[Dancingwilldoit]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41922973

Is this the end of the road for this? Only the FL could take a poorly attended competition, improve it and reduce the attendances 10 fold. If I was the sponsor I would be demanding a full refund.
Mmmm the "Dancingwilldoit Trophy" has a nice ring to it. Suppose its worth a £5 offer of sponsorship.

[Devongone]

Any publicity is good publicity.

Ask Priti Patel.

[themaclad]

Sunderland took 3 fans to Grimsby

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The only reason it's dying is because of Shaun Bellend Harvey

[Lord Snooty]

They've taken a piss poor competition and made it piss poorer.

[themaclad]

It used to be a decent competition ruined by legislaters

[spireitematt]

I used to like the old format when it was the Johnstone Paint Trophy. This format means more matches have to played for L1/L2 teams which puts strain on the squads and injuries can occur.

[Lord Snooty]

I liked how it was in the beginning with groups of three playing a round robin, so each team had a home and away game, then onto the knock out stage. And of course, no u21 teams.

[Devongone]

Is this really a story?

a. Sunderland U-21 or any U-21 side carry no away support at any time do they? Maybe a few friends and family ..........
b. Grimsby, like Sunderland, were already out of the competition.
c. Gaining promotion and avoiding relegation are such big issues that a competition which only becomes slightly exciting if you reach the semis and Wembley hoves into view isn't EVER going to set pulses racing is it?
d. Most lower league squads are quite small and rely on a few "star" players who managers don't want to risk for no reward.
e. Cleethorpes on a midweek mid-autumn night isn't an attractive prospect even if you live in Cleethorpes.
f. Did the Paint Splash ever attract decent crowds? (I don't think so!)

Irrespective of its organisation this trophy will only become a draw if it becomes interesting to the clubs involved. It might be a vaguely useful developmental tool to the U-21 squads ....... but they aren't EVER likely to care about winning it, because victory brings no rewards. Similarly a Wembley final, a cup and a bit of dosh are very distant and unlikely prospects when League 1 and 2 clubs set out in the first round of matches.

If the Checkatrade Trophy winners were automatically awarded the final play-off place in their division and the runners-up earned perhaps 5 bonus league points ......... I think you'd see clubs not needing to be told how many of Saturday's team had to be on the field in the Checkatrade, the games would be competitive and the crowds would be decent. You might then consider implementing rules like every team naming three genuine U-21 players to encourage lower-league youth development too.

At the moment the teams involved aren't bovvered, so who wants to watch a match between them? And although the fact that Chesterfield managed to win the Paint Splash might give us fond memories, it didn't justify the competition's existence. Away at Accrington Stanley in the Checkatrade or Splash is always going to be a crap fixture unless we give it some meaning.

[bluepooch]

It makes you wonder who is allowed to come up with the ideas to improve the competition.What an absolute balls up they have made of it with mist clubs reporting the lowest crowds in their histories.I bet the organisers are proud as punch with this .

[Devongone]

You are right Pooch.

I also love your typo. The idea of MIST clubs is gorgeous. Imagine an away game in a cloud forest, now that would set the pulses racing.