How Come

[animallittle3]

Fulham u23 are in the checkatrade cup , playing Pompey away tonight .

Thought it was for PL u23's and league one and league two clubs these days .

We could field our first team and win the fecker again if Fulham are innit couldn't we ?

[Acido]

Fulham u23 are in the checkatrade cup , playing Pompey away tonight . Thought it was for PL u23's and league one and league two clubs these days . We could field our first team and win the fecker again if Fulham are innit .

It says its Fulham U21 on the Bbc fixtures.
But either way I think its pathetic what they have done to this competiton, from when it was the Jpt which we were the last ones to win. Would we be interested if we were offered the chance to put our U21's in it ?.
And didn't they have West Brom & Wolves in separate sections last season, one played in the North and one in the South!!. :O

[animallittle3]

Well either u21 or u23 I think we should be in it myself given our business plan .

Yes it's become a joke competition but these lads need testing in an open age environment .

Do em good to play at Accy Stanley or Carlisle and get some experience .

Might have had to call last nights game off but hey ho the plan comes first .

[Acido]

Well either u21 or u23 I think we should be in it myself given our business plan . Yes it's become a joke competition but these lads need testing in an open age environment . Do em good to play at Accy Stanley or Carlisle and get some experience . Might have had to call last nights game off but hey ho the plan comes first .

As much as I/we knock what they have done to this Cup, I think it would be a good idea to accept if we were offered and give our U21s a chance.
But as you say, would it be possible sending out the first team AND the U21s on the same night for separate fixtures. What if the U21s were in the Semi final and within a chance of another Wembley final, on the same night that the first team had a Champship fixture ?.

[EastStandRed]

The 16 invited under-21 teams for the 2017/18 Checkatrade Trophy have been confirmed today.

Newcomers Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Fulham will be taking their place in next season’s competition.

Premier League champions Chelsea will again take part and will be joined by 11 other under-21 sides from England’s top flight, as the country’s leading Category One Academies look to pit their stars against professionals, young and old, from the 48 League One and League Two teams.

Four EFL Clubs will have under-21 sides involved, with Sunderland, Middlesbrough, and Reading joining Fulham in the group stage draw, which will take place in July, with the first round of fixtures scheduled to take place the week
commencing 28th August.

The full list of invited under-21 sides is as follows:
Brighton & Hove Albion
Chelsea
Everton
Fulham
Leicester City
Manchester City
Middlesbrough
Newcastle United
Reading
Southampton
Stoke City
Sunderland
Swansea City
Tottenham Hotspur
West Bromwich Albion
West Ham United

[Old Goat]

I stopped buying lottery tickets when they mucked about with the format and gave me less chance of winning owt.
If we were a L1 or L2 club, I'd be feeling exactly like that again about this new cup set-up. The JPT was always a tournament for the underdogs, a chance for smaller unfashionable clubs to have a day out at Wembley. If there are really so many U21's at those "invited" clubs who are genuinely in need of game time, then send them out on loan, don't mess up the JPT (I know, it's not called that now, but it's easier to type).

And even the clubs that make it through to the JPT final only play a handful of matches - how much development time does that give anyone? Not much!

[EastStandRed]

Can't actually believe the league clubs voted to keep this format.

Load of sh ite

[pass_and_move]

Can't actually believe the league clubs voted to keep this format.

Load of sh ite

Agreed. They ought to rename it the 'waste o snap trophy'