Welsh EFL Clubs to Play in Welsh League Cup

…with the prospect of qualifying for Europe under new proposals by the FAW.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cwyl0r8d81lo

Sounds promising.
I take it we’d be sacrificing our spot in the English League Cup (which is a bit of a Mickey Mouse anyway). Could be good for us and the other clubs, good for Welsh grass roots football, the national side, even the profile of the country as a whole. Can’t see this being anything other than a win win.

As much as I love competing in EFL competitions, I have missed that local/Welsh connection we used to enjoy via the Welsh Cup, FAW Cup, and the Gwent Senior Cup. At the moment there’s no way for us to face the majority of clubs in our own country unless it’s a friendly and that, to me, is a bit bonkers when you think about it.

But that's the choice we made when we decided that we wanted to compete in the EFL and not the new nation wide Welsh League.

We won the Welsh Cup only once in 60 or 70 years of trying and are unlikely to improve on this record. There's nought in this for us. Stay out of it.

I agree. Does anyone really think the financial reward for (maybe) making a bit of progress in this Cup will be other than peanuts. Probably end up with a midweek trip to TNS or Bala. Not something we should be contemplating.

To be fair, I don’t see us winning the English League Cup either.

I could understand the argument if it were the FA Cup we’d be sacrificing but not this.

FA cup winners qualify to represent England in Europe. So we might be expelled from that as well. I would prefer the realistic chance of meeting top EFL competition each year  a thousand times over than the mediocrity of a place in a Welsh Cup.

If County were to enter a Welsh Cup I hardly think it likely we would be prevented from playing in the FA Cup.

George Guest wrote:FA cup winners qualify to represent England in Europe. So we might be expelled from that as well. I would prefer the realistic chance of meeting top EFL competition each year  a thousand times over than the mediocrity of a place in a Welsh Cup.

Swansea won the English league cup in 2013 and represented England the following year in the Europa league.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_Football_League_Cup

If the cost of playing in the Welsh League Cup was sacrificing our FA Cup spots then I can’t see any of the clubs going for it.

The mention of the FA Cup is someone's speculation. The League Cup is a more likely sacrifice, which although bringing in nothing other than gate receipts has generated a few interesting fixtures and the occasional successful first round match. Not worth giving up for a trip to Haverfordwest. Just ask who is to gain. Only the Welsh FA by breathing a bit of life into their competition.

From reading the BBC story it appears that the FAW is concerned about the very low status of Wales in European competitions (50th out of 55 federations). It seems that we are no longer "No more Welsh than Gateshead" and are needed to help boost the status of Welsh club football in the eyes of UEFA.

Participation in the EFL cup isn't just about money, it provides useful competition of a high standard for our second string early in the season. Unusually we went out in the first round this season. We usually get to the second round.

excessbee wrote:The mention of the FA Cup is someone's speculation. The League Cup is a more likely sacrifice, which although bringing in nothing other than gate receipts has generated a few interesting fixtures and the occasional successful first round match. Not worth giving up for a trip to Haverfordwest. Just ask who is to gain. Only the Welsh FA by breathing a bit of life into their competition.

The League Cup is a competition for League clubs, so long as we remain in the league we will remain in that Cup also.

I suppose trip to Haverfordwest on a cold Tuesday is uninviting but look on the bright side, a tie against Cardiff, Swansea or Wrexham with European football at stake might draw in a half decent crowd don't you think?

The last time we played Cardiff our people were abused by the Cardiff police and ridiculously we ended up with the most football banning orders in the 4th tier. I wouldn't give you tuppence for a match against Cardiff.

George Guest wrote:The last time we played Cardiff our people were abused by the Cardiff police and ridiculously we ended up with the most football banning orders in the 4th tier. I wouldn't give you tuppence for a match against Cardiff.

Back in 1970 I recall watching County playing league games in front of sub 2000 'crowds'. A Welsh Cup tie ending 1-1 v Cardiff drew over 7,000. My first away game we lost the replay 4-0.

Remember 1980. 2-0. The Argus headline referring to Cardiff 'Out run, out played, out classed'. Or the 18,000 v CZJ. George you may not give tuppence for all that, some of us would.

excessbee wrote:I agree. Does anyone really think the financial reward for (maybe) making a bit of progress in this Cup will be other than peanuts. Probably end up with a midweek trip to TNS or Bala.  Not something we should be contemplating.

But we'd progress to the next round if we won that game.

I can't see us being allowed to drop out of any FA or EFL competitions in order to play in this. If so, it would mean either more games for the players or needing a bigger squad.

It's a proposition at the moment. The upside from the Welsh League sides is the opportunity to play against Welsh EFL sides and the financial boost that would provide. For Welsh football it's the opportunity to boost the standing in UEFA competitions and so be eligible for more positions in European club competitions. The devil, as often, will be in the detail of talks between the FAW, the English FA and UEFA.

I guess it also depends on how serious the competition is taken by the Welsh EFL sides in the initial stages. Sure they'd be interested in competing in Europe, but if its likely to be a weakened line up in the early rounds then it just becomes an additional Mickey Mouse cup...

If they stick with the schedule form last season, the first two rounds were played pre-season with 2 further rounds in September and October with the semi-finals and final played during the January transfer window

I would expect the Welsh EFL sides to use the first 2 rounds as part of pre-season preparation then generally play weakest side possible that they believe will win them the tie, much as the Premier League sides do with the FA Cup in the nest 2 rounds.

If they get through the first four rounds on that basis, teams fielded in the semi and final would likely be stronger but will still depend on league position at the time and could be used to introduce January signings to the team.

According to Nelson the Club have received no contact whatsoever from the Welsh FA about this idea. So is this story just froth with no real substance?

Let's hope it stays that way.

Taunton iron cider wrote:According to Nelson the Club have received no contact whatsoever from the Welsh FA about this idea. So is this story just froth with no real substance?

Makes you wonder why and by whom it was leaked to the press?

My guess would be someone who wants to take a swipe at the four EFL clubs. There is something there for everyone to dislike. Accept the suggestion and then we can be bashed for wanting the Welsh place in Europe whilst competing in a English league. Reject it and we are seen as being unsupportive of an initiative to raise the ranking of Welsh football. It's a bonkers plan....if indeed it even is a plan, rather than something dreamt up down the pub.

excessbee wrote:My guess would be someone who wants to take a swipe at the four EFL clubs. There is something there for everyone to dislike. Accept the suggestion and then we can be bashed for wanting the Welsh place in Europe whilst competing in a English league. Reject it and we are seen as being unsupportive of an initiative to raise the ranking of Welsh football. It's a bonkers plan....if indeed it even is a plan, rather than something dreamt up down the pub.

As I said earlier in the thread 'the devils in the details'. I suspect the details thrashed out with UEFA will make it unacceptable to the four EFL sides. It sounds to me like something the FAW are discussing with the English FA and UEFA but haven't progressed much, so the EFL clubs owners may have been convassed for their opinion 'in principle' only. Many people on SM are wondering where Merthyr stand in this idea. Are they included or not? And should they be or not?

The leak will have come from the FAW...

wattsville_boy wrote:

excessbee wrote:My guess would be someone who wants to take a swipe at the four EFL clubs. There is something there for everyone to dislike. Accept the suggestion and then we can be bashed for wanting the Welsh place in Europe whilst competing in a English league. Reject it and we are seen as being unsupportive of an initiative to raise the ranking of Welsh football. It's a bonkers plan....if indeed it even is a plan, rather than something dreamt up down the pub.

As I said earlier in the thread 'the devils in the details'.  I suspect the details thrashed out with UEFA will make it unacceptable to the four EFL sides.  It sounds to me like something the FAW are discussing with the English FA and UEFA but haven't progressed much, so the EFL clubs owners may have been convassed for their opinion 'in principle' only.  Many people on SM are wondering where Merthyr stand in this idea.  Are they included or not?  And should they be or not?

The leak will have come from the FAW...

If the leak did come from the FAW and we assume that as it is their proposal they actually want this to go ahead. Who was the leak intended to put pressure on in order that they would agree with the proposal?

I think that fans who supported Newport AFC through the years of exile which ended in 1994 are likely to be wary of any suggestion that we engage with the FAW and Welsh football beyond the minimum necessary to continue as a EFL club. Not forgetting that the FAW did not relent or act with good grace. They had to be taken to court which cost Welsh football a lot of money that would have been better spent on improving facilities for their clubs.

George Guest wrote:I think that fans who supported Newport AFC through the years of exile which ended in 1994 are likely to be wary of any suggestion that we engage with the FAW and Welsh football beyond the minimum necessary to continue as a EFL club. Not forgetting that the FAW did not relent or act with good grace. They had to be taken to court which cost Welsh football a lot of money that would have been better spent on improving facilities for their clubs.

I understand that point and the anger of older fans that remember the whole sorry episode. I'm someone that has supported County since the early 1970's but missed out on much of the shenanigans because I was living and working in London before the internet allowed the information sharing of today. I think if I'd remained locally I would have been as vocal as anyone at the time. But how long do you hold a grudge for? 1994 was thirty years ago and the relationship County have with the FAW is far different to those days, perhaps not in the minds of some supporters, but at club level...