Spurs and Man City enter Checkatrade Trophy

Quoted from Southwark Mariner

They had to change the format and increase prize money. I don't see that as failure. The next step is getting rid of category 1 development squads. We need to keep the pressure on them and empty stadiums will affect sponsorship deals.

The Trust could lead a boycott and help keep momentum going. You don't need unanimous support for it. The new stadium plans don't have unanimous support but the Trust fully backs those plans. Also, people can still make their own minds up as they did when choosing whether to buy a season ticket during Operation 3000.

The FL has strengthened its hand on the Trophy by bribing clubs with extra cash, the prospect of bigger development squads (Man City and Spurs) and local derbies in the group games! If you think that's a win for the fans, I'd hate to see a loss!  

A boycott failed last year. Why would it work this year? IMO something has to be done to keep the pressure on, but it's not by carrying on something that didn't work last season. If someone can come up with a better plan to keep the pressure on, I/we are all ears.

GTFC
Donny
Scunny
Sunderland

Confirmed group H.

Ah yes, the club that poached our youth team manager. Good to know we can help Sunderland's players of the future even more.

Boycotts only work when everybody sticks together.  The final last year was around 75,000.  This was a big PR coup for the organisers.  We are slowly losing the fight to stop significant (bad) change to how money and power prevail.

Quoted from brigg_mariner

GTFC
Donny
Scunny
Sunderland

Confirmed group H.

It could be Man U, Real Madrid, and Barcelona and I still wouldn't watch one second of it.
#harveyyouwanker

How exciting. Sunderland under 12s. Or as the OS will call them, FA Cup winners Sunderland.

Quoted from bax

The FL has strengthened its hand on the Trophy by bribing clubs with extra cash, the prospect of bigger development squads (Man City and Spurs) and local derbies in the group games! If you think that's a win for the fans, I'd hate to see a loss!  

A boycott failed last year. Why would it work this year? IMO something has to be done to keep the pressure on, but it's not by carrying on something that didn't work last season. If someone can come up with a better plan to keep the pressure on, I/we are all ears.

Improved attendances show the changes as a success. Surely ending the boycott would be the worst response? The boycott and game between fans seems like a great idea

Quoted from Southwark Mariner

Well I've rewritten it for them as I'm helpful like that:



The Mariners Trust Board remains unanimously against the inclusion of Category 1 under 21 teams in the Checkatrade Trophy. The Trust has listened to members – both on social media and through direct correspondence – and feels the inclusion of teams such as Manchester City and other top sides is against the ethos of the competition. We feel the issue has been handled poorly by the Football League and that fans’ views have not been listened to despite protests and boycotts last season, resulting in one of the lowest home attendances in the club’s history.

The Trust’s representative on the board of Grimsby Town FC voted against the measure when it was discussed ahead of the annual Football League meeting.

The Trust board respects the rights of fans to choose to attend matches as they see fit. However, it is clear that the majority of GTFC fans are against the inclusion of U21 teams and therefore the Trust will be promoting a boycott of this season's Checkatrade Trophy....whereas the rest of the GTFC board appear happy to sell their soul, drop their pants, put their fingers in their ears and chomp on anything Harvey puts their way

You missed a bit  

Quoted from bax

The FL has strengthened its hand on the Trophy by bribing clubs with extra cash, the prospect of bigger development squads (Man City and Spurs) and local derbies in the group games! If you think that's a win for the fans, I'd hate to see a loss!  

A boycott failed last year. Why would it work this year? IMO something has to be done to keep the pressure on, but it's not by carrying on something that didn't work last season. If someone can come up with a better plan to keep the pressure on, I/we are all ears.

In what way did it fail? They changed the format to try to foster more interest and throw more money at it. If they didn't get the message fully the first time we need to keep it up not give in. Make the boycott more complete - the Trust could take a leadership role instead of watering down its statements. A continuing and stronger boycott might eventually result in the right change in format.

Granted new ideas could be developed to up the pressure. How about the Trust getting together with trusts from other clubs and organising fans games on the same night as the trophy games? Subject to availability of grounds we could easily get bigger crowds than the official games. That would really be re-claiming football.

Any of these games televised? Organise a mass noisy protest outside the ground.

Put pressure on the sponsors. Other trades comparison websites exist and would be up for a bit of guerrilla marketing  

Get together with other clubs trusts and organise a delegation handing over a petition (48 clubs reps, several hundred thousand potential signatories) at FL headquarters.

I'm sure there must be many other ideas out there. The fans that came up with Operations Promotion and Mariachi have shown they can do it before.There's lots of creativity.

if I remember correctly most attendances were the lowest ever, then Coventry & Oxford ruined it in the final.