Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[Albion] EFL Trophy Quarter Final - Amex, Tuesday 9th January ko 7pm



Papa Lazarou

Living in a De Zerbi wonderland
Jul 7, 2003
19,380
Worthing




Garry Nelson's Left Foot

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
13,574
tokyo
I have two thoughts on this:

1) It's hard not to have a little snigger at Reading after all their billy big bollocks 20 years ago when we beat them to the league one title and then they nicked our players/manager over the next couple of years.

2) It's mad to think that this is an actual first team game for them. One that they took 400 fans to and were hoping/expecting to win. It's just an U21 game for us. A chance for some of the academy kids to get a bit of experience.
 


AIT76

The wisdom of a fool
Jul 29, 2004
478
Does anyone else not like the idea of U21 teams being in this competition?

Obviously I’m delighted for our young players but isn’t this competition meant to be for 3/4 tier clubs.
There are 48 clubs in Leagues One and Two - but 64 are needed for the tournament format so the numbers have to be made up somehow. Back in the days when we qualified by right I seem to remember non-league clubs being invited to compete. This has recently been changed to allow PL and Championship sides to enter their academy teams, subject to certain eligability criteria.
 


Luke93

STAND OR FALL
Jun 23, 2013
5,101
Shoreham
There are 48 clubs in Leagues One and Two - but 64 are needed for the tournament format so the numbers have to be made up somehow. Back in the days when we qualified by right I seem to remember non-league clubs being invited to compete. This has recently been changed to allow PL and Championship sides to enter their academy teams, subject to certain eligability criteria.
Competition has had several formats. Invitational 32 from T3/4, groups, no groups, groups added back, north / south separation, a period with added T5 teams as you said, 48 teams (seeded to protect 16 teams to make the next round 32) to what we’ve got now.

An academy has never won it since they were invited to play on 2016/17. Some strong teams have won it though, the Southampton team from 09/10 had Lallana in it! It’s often been a competition lopsided by a ‘big’ team that finds themselves slipped down to L1. There has been underdog winners which this competition is meant for though. Think winning it is worth 100K so it’s not something a prem academy will be chasing, but will make a huge difference to a team like Salford City, who beat Portsmouth in a final!

It does feel strange for an academy playing a first team competition. But they don’t often go deep. Perhaps it’s inevitable that one does?
 






Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
If we get a home draw, I hope the club markets it as a first team game - more stands open, points offered. Our U21s are 2 games from Wembley, so it would great to get 5-7,000 in for the next one and I don't think that's impossible.
I hope it doesn't go pear shaped like it did when we got to the semi final against Luton.
 








dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
56,056
Burgess Hill
I have two thoughts on this:

1) It's hard not to have a little snigger at Reading after all their billy big bollocks 20 years ago when we beat them to the league one title and then they nicked our players/manager over the next couple of years.

2) It's mad to think that this is an actual first team game for them. One that they took 400 fans to and were hoping/expecting to win. It's just an U21 game for us. A chance for some of the academy kids to get a bit of experience.
An U21 game where we were missing our best U21s……..
 


Taybha

Whalewhine
Oct 8, 2008
27,756
Uwantsumorwat
Dear Radio berk shire

Dancing Queen GIF by ABBA
 


Kuipers Supporters Club

Well-known member
Feb 10, 2009
5,781
GOSBTS
There are 48 clubs in Leagues One and Two - but 64 are needed for the tournament format so the numbers have to be made up somehow. Back in the days when we qualified by right I seem to remember non-league clubs being invited to compete. This has recently been changed to allow PL and Championship sides to enter their academy teams, subject to certain eligability criteria.
I get why they’ve done it. I just don’t agree with it, although I’m tempted to be a hypocrite and go as they progress further.

FWIW - I’d include sides from the National League instead, gives them a test at playing League opposition.
 
Last edited:






stewart12

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2019
1,949
What happened in this game and what was our team
in a wretched season we had 1 ray of hope, that we'd somehow got quite far in this noddy competition.

We played Luton who were relegated from the football league that year (albeit with a massive points deduction)

Drew the first leg 0-0 at Withdean.

In the early stages of the 2nd leg, a defensive mix up gifted Luton an early goal, then David Livermore got a straight red. Nicky Forster later equalised

However we went on to lose on penalties with Chris Birchall missing the decisive spot kick

Micky Adams was sacked very shortly after

Team was

Michel Kuipers

Andy Whing
Adam El-Abd
Tommy Fraser
Adam Virgo

Dean Cox
Jason Jarrett
Chris Birchall
David Livermore

Nicky Forster
Calvin Andrew

Subs

John Sullivan
Colin "The Hawk" Hawkins
Johnny Dixon
Tommy Elphick
Steve Cook
 


Aug 11, 2003
2,734
The Open Market
Harry Howell was born a week after THAT Walsall game.

No, not the 7-0; the two red cards and 137 repeated crosses to the keeper.
 








Harry Howell was born a week after THAT Walsall game.

No, not the 7-0; the two red cards and 137 repeated crosses to the keeper.
Incredible to think both Forster and Murray played in that game yet we couldn't score against nine
 






sparkie

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2003
13,323
Hove
Dream road to the final:

QF v Crawley (for Sussex)
SF v Doncaster (for significance)
F v Bolton (for the attendance)
Would rather play Accrington Stanley ( who are they ? ) than Bolton but this is getting way, way, way ahead of ourselves.
 


Krafty

Well-known member
Apr 19, 2023
2,121
Dream road to the final:

QF v Crawley (for Sussex)
SF v Doncaster (for significance)
F v Bolton (for the attendance)
I would like a tie against Crawley. They will reach the quarters if they win at Peterborough today.
 


Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here