I heard on the radio earlier that Coventry are taking 45,000 to Wembley on Sunday

No doubt the crowd will be 60,000+ and the organisers can declare the whole thing a roaring success. It's a strange one with Coventry considering they are all up in arms about the owners and even season ticket holders are boycotting home games (similar to Blackpool crowds are way lower than those published as the attendance is 'tickets sold') they seem to be willing to line the very same owners pockets for this one. That's before you even get to the obvious reasons for swerving the competition altogether.

It's a real shame that at least one U21 team didn't make it through to highlight what a farce the whole thing has been. I suppose England are going to win the World Cup soon now so it will make it all worthwhile.

There was something in the news earlier this week to the effect that according to dickhead EFL Chief Executive Shaun Harvey this year's format 'may' be changed for next season because overall gates for the competition are down 53%!

The League chairmen have to meet to decide - but short of a very big bribe from the Premier League it's fucked. Fan power has done it!

I must've misread something somewhere then, the report I read he suggested the changes could be hear to stay as he saw it as a success.

Hidden in the article is the phrase 'sponsorship has risen by 35%' and therein lies the rub as we know who gets that money.

The fact he's trying to hail it as a success based on the attendance for the final says it all. Shame on Conventry fans by the way

Initially I said if Pools get to Wembley I wouldn't go, and felt that fans of other clubs should do the same. However, I don't blame the Coventry fans for going now. I think the point has been made, the boycott was largely a success up and down the country and I don't think one game is going to change anyones opinion on whether it has been a success or not. They've had a shit year, but they've got a canny day out, and a chance to see their team at Wembley.

"Six months after starting a group game against Charlton, Southampton's Jack Stephens, 23, was in the team for the EFL Cup final defeat by Manchester United in February".

Well it was all a big success then.

Weren't they supposed to be under 23 (or 21).

And that was only because Southampton's first choice centre backs were injured

the fans that boycotted this trophy farce deserve something better next season. the ones that went deserve all they get.

My mistake; the report I read was this one from the Guardian online; turns out it was written back in December:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... all-league

Harvey changing his tune obviously does have something to do with ticket sales for the Final. League One and Two club chairmen who had empty grounds and managers refusing to abide by the rules of the competition are going to take some persuading to back retaining the format. Money talks as always, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's voted down by the chairmen on April 11th.

Confirmation we are gunna win the World Cup


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"Harvey was speaking at the launch of EFL Futures, another new initiative to help develop young, homegrown talent. A prize fund of £2.25m is to be distributed across Football League clubs over the next three seasons according to the number of appearances made by English players under the age of 21."


We should be in for a few quid then.

Now that one's not such a daft idea. It might make a few clubs think twice before signing players from the Portuguese Third Division.