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This year the old Johnson paints trophy is no more. There is an EFL trophy which includes the 48 league 1 and 2 teams and the 16 class 1 academy teams. That should be a good watch for our young blues.

The rags have refused to enter. Maybe because their youth teams are shit. They said they want to concentrate on the u21 league.

I am in favour of this. Maybe it's the first tentative step to following the European model and having second teams in the lower league set up?

If the Rags have refused to enter then I'm all in favour. When you day u21s, don't you realy mean whoever they want to play, like half the first team?

A good move in my opinion, we need to at least give the youngsters a chance to shine, what better way to showcase them.

They need to play against adults, so it's a good step. I hope the FA don't sit back and think they've done enough now.

Beefymcfc wrote:If the Rags have refused to enter then I'm all in favour. When you day u21s, don't you realy mean whoever they want to play, like half the first team?

A good move in my opinion, we need to at least give the youngsters a chance to shine, what better way to showcase them.

Undoubtedly. Hammered at every level except U21, because they can play the likes of Janusaj.

Plus they don't want to enter this, or have a woman's team because they are miserable cunts of course

Will they have a final at Wembley?

lets all have a disco wrote:Will they have a final at Wembley?

They did for the JPT.

If our academy won it, would it count in our honours list (like for Wigan, Wolves, Swansea, Stoke et al, who've also won major honours), or in the academy's?

Wonderwall wrote:This year the old Johnson paints trophy is no more. There is an EFL trophy which includes the 48 league 1 and 2 teams and the 16 class 1 academy teams. That should be a good watch for our young blues.

The rags have refused to enter. Maybe because their youth teams are shit. They said they want to concentrate on the u21 league.

Chelsea and Liverpool have also turned it down.

JamieMCFC wrote:

Wonderwall wrote:This year the old Johnson paints trophy is no more. There is an EFL trophy which includes the 48 league 1 and 2 teams and the 16 class 1 academy teams. That should be a good watch for our young blues.

The rags have refused to enter. Maybe because their youth teams are shit. They said they want to concentrate on the u21 league.

Chelsea and Liverpool have also turned it down.

I wonder why. what good reason would there be to not give your juniors the opportunity to test themselves against senior footballers?

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

JamieMCFC wrote:

Wonderwall wrote:This year the old Johnson paints trophy is no more. There is an EFL trophy which includes the 48 league 1 and 2 teams and the 16 class 1 academy teams. That should be a good watch for our young blues.

The rags have refused to enter. Maybe because their youth teams are shit. They said they want to concentrate on the u21 league.

Chelsea and Liverpool have also turned it down.

I wonder why. what good reason would there be to not give your juniors the opportunity to test themselves against senior footballers?

Fear of embarrassment.

I like this.

Should get the young uns used to taking a bit of a kickin from journeymen and never weres. Can only be a good thing.

I've been firmly against academy teams joining the lower leagues. I'm trying to decide if this is any different or better. From a wider football point if view rather than just whether it is of value to City. I wonder what the smaller clubs fans are thinking of it.

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:I've been firmly against academy teams joining the lower leagues. I'm trying to decide if this is any different or better. From a wider football point if view rather than just whether it is of value to City. I wonder what the smaller clubs fans are thinking of it.

From a City point of view, I like it.

From a wider football point of view, I'm not sure what to make of it. Would players at clubs like Southend or Tranmere, for example, find it 'demeaning', and put in less effort? And would fans travel to see their team play Leicester or Southampton's Academies?

From what I've read, the Academy teams will only play one home game (out of 3 games in the group stages), but I wonder what people (players and fans alike) will think of travelling to some of these grounds? The Minihad (where I assume our games would be played) is smaller than almost all League One and League Two grounds, so it's hardly a 'glamour' fixture for players or fans from that perspective, either. Added to that, a fair few teams play at even less prestigious stadiums (we were at Ewen Fields until a couple of seasons ago).

I can imagine that if I were a lower league player, and my chance to win my club its most major honour in two or three decades, at Wembley, rested on beating an Under 21s team, then I would find it a bit less 'special' than I guess players do at the moment.

However, I think it's a better option than 'B' teams or Academies joining the lower leagues.

From what i read on it BiB, it stated the academies home game to be played in the clubs main stadium which would make sense as nobody else in the Prem has a minihad equivalent. Chelski play their U21 games at Aldershot 25+ miles from their own ground.

I agree from our perspective it would good and certainly better than playing lower league full time.

Surely the L1&2 clubs have been consulted?

CTID Hants wrote:From what i read on it BiB, it stated the academies home game to be played in the clubs main stadium which would make sense as nobody else in the Prem has a minihad equivalent. Chelski play their U21 games at Aldershot 25+ miles from their own ground.

I agree from our perspective it would good and certainly better than playing lower league full time.

Surely the L1&2 clubs have been consulted?

Ah, I didn't read that anywhere. I guess that'll mean the game can't clash with Champs/Europa League fixtures due to TV scheduling (although the UEFA Youth League probably prevented that possibility, too). Although most teams don't have a Minihad equivalent, a fair few play at the club's main stadium, while others play at Football League-level stadiums (as is the case with Chelsea using Aldershot's ground).

I think there were mixed feelings from FL clubs themselves, although the Football League itself would have probably had the final say.

we've declined the invite

Nigels Tackle wrote:we've declined the invite

Miserable cunts

Scatman wrote:

Nigels Tackle wrote:we've declined the invite

Miserable cunts

The club likes the idea of pitting their up-and-coming youngsters against seasoned professionals from Leagues One and Two.

But the competition starts with groups, and the fixture dates coincide with international fixtures in September, October and November.

City expect to have a fair number of their elite development and under-18 squad players in action for their national teams, so were concerned that they might not be able to put out a team which would do the club justice.

Spurs and Chelsea have expressed similar reservations, but Everton, Stoke and West Brom have all, apparently, indicated they will take part.

And with City set to field a team in the Uefa Youth League – if the senior side qualify for the Champions League – their club fixture schedule is also fairly heavy.

That means they have joined Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and United in declining the Football League's invitation, which was extended to every Premier League club with a category one academy.

But the Blues are not ruling out participation in the future, and have indicated to the organisers that if they do find dates in the calendar which would make it feasible, they would be interested.

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