Checkatrade Trophy – Arsenal to play in next season's competiton | Vital Football

Checkatrade Trophy – Arsenal to play in next season's competiton

T

The Imposter

Vital 1st Team Regular
Arsenal under-21s to take part, plus there will be a new rule in that players on loan out at National League clubs will be able to play for their parent club (how's that going to work if the club they are on loan at have a game the same night?)...

Also, it looks like we have sold more season tickets than last season....

EFL Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey, said: “Feedback from all levels of the game is indicating that the competition is starting to reap the benefits that we all envisaged at the outset of the revamp and I’m confident the format will continue to prosper with increasing support from Clubs and their fans.

“The Checkatrade Trophy will continue to provide young players, from Invited teams and EFL Clubs alike, with a unique opportunity to experience first team football and I look forward to seeing the stars of 2018/19 emerge as the competition progresses.

“Last season, we had the success of Lincoln City, who stated from the outset that the Checkatrade Trophy is a competition that they wanted to win. I was delighted for the Club’s fans when they made it to Wembley for the first time in their history. Of equal significance, will have been the financial return the Club achieved from the competition of over £500,000.

“The 48 EFL Clubs from League One and Two all received a financial boost from the 2017/18 competition and I am confident the increasing profile, as evidenced once again by the inclusion of yet another of English football’s biggest names, will help to encourage more fans to get behind their team in this unique competition format.”

Lincoln City Manager, Danny Cowley, said: “For us, the Checkatrade Trophy is a fantastic competition that gives lower league teams an opportunity to go to Wembley and win something.

“The competition brought about the club’s first ever visit to Wembley in our 134 year existence, and we took near on 30,000 people to Wembley for the Final which was a brilliant experience for everyone associated with the football club and will live long in everyone’s memory.

“Without a doubt the run to the final and the experience of fans seeing us winning the trophy has played a part already for the upcoming season, as we’ve seen over the close season so far that season ticket sales have already surpassed what we sold last year.”

A number of minor rule changes have been confirmed for 2018/19 with EFL Clubs now being given the opportunity to name players who are out on-loan at National League Clubs, whilst invited teams will only be able to name two players who are over the age of 21 and have made more than 40 First Team appearances.
 
No news in the season tkt sales as its already stated record numbers of sales over 6000!
 
New rule sounds crazy, but great that more top clubs are going to take part as long as it really is their youngsters playing and not multi million pound flops keeping their match fitness up (Iheanacho and Batshuayi both played last year). Chelsea did well and were unlucky to have to play the best team in the competition.
 
This is the second of the two year vote, so next summer is where Club's have to vote on U21 teams again.
 
Nearly 30,000, imagine how many we'd have taken had the checkatrade troph
y boycotter ms turned up!
 
The more prem teams they let in the more chance of one if not two could reach the final.
What would the crowd be for Arsenal U21 v Chelsea U21 Checkatrade Final?
 
clanfordimp said:
The more prem teams they let in the more chance of one if not two could reach the final.
What would the crowd be for Arsenal U21 v Chelsea U21 Checkatrade Final?
Click to expand...
Presumably they're hoping the increased restrictions on who is eligible for the U21 reduces the chances of that happening.
 
clanfordimp said:
The more prem teams they let in the more chance of one if not two could reach the final.
What would the crowd be for Arsenal U21 v Chelsea U21 Checkatrade Final?
Click to expand...
It does increase scouting opportunities for clubs for loans and possible transfers should the youngsters be released which in turn will hopefully stop talented players who just need game time from dropping out of the game and give them the opportunity to still have a career. That I assume is the hope anyway.
 
I am almost intrigued to see what happens should one of the U21 teams make the final. It probably will happen within the next couple of years and I would envisage a poor turn out by the supporters of whichever team that is. Would that then lead to a restriction on how far the U21 teams could go in the competition?
 
sedgleyimp said:
I am almost intrigued to see what happens should one of the U21 teams make the final. It probably will happen within the next couple of years and I would envisage a poor turn out by the supporters of whichever team that is. Would that then lead to a restriction on how far the U21 teams could go in the competition?
Click to expand...

Either that or their eligibility rules will be tightened again....
 
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