculous though, it devalues it and that aspect of it should be binned immediately. None of them have yet come close to winning it, but if one of them ever does then it will be forever tarnished. This Villa under 21 team has gone about as far as any of the academy teams have as it stands, we shall see if they go further. This is the point where teams start to take it a bit more seriously now as the potential of a Wembley day out is getting closer. I'm a Bolton fan and we won it a couple of seasons ago, it was a fantastic day out, and to see your team win a trophy at Wembley will always be special. Would I trade it in for us to be back in the Prem? Maybe, but as it stands, it was our first cup win in over 30 years and was the first time I got to see us win at Wembley at the 3rd time of asking.
Another excellent video Sam. It may have dragged on a bit in the cold weather, but certainly made for an interesting vid. Don't think I've heard of a penalty shoot out going on that long before.
The Competition is a waste of time, being a Swindon fan I was at Wycombe for our last 32 game; there was 611 in attendance. They did include Non League teams for one season, but now there are U21 or U23 teams. Better to crap the competition but then again League 1 and 2 teams get money from the premier league so that's why it continues
Interesting. In a similar context, American fans haven't been too happy with the Leagues Cup, a competition between teams of MLS and Liga MX, as both leagues' seasons stop for almost a month during the tournament, and it is perceived by many fans as a cash-grab. As for this year's US Open Cup, MLS made many teams either put their NextPro (reserve league) team in the tournament or skip out on it entirely (as was the case for my favorite team FC Cincinnati) because of this self-imposed schedule congestion. I did go to one of the LC matches this year, a 1-0 win for Cincinnati over Querétaro FC - I just went because tickets were cheaper than usual, and there were some patches of empty seats but nothing like this. It helps that Cincinnati has a decent Hispanic population, they came out in droves for both this and a Concacaf Cup match with Monterrey I went to earlier in the year.
@JonnyGrounds88 Yep, a few other teams supporter groups boycotted the Leagues Cup including Philadelphia Union, because they too chose not to participate
@nkmade2004 Interesting.. I'm surprised it's not happened over here yet with the EFL Cup and the top 6 or 7 who have to play in the European competitions dropping out of it.
The Freight Rover Trophy was the name of the very first back in the 84-85 season that the Final was at Wembley. First time I'd been to Wembley to see my team Wigan Athletic beat Brentford 3-1 on the 1st June 1985, nearly 40 years ago, where did the time go?, I was 16 back then, I'm 56 next month. I also went to Wembley in 1999 when Wigan beat Millwall 1-0. It was then called The Auto Windscreens Shield, LOL
@@FootyAdventures I support Ipswich Town and life in the Prem is tough. Many fans are saying "the journey is better than the destination", but with competitions like this one, the opposite is the case.
great vid..... fair play to the villa kids, Birmingham city fan here, no joke... i love this cup, great memories from winning it the last time we got relegated, im looking forward to us doing the double again this season..... im pretty sure birmingham are the only club to have a sell out in this cup so far this season. I dont mind the u21s being in it either, i enjoyed birmingham getting 8 goals against fulhams u21..... villa u21s are at home in the next round, i bet they get more fans than blackpool lol...... imagine Birmingham city vs Villa u21s at wembley ha......
For some clubs like Cheltenham, the club I support, the prize money is vital for keeping us afloat. Clubs like us value all cup competitions for the prize money
When Luton Town won it in 2009 it meant everything to us because of the situation we were in from 2007 until 2009 we were relegated 3 times Championship to Non League from May 2007 to August 2009 with minus 10 then minus 30 points and administration. One if the weasels that were compliant in the attempted murder of our club was at jand at Wembley to be booed by 42,500 Luton Town fans and then booed as he had to hand over the JPT trophy to our captain Kevin Nicholls. The crazy thing was we weren't even allowed to defend our crown and in my opinion the JPT would be better as a straight knock out cup competition but including the top non league sides. Wembley is a great carrot I have no problem with say Under 21s from the Premier League and Under 23s (including 2 over 23s that have not played more than 2 league games) being including in a larger competition. Children should be free to these tournaments. Some of the rounds of games involving Premier league and Championship clubs should be held directly the international breaks if possible.
The big problem with this competition is that while the Premier League teams academies are in it, if the EFL clubs field 'weakened' (i.e youth) teams, they get fined. For me it's either a lower league competition, or it's a competition for youth development. I agree with the suggestion that the National League teams should be invited to take part.
Im a Millwall fan, and my mate supports Blackpool. So both of us have history in this tournament. Both us think only true value is if you get to final at Wembley. So be tops for both finalists. Gaz Wall & Roy Tangerines
I think the change from a knockout as well to a league format means like you said fixture congestion happens so lower league teams put out a team which passes the rules of haven't so many from the first team but most make 8 or 9 changes for these matches as the pay off for clubs is so poor each round. Go back to a knockout, put in the NL teams and things will get better.
5:18 WTAF, he got binned out from going to Stockport County and non league Stockport Town for being an absolute knob head and vile all over social media
In my opinion they should let nantiol league teams in it instead of youth academy teams because ik there under 21 are young but it still a very good team and players
I don't think the issue is U21s being better. I think a lot of National League squads would be better. Plus U21s who are good enough either go out on loan to NL, L2, L1 or Champ clubs or have pick for first team. I think the issue is that they're *not* better for the most part and so it devalues the competition in the eyes of the public.
I like the idea of bigger teams having thier second string playing regularly but a reserve league is way forward not taking away the lower teams opportunity of cup glory. They have no chance in fa cup so it’s a shame. In Scotland the lowland system helps lower teams with higher gates and getting to view Celtic/Hearts youth players that might be released for signing. Win win. In England lower clubs couldn’t afford the wages of higher level teams 2nd/3rd string players and when poor attendance no financial benefits to lower teams get them gone
Entry to this competition was only granted to the under 21 teams in order to pamper to the premiership team's who wanted to be able to play there under 21 or reserve teams in the lower leagues as i think they do abroad
I didn’t even know this game happened last night until I saw this vlog. It’s a shocking competition, apart from the final. League cup early rounds aren’t much better tbf.
Clubs do get increasing prize money for progression in the League Trophy; it can be quite a lucrative adventure for lower league clubs. This is in contrast with the League Cup where there is no prize money in the earlier rounds, I don't think.
I don’t think the B or under-21’s should be playing above the top tier of non-league, at least in England and Scotland. We have so many clubs and a larger pyramid than most European countries so I can understand their’s getting higher. But I just think it’s a development side taking a place and money away from another club who might fancy their chances at winning it
My boy had his stag weekend in Blackpool in 2012 and we bumped into Ricardo Fuller in a nightclub ,and if I remember rightly he was injured and unable to play for the team but said he shouldn’t have been out 😂was a really nice guy ,always seeing Blackpool FC always reminds me of that night 😂
At one time there was the Football Combination / Combination Cup ? which was midweek contests for the reserve teams ( rather than U21s ), Cannot recall if they were more "local" competitions or mirrored the senior teams league placings
It was a decent comp pre 2016 when it was regional knockouts till the final the way it should still be. Of bigger clubs wanna give their young players experience then loan them out. National league clubs have a cup that’s the same now against Cat A academies but few elite clubs have signed up to it
Is a possible solution for the competition to me more interesting is to bin off the u21'a and maybe invite lower league scottish teams in, make it an anglo - scottish cup, prehaps include the best of the welsh and n.irish league -
In Belgium they give B teams a different name, as if it's a different club altogether. Even though it's just pretend, it at least leaves the optics intact that there are no big clubs trying to ruin the competition.
I don't mind too much about the U21's playing in this competition, i think a fair compromise would be to not allow them to qualify for the knockouts so the academies only play group games.
There's a competition to trump that one. The National League Cup. Only about because Premier League sides don't want replays. The organisers are making the rules up as we go. Currently in the group phase, they haven't actually declared how the knockout draw will be constructed when the top two from four groups of 8 teams progress.
Blackpool fan glad we are out competition needs binning throw more money at progressing throw nearly rounds of league cup. It was the right decision to bin off fa cup replays all cups should go straight to pens
Maybe they could give the team who wins this competition a place in the europa confrence league qualifiers. As i also think league Cup and fa cup winners if not already gonna be in European football that they should be or give it the runners up
A lot of the EFL clubs only put out their fringe players in this competition which devalues it even more, and if your club only has a small squad, with injuries etc it could cause issues in the league as you end up having to put out first team players to make a team up, and then risk even more injuries, for what?
Don't mind for this comp as gives the young players a run out in the group stages. Super against it in any other comp and especially ultra super against it in the league like they have in other European countries, would undermine the sanctity of the game as L1 and L2 are professional full-time men's teams. I like the idea of having the NL and NLN/S teams in it instead though.
These B teams are not very popular in Germany either. They take away spots from other smaller clubs, have horrible turnout (relative to other clubs in their league) and just seem to cheapen the competition in the league. They honestly just seem like a way for bigger Bundesliga clubs to open a secondary league revenue stream.
Back in the days when Wolves were crap (really crap, not just premiership crap), I used to enjoy this competition, and it gave us a chance to tick off a few stadiums we had missed out on. I'll never forget our day out at Wembley when more than 80,000 people saw Wolves beat Burnley to win the Sherpa VanTrophy. It was the highest attendance ever for two 4th division sides and more than 3 times as many people who turned up to watch England vs. Columbia later that week..
I quite enjoy the EFL Trophy. £10 for a ticket and an evening watching some football is better than sitting at home or spending time with the family. And at least your team has a chance at lifting a trophy at Wembley, instead of the usual teams.
Apparently, the prize money for the EFL Trophy is better than the EFL Cup?! Also, the problem with the sponsors changing is more to do with them changing part way through the competition. It seems like at one point, it had no sponsor then about November, a company sponsored it for a year and so that expired in Nov and another company sponsored it for a year, and so on. It recently changed to the Vertu (signalling) trophy, but hopefully the EFL will have limited the deal til the end of the season. On another note, apparently the reason why the U21 teams are allowed to compete was as a condition of the PL giving solidarity payments to the EFL clubs. A similar thing is happening in the National League and they are not happy about it either
Also forgot to mention that although the early rounds are a bit of a bust, getting to a Wembley final is a massive deal for the fans and can be a big money earner for the clubs
I was going to say more games means more ticket revenue, but that turnup shuts that down lol. So I guess the only positive about the EFL trophy is a trip to Wembley.
It has been ruined by adding U21 premier league teams. It was originally called The Associate Members Cup. Divisions 3 and 4 clubs could have a chance to play at Wembley.
The EFL trophy used to be a good competition. It's the only trophy my team, Southampton, have won in my lifetime. The competition was ruined by allowing U21 teams from Premier League clubs to enter. It should have remained League One and League Two clubs only.
The National League have their own version of the EFL Trophy and even that isn’t well attended. It’s one thing playing an U21’s team in pre season but not in a cup. The FA have ruined football with this competition. Either bring back the JPT or scrap this competition altogether to make space in the schedule. Even inviting non league sides is a terrible idea. That would make no sense whatsoever.
As an avid Football Manager player, I too hate the fact prem teams have their u21s in there. That idea about throwing some National League teams in there is a brilliant idea, I would love that! Similar to the Scottish Challenge cup inviting N Irish and Welsh teams.
They have a National League cup which has U21 sides but even that is terrible and don’t attract many fans
@georgemacpherson1992 only started to because it stops the chairmen for moaning about the no replays while adding 5 more games to an already stupidly packed game calander
I remember when National League clubs did play in it. Scarborough knocked Port Vale out of both it and the FA Cup in the same season. I was at both games.
@@RW-nr6bh I think your hardmen
The Scottish Challenge Cup also has Under-21 teams for Premiership clubs too, so it’s very similar to this trophy. Welsh & Irish clubs are no longer taking part
I mean its a chance of Wembley for teams like us, Colchester. But bringing in the Prem u21 squads was absolute BS
Arsenal was a good game though, provides a good challenge for the likes of Tovide and younger players
@TheLordIsMyShepherd75 arsenal u21s were awful in that game. Probably the easiest game we had. I still don't agree with it
@@ollieduracell provides youth players a chance with the first team. Rashaad Drysdale and Oli Godziemski both got their first team debuts but I do see your point
Sam got the most charismatic Blackpudlians for this one.
Trust me that guy aint from Blackpool, he's from Stockport and is a proper weirdo
@@Alwaysred100Stockport fan turned Dundalk fan anorl 🤣🤣🤣
What the hell is a Blackpudlian????
It's Sandgrown or sandgrownun.
Know your facts before posting like a fool
@@Alwaysred100 They all seemed to be lacking a bit, other than the kids they were quite normal, which one do you say is from Stockport? I'm a County fan and none of them looked familiar.
@@Paul-eb4jp the lad with bad teeth and long greasy hair. Called River
The tournement did have National League teams in for a time in the mid-2000's. One of my lowest times ever as a Forest fan was being knocked out in the first round away at Woking. Absolutely honking!
I really don't believe there is anything they could do to generate any interest in it, until the semi finals when the 4 teams involved realise they're just a win away from Wembley.
The two changes I would make is:
Make it the League Trophy, and replace the U21s with the 24 National League sides.
The Premier League, EFL and FA to create a fully-funded and advertised "National Academy League", with seperate U18, U21 & U23 competitions, open to all teams in the top five Divisions, and featuring promotion & relegation.
I'm originally from The Netherlands but living in Scotland. B-teams absolutely failed in The Netherlands, they made the Dutch second tier far less attractive. These clubs hardly attract any fans, their effect on player development is very much debatable, they make it harder for smaller clubs to sign players as big clubs use these teams to hoard players, including plenty who have no chance of reaching the first team. In the past these players would be loaned out or transferred. I also feel strongly that the B-teams devalue the Lowland League.
In my opinion, there are no advantages to B-teams in the senior setup, only disadvantages. I'd want them removed from the Dutch pyramid, the Lowland League / SPFL Trust Trophy, the EFL Trophy in England and so on.
I am from the Netherlands too and I approve this message.
We already have issues with clubs in the Premier League hoarding players, if you look at the size of their squad, development squad (U-23s, U-21's) and the number of players they have out on loan. The only positive is that most of them do send out quite a few players on loan, but the downside is that if you are a club lower down the pyramid (mine play at level five, in the National League) you can get some decent players in on loan but there is always a risk of relying on them and suffering a recall exactly when you don't need it to happen. I don't know anyone who supports a team at the level mine plays at, or much higher, who is in favour of B-teams.
Really valid points, thanks for leaving this comment. Appreciate you watching mate.
Is that the "Jong" teams?
@GM-tw4el Yes
Im from united states and follow MLS and USL. Theres this cup competition like the FA Cup called the U.S. Open Cup. Both MLS and USL compete in it. Last year MLS decided to quietly withdraw from a NATIONAL CUP by only letting basically the U21s to compete. And it pissed off everyone. It would be like if Premier League clubs only sending their U21s in the FACup
Its amazing to hear one man work so hard to avoid stating any kind of actual opinion
The 2019 EFL Trophy final between Portsmouth and Sunderland was brilliant. 85,201 passionate fans 40,000 for each club . 2-2 after extra time Pompey winning 5-4 on penalties.
That was the exception that proves the rule. Having two big one-city-clubs in the third league at the same time with large fan bases was unusual and probably won’t happen again for a long time.
A radical proposal like a guaranteed promotion for the winner would really liven things up. Mediocre risk-averse clubs would never go for it, though.
Thank you Sam, really love your videos, great coverage, you are true Sports Journalist
It will always be the Johnstone's Paint Trophy to me
LDV Vans to me!
@@FootyAdventures Autoglass Trophy to me (I must be old)
Papa Johns for me because I'm hungry
DAF Cup !!!
JPT!
In fairness there’s been some great attendances at the final of this cup but until that point, no one is really bothered.
I used to go to the odd game in this competition but I haven't since the U21 teams were introduced. I'm glad English football fans largely boycott it- the thin end of the wedge. The depth of the English pyramid is special and should be protected at all costs.
As an aside, your man who suggested bringing National League teams in- they did do that around 20 years ago. The most famous result was Woking beating Nottingham Forest.
The EFL trophy shouldn’t include any premier league teams.
Premier league teams aren’t even part of the Football league.
They can’t give the football league one competition for themselves ?
As a Bradford city fan think we face av under 21s next. Last season we got to the semi final. Would like to add nl teams though not under 21s from premier league.
I don’t like it at all. It’s been boycotted by most fans since the change. You can see how the attendance is at this game. Awful. They should turn it into a L1/L2 knockout competition and allow NL and below teams to participate.
Yes but even in the JPT days, not many people went anyway. I just remember looking at the highlights on Soccer AM and the stadiums were empty then
I'm a Bradford City fan and I like this competition. We have a big squad but don't have a reserve team. This competition gives us supporters a chance to see players who don't get into the matchday squad playing in a competitive game. Although the money for winning games and getting through to the next rounds isn't enormous at least it is income that you wouldn't otherwise get. We were one game away from Wembley last season and we witnessed some good and entertaining football along the way. Re the U21s,, we get the chance to see some promising premier and international stars of the future as they practice a more disciplined possession-based style of football.
True, as an Arsenal fan, I've been going since they started entering and in that first season, I remember seeing a young Saka, Smith Rowe and Nketiah playing in it against Coventry and Northampton.
The Championship has no cup of our own.
Why does the Premier league get to enter teams into a League 1 and League 2 competition? It’s a joke
saw some of the newspapers today report that 38 penalties taken in a penalty shootout is a new record for English professional football
🤣🤣 no way! I saw a record???
@@FootyAdventuresI guess so. 38 attempts is insane dude
@@FootyAdventures they might have been quicker just to play 30 mins of extra time and see if somebody scored 😅
@@FootyAdventures Sorry but no it isn't. Tunbridge Wells have that record for 40 when they beat Littlehampton Town in the FA Cup in 2005.
Another problem is most fans can't be arsed with this until you get to the semi finals and have a chance of the final to Wembley. Happened with Bolton two year ago when we won it. Season ticket holders who didn't bother with the group stage or last 16 even quarters all crawled out the woodwork when we got Accrington in the semis and went gloryhunting down to Wembley for the final.
Same with the play offs in some respects. The chance of Wembley brings out the glory hunters but then again most clubs welcome the extra income.
@bluevan12 Extra income? I'd be surprised if the cost for putting the games on, particularly the group stages, outweighs the gate money, what with staff wages, electricity etc.
It is typical that Football League club fans are such hypocrites about this competition. Love the Wembley finals but hate actually watching the games that gets them to that stage.
There's quite a long history of obscure cup competitions in English and Scottish football. Who remembers the Simod Cup? The Watney Cup? The Texaco Cup? When a team like Aston Villa fields what is essentially a youth team one has the chance of seeing one or two players who eventually make it to the big time as regular starters for their club. It's worth remembering that the vast majority of professional footballers never win trophies. In his early days at Nottingham Forest Brian Clough's side won the Anglo-Scottish Cup (another long-forgotten obscure competition) and Clough noticed how the players reacted to actually winning silverware.
There was also the Anglo-Italian Cup and the Simod Cup (The 1st / 2nd division equivalent of the Freight Rover Trophy etc).
@@TheDriller-Killer There was also the ScreenSport Super Cup - which had the teams that would have qualified for the European cups for the 1985/6 season. Should have been sponsored by Disney, and officially branded The Mickey Mouse Cup 😁😁😁😁
@@CheekyBandit I didn't actually know about that one, tanx for the info.
I seem to remember Chelsea doing well one year in the Simod Cup, though I've got a feeling it only ran for 5 years max
Also seem to remember that the Simod Cup was originally named The Full Member Cup and the Freight Rover Trophy etc... the All Members Cup? or maybe the other way round. I assumed it was discontinued as there already was the Football League, F. A. Cup, League Cup and the European trophies (European, Cup-Winners and UEFA Cup) to go for.
In Ireland we have the Leinster and Munster Senior Cups. League of Ireland teams enter these competitions alongside amateur sides from said provinces (clubs in Connacht and Ulster don't have an equivalent). Most LOI clubs enter their U21s or extremely heavily rotated sides. The MSC is straight knockout. The LSC has a Last 16 Group Stage which is played during the LOI preseason. There are always, on paper, huge upsets. Last year Wilton United knocked out Cork City in the MSC for example. Amateur sides Usher Celtic and St Mochta's have reached the LSC final the last two years (Usher losing to Bohemians, Mochta's to St Pats). Rockmount beat Cork City in the 2020 final. The early rounds are normally played during the LOI preseason (January - mid February). Fixtures in the later rounds are shoe horned in around league, other cup and European games. Crowds are generally low, although there have been exceptions. Shelbourne played at home to Bohemians in the 2023 LSC semi final and the ground was nearly sold out. An amazing match that finished 4-3 to Bohemians. Last year was devalued when Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne and Bohemians announced they were entering their U21s rather than their first teams. St Pats, Drogheda United and Dundalk all entered their first teams, although heavily rotated.
Great video Sam mate, defo a competition when you get to the knock out stages teams should go for as it’s a trip to Wembley. If your ever down in England for a video again let me no
A handful of years ago i went to the Final of this tournament with my brother, Pompey vs Sunderland, 85k in Wembley, place was JUMPING. amazing match, great tourny.
That's great. Two clubs who don't reach finals on a regular basis (nor does mine, Ipswich Town) and a great day out for the fans.
Great final. The tournament is pointless and endless.
It has one redeeming feature: it means a day at Wembley for the finalists. Great memories of Wigan beating Brentford at the old stadium in 1985.
Absolutely. It's a nothing competition until one has a chance at having a final at Wembley. lol
As a Bluenose, to hear Birmingham's manager say they take the competition seriously is the right attitude.
Initially, I was against it and still am to a degree, but it’s been like this for a while now so can’t see it changing any time soon.
I think the best thing it can do in terms of the EFL sides is provide competitive game time for fringe players and players returning from injury, a bit like reserve games used to do.
One of the greatest things about English pyramid is that we never went down the B team route there was always enough historic clubs to make it a competitive and vibrant league system. To think of a Man Utd B team in the Championship playing teams that were in the original and oldest Football league in the world from 1888 makes me shudder.
I used to go to all the Stevenage JPT games, however since the B Teams came in, in 2016 I’ve not been to a single one.
It’s ruined the competition which was solely a lower league competition for L1 and L2 who had a decent chance of getting to Wembley. Now it’s a playground for U21 academies. The next step will be B teams in L1 and L2.
#BTeamBoycott
It is a competition that I don't know much about, despite being a Forest Green Rovers supporter. I don't know why there can't be a competition for teams from League 2 down and the U21s have their own competitions. It would be great for supporters of non-league teams like mine to get some exposure.
Sunderland vs Portsmouth in the EFL trophy final attracted more fan than the Super Bowl. So there is potential there. But the earlier stages with the under 21 premier league teams does cheapen the tournament.
The. Intellects of Blackpool attended this one 😂
I really enjoy these videos. Great job 👏
In Scotland the colt teams are hated and should not be anywhere our equivalent of this competition.
I’ve been watching another competition this year….Premier 2 international cup…I follow Borussia Moenchengladbach and have
been to Middlesbrough,Sunderland, Blackburn and West Ham.Crowds have only been a few hundred like the EFL trophy games but as I visit football grounds . It’s been great to visit the grounds when there’s only a few hundred .I like these smaller competitions 👍
PLEASE PLEASE COME TO ONE OF OUR HOME LEAGUE GAMES SAM🍊You will really see the atmosphere if you can sit in the north and it will be booming maybe come up for the Bolton derby should be bouncing !
I don't mind the academy sides being in this competition. It gives the league teams two guaranteed home games as the academies do not play at home in the group stage. As you said, only 1 progressed. Some games get a bigger gate due to playing the PL sides. This trophy has always been very poorly supported until the last round before the final.
A real cauldron of charisma there those guys seemed buzzing to be in your video 😂😂
Not too much choice to interview given the size of the crowd.
Nice to see people will still not care if a camera is in front of them. Seemed like some cool dudes.
What do you expect when River is there…
@AgainsttherunofplayyWhitch one’s River?
Honestly, I think it's a great competition. It gives league 1 and 2 teams a genuine chance of winning a trophy at Wembley that you almost certainly wont get in the FA or League cup when playing at this level.
The under 21 teams being it it is ridiculous though, it devalues it and that aspect of it should be binned immediately. None of them have yet come close to winning it, but if one of them ever does then it will be forever tarnished. This Villa under 21 team has gone about as far as any of the academy teams have as it stands, we shall see if they go further. This is the point where teams start to take it a bit more seriously now as the potential of a Wembley day out is getting closer.
I'm a Bolton fan and we won it a couple of seasons ago, it was a fantastic day out, and to see your team win a trophy at Wembley will always be special. Would I trade it in for us to be back in the Prem? Maybe, but as it stands, it was our first cup win in over 30 years and was the first time I got to see us win at Wembley at the 3rd time of asking.
Another excellent video Sam. It may have dragged on a bit in the cold weather, but certainly made for an interesting vid. Don't think I've heard of a penalty shoot out going on that long before.
Blackpool supporters say Preston never been premier league but their chairman never touched kids and obliterated the club.
The Competition is a waste of time, being a Swindon fan I was at Wycombe for our last 32 game; there was 611 in attendance. They did include Non League teams for one season, but now there are U21 or U23 teams. Better to crap the competition but then again League 1 and 2 teams get money from the premier league so that's why it continues
Interesting. In a similar context, American fans haven't been too happy with the Leagues Cup, a competition between teams of MLS and Liga MX, as both leagues' seasons stop for almost a month during the tournament, and it is perceived by many fans as a cash-grab.
As for this year's US Open Cup, MLS made many teams either put their NextPro (reserve league) team in the tournament or skip out on it entirely (as was the case for my favorite team FC Cincinnati) because of this self-imposed schedule congestion.
I did go to one of the LC matches this year, a 1-0 win for Cincinnati over Querétaro FC - I just went because tickets were cheaper than usual, and there were some patches of empty seats but nothing like this. It helps that Cincinnati has a decent Hispanic population, they came out in droves for both this and a Concacaf Cup match with Monterrey I went to earlier in the year.
When you say skip out does that mean Cincinnatti just didn't bother participating in the open cup?.
@JonnyGrounds88 Yep, a few other teams supporter groups boycotted the Leagues Cup including Philadelphia Union, because they too chose not to participate
@nkmade2004 Interesting.. I'm surprised it's not happened over here yet with the EFL Cup and the top 6 or 7 who have to play in the European competitions dropping out of it.
The Freight Rover Trophy was the name of the very first back in the 84-85 season that the Final was at Wembley. First time I'd been to Wembley to see my team Wigan Athletic beat Brentford 3-1 on the 1st June 1985, nearly 40 years ago, where did the time go?, I was 16 back then, I'm 56 next month. I also went to Wembley in 1999 when Wigan beat Millwall 1-0. It was then called The Auto Windscreens Shield, LOL
Even though it's not the biggest trophy, must've been cool seeing Wigan play at Wembley. Precursor to the FA Cup final years later!!!
Yeah good day out, I remember it been a really hot day. Too think a month later Live Aid took place there.
@@FootyAdventures I support Ipswich Town and life in the Prem is tough. Many fans are saying "the journey is better than the destination", but with competitions like this one, the opposite is the case.
great vid..... fair play to the villa kids, Birmingham city fan here, no joke... i love this cup, great memories from winning it the last time we got relegated, im looking forward to us doing the double again this season..... im pretty sure birmingham are the only club to have a sell out in this cup so far this season. I dont mind the u21s being in it either, i enjoyed birmingham getting 8 goals against fulhams u21..... villa u21s are at home in the next round, i bet they get more fans than blackpool lol...... imagine Birmingham city vs Villa u21s at wembley ha......
And to think 50 years ago Blackpool was a holiday resort.
For some clubs like Cheltenham, the club I support, the prize money is vital for keeping us afloat. Clubs like us value all cup competitions for the prize money
This also highlights the "competions" between the Football League and The Football Association, and what their internal rules and ideas are
When Luton Town won it in 2009 it meant everything to us because of the situation we were in from 2007 until 2009 we were relegated 3 times Championship to Non League from May 2007 to August 2009 with minus 10 then minus 30 points and administration. One if the weasels that were compliant in the attempted murder of our club was at jand at Wembley to be booed by 42,500 Luton Town fans and then booed as he had to hand over the JPT trophy to our captain Kevin Nicholls. The crazy thing was we weren't even allowed to defend our crown and in my opinion the JPT would be better as a straight knock out cup competition but including the top non league sides. Wembley is a great carrot I have no problem with say Under 21s from the Premier League and Under 23s (including 2 over 23s that have not played more than 2 league games) being including in a larger competition. Children should be free to these tournaments. Some of the rounds of games involving Premier league and Championship clubs should be held directly the international breaks if possible.
Some real pond life there haha 😂 I'm from Burnley and I hate it when I see locals interviewed..
Another great video mate. I’d like to see national, non-league teams play.
The big problem with this competition is that while the Premier League teams academies are in it, if the EFL clubs field 'weakened' (i.e youth) teams, they get fined. For me it's either a lower league competition, or it's a competition for youth development. I agree with the suggestion that the National League teams should be invited to take part.
Im a Millwall fan, and my mate supports Blackpool. So both of us have history in this tournament. Both us think only true value is if you get to final at Wembley. So be tops for both finalists. Gaz Wall & Roy Tangerines
I think the change from a knockout as well to a league format means like you said fixture congestion happens so lower league teams put out a team which passes the rules of haven't so many from the first team but most make 8 or 9 changes for these matches as the pay off for clubs is so poor each round.
Go back to a knockout, put in the NL teams and things will get better.
In the eerste divisie in Netherlands too, recently Jong Ajax played against Roda and won 3-1
5:18 WTAF, he got binned out from going to Stockport County and non league Stockport Town for being an absolute knob head and vile all over social media
And got battered at Widnes!
he's said some vile shit on twitter too
Horrible person
Who is he
When you can do it on a cold midweek night in Blackpool, you can do it anywhere. Quality stuff.
In my opinion they should let nantiol league teams in it instead of youth academy teams because ik there under 21 are young but it still a very good team and players
I don't think the issue is U21s being better. I think a lot of National League squads would be better. Plus U21s who are good enough either go out on loan to NL, L2, L1 or Champ clubs or have pick for first team. I think the issue is that they're *not* better for the most part and so it devalues the competition in the eyes of the public.
I like the idea of bigger teams having thier second string playing regularly but a reserve league is way forward not taking away the lower teams opportunity of cup glory. They have no chance in fa cup so it’s a shame. In Scotland the lowland system helps lower teams with higher gates and getting to view Celtic/Hearts youth players that might be released for signing. Win win. In England lower clubs couldn’t afford the wages of higher level teams 2nd/3rd string players and when poor attendance no financial benefits to lower teams get them gone
Entry to this competition was only granted to the under 21 teams in order to pamper to the premiership team's who wanted to be able to play there under 21 or reserve teams in the lower leagues as i think they do abroad
I didn’t even know this game happened last night until I saw this vlog. It’s a shocking competition, apart from the final. League cup early rounds aren’t much better tbf.
FC Blackpool was so awesome when Ian Holleray was manager and Charlie Adams was playing center.
Hollery never heard of him
Sorry Holleray
Clubs do get increasing prize money for progression in the League Trophy; it can be quite a lucrative adventure for lower league clubs. This is in contrast with the League Cup where there is no prize money in the earlier rounds, I don't think.
This one seemed extra painful Sam lmao. Still valuable content!
I don’t think the B or under-21’s should be playing above the top tier of non-league, at least in England and Scotland. We have so many clubs and a larger pyramid than most European countries so I can understand their’s getting higher. But I just think it’s a development side taking a place and money away from another club who might fancy their chances at winning it
My boy had his stag weekend in Blackpool in 2012 and we bumped into Ricardo Fuller in a nightclub ,and if I remember rightly he was injured and unable to play for the team but said he shouldn’t have been out 😂was a really nice guy ,always seeing Blackpool FC always reminds me of that night 😂
The most normal A-League crowd 😂💀
As if you got that Pleb River on your video, the guy starts on children at games…then gets slapped by them🤣🤣🤣
As a Southampton fan i love this competition 😂 gave me some of my best memories as a Saints fan
At one time there was the Football Combination / Combination Cup ? which was midweek contests for the reserve teams ( rather than U21s ), Cannot recall if they were more "local" competitions or mirrored the senior teams league placings
It was a decent comp pre 2016 when it was regional knockouts till the final the way it should still be.
Of bigger clubs wanna give their young players experience then loan them out.
National league clubs have a cup that’s the same now against Cat A academies but few elite clubs have signed up to it
U21 in the tournament is an insult. Keep it to first teams of levels 3,4,5 and 6. League 1 and 2 and the 2 levels of National League.
That’s not DFCRiver is it? 😅
Yeah sadly
Unfortunately
Who is Dfcriver?
@H457-o8x you really don't want to know but by the way look at 5:18 for it
It be long till this gets scrapped and the EFL league cup wont include premier league team's due to top clubs complaining about fixtures
Is a possible solution for the competition to me more interesting is to bin off the u21'a and maybe invite lower league scottish teams in, make it an anglo - scottish cup, prehaps include the best of the welsh and n.irish league -
It feels like the old European Intertoto Cup actually
You should try the National League Cup! Teams were refusing to enter it. Quite a lot of games are getting under 1000!
In Belgium they give B teams a different name, as if it's a different club altogether. Even though it's just pretend, it at least leaves the optics intact that there are no big clubs trying to ruin the competition.
I don't mind too much about the U21's playing in this competition, i think a fair compromise would be to not allow them to qualify for the knockouts so the academies only play group games.
There's a competition to trump that one. The National League Cup. Only about because Premier League sides don't want replays. The organisers are making the rules up as we go. Currently in the group phase, they haven't actually declared how the knockout draw will be constructed when the top two from four groups of 8 teams progress.
Oh the the attendances have been absolutely diabolical with many fans boycotting.
The inclusion of B teams killed it for me, I go to all preseason friendlies but I swerve this competition.
What app do you use in the video?
Blackpool fan glad we are out competition needs binning throw more money at progressing throw nearly rounds of league cup. It was the right decision to bin off fa cup replays all cups should go straight to pens
Maybe they could give the team who wins this competition a place in the europa confrence league qualifiers. As i also think league Cup and fa cup winners if not already gonna be in European football that they should be or give it the runners up
Last time i visited blackpool fc was for a prem game v wigan.
I wish them well.
A lot of the EFL clubs only put out their fringe players in this competition which devalues it even more, and if your club only has a small squad, with injuries etc it could cause issues in the league as you end up having to put out first team players to make a team up, and then risk even more injuries, for what?
Might need a re-do for the National league trophy… given how controversial that was/is when announced
Don't mind for this comp as gives the young players a run out in the group stages. Super against it in any other comp and especially ultra super against it in the league like they have in other European countries, would undermine the sanctity of the game as L1 and L2 are professional full-time men's teams.
I like the idea of having the NL and NLN/S teams in it instead though.
It still had 80,000 at the 2023 final Bolton v Plymouth.
These B teams are not very popular in Germany either. They take away spots from other smaller clubs, have horrible turnout (relative to other clubs in their league) and just seem to cheapen the competition in the league. They honestly just seem like a way for bigger Bundesliga clubs to open a secondary league revenue stream.
Back in the days when Wolves were crap (really crap, not just premiership crap), I used to enjoy this competition, and it gave us a chance to tick off a few stadiums we had missed out on. I'll never forget our day out at Wembley when more than 80,000 people saw Wolves beat Burnley to win the Sherpa VanTrophy. It was the highest attendance ever for two 4th division sides and more than 3 times as many people who turned up to watch England vs. Columbia later that week..
I quite enjoy the EFL Trophy. £10 for a ticket and an evening watching some football is better than sitting at home or spending time with the family. And at least your team has a chance at lifting a trophy at Wembley, instead of the usual teams.
Having watched a team win this trophy at Wembley, you didn’t care what it was called.
Apparently, the prize money for the EFL Trophy is better than the EFL Cup?! Also, the problem with the sponsors changing is more to do with them changing part way through the competition. It seems like at one point, it had no sponsor then about November, a company sponsored it for a year and so that expired in Nov and another company sponsored it for a year, and so on. It recently changed to the Vertu (signalling) trophy, but hopefully the EFL will have limited the deal til the end of the season. On another note, apparently the reason why the U21 teams are allowed to compete was as a condition of the PL giving solidarity payments to the EFL clubs. A similar thing is happening in the National League and they are not happy about it either
Also forgot to mention that although the early rounds are a bit of a bust, getting to a Wembley final is a massive deal for the fans and can be a big money earner for the clubs
I was going to say more games means more ticket revenue, but that turnup shuts that down lol. So I guess the only positive about the EFL trophy is a trip to Wembley.
Most football crowds are season ticket holders. Cup games aren’t included so fans don’t show up for these games!
No to under 21's. Have League One, League Two teams, if they want to add National League teams.
It has been ruined by adding U21 premier league teams.
It was originally called The Associate Members Cup.
Divisions 3 and 4 clubs could have a chance to play at Wembley.
The EFL trophy used to be a good competition. It's the only trophy my team, Southampton, have won in my lifetime. The competition was ruined by allowing U21 teams from Premier League clubs to enter. It should have remained League One and League Two clubs only.
Jim a barrow afc can 😂 7:39
The National League have their own version of the EFL Trophy and even that isn’t well attended. It’s one thing playing an U21’s team in pre season but not in a cup. The FA have ruined football with this competition. Either bring back the JPT or scrap this competition altogether to make space in the schedule. Even inviting non league sides is a terrible idea. That would make no sense whatsoever.