Bin the Carling Cup

[pilgrimmarc]

Am I alone in thinking the Carling Cup competition should be axed/binned?

The competition is a bit of a joke, 1st premiership clubs fielded weakened teams and now even lower division sides do the same. This week Watford fielded a completely new team of 11 players from the side that had played in the premiership at the weekend before.

I cannot see the point in a competition in generates little interest until the latter stages of the competition. Premiership teams do not care if they go out, they probably see it as a bonus, as less games played during the season. Unless they get to the semi's at which point they start to take it seriously.

If a League side beat a premiership club or higher league club it isn't even regarded as a scalp.

Does anyone know what the clubs get in return for the sponsorship from Carling?

[Placid Casual]

Does anyone know what the clubs get in return for the sponsorship from Carling?


Couple of barrels and a box of pork scratchings.

[Bluto11]

they shouldn't bin the Carling Cup, they should make the Champions League an actual "Champions" League, and the UEFA Cup with the winners of each domestic countries cup competition, so then the Carling Cup would be one of only 3 ways to get into Europe!

[SheffWedFan]

they shouldn't bin the Carling Cup, they should make the Champions League an actual "Champions" League, and the UEFA Cup with the winners of each domestic countries cup competition, so then the Carling Cup would be one of only 3 ways to get into Europe!

Wouldn't that then make the UEFA Cup into a new version of the old European Cup Winners Cup?

[pilgrimmarc]

There is only one competition in Europe and that's the Champions league. The UEFA Cup is treated like the Carling Cup in England no respect for the
competition.... early rounds no club cares how far they get, but get further in the competition and then they take it serious.

The losers are the fans who are being conned by their clubs and the sponsors!

The FA Cup will stand proud again if the Carling cup was no longer around.

[Peakite]

But its removal would mean one less chance of teams outside the Premiership qualifying from European competition, something not worth sacrificing.

[pilgrimmarc]

But its removal would mean one less chance of teams outside the Premiership qualifying from European competition, something not worth sacrificing.

It is not very often we see teams from outside the premiership qualifying for Europe. If they do the clubs would see it as a bit of experience with no expectation of winning and likely to go out within the first couple of rounds against some Eastern European team no one knows anything about.

Obviously from your view and others so far above I concede that maybe the Carling Cup is more important to fans than I imagined.

[SheffWedFan]

Are you seriously telling me that if, somehow, Argyle managed to win the Carling Cup this year, you wouldn't be happy at the prospect of them playing against - oh, I don't know - Seville, or Borussia Dortmund, or PSG, or Lazio?

I know I would - thats assuming Wednesday ever win another bloody match. ;)

[Bluto11]

Wouldn't that then make the UEFA Cup into a new version of the old European Cup Winners Cup?
it was the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup until 1971, then it became the UEFA Cup. I'm not sure how you really qualified for it, i think it was the runners up from the domestic leagues.

There was a cup called the Cup Winners Cup, which was open to the winners of the domestic cups of each country. This cup merged with the UEFA Cup in 1999.

at least I think.

[pilgrimmarc]

Are you seriously telling me that if, somehow, Argyle managed to win the Carling Cup this year, you wouldn't be happy at the prospect of them playing against - oh, I don't know - Seville, or Borussia Dortmund, or PSG, or Lazio?

I know I would - thats assuming Wednesday ever win another bloody match. ;)

If Argyle won the Carling Cup and qualified for Europe early in the season we could look forward to playing possibly PSG, Lazio reserves. Winning the Carling cup would be a bigger achievement than playing a couple of rounds in Europe.I don't think any club goes out to win the Carling Cup so they can play in Europe in a UEFA comp that plays 2nd fiddle to Champions League..

When clubs were being knocked out of Champions League they were given a place in the UEFA Cup and those clubs then failed miserably in that as well, because no one cares about winning that either until it dawns on them they may just win it.

Maybe as Sheff Wed have in recent times done well in the comp that is why you are keen to retain the competition and hence I am not, as it is not a cup Argyle do well in at all.

[el-capitano]

Why complain that the Premier League clubs field weaker teams? Most of these "weaker" teams usually contain more talent than the lower league first teams, and hence provide a good yardstick for the lower leagues.

I think that it is worthwhile keeping as it is something that gives another chance for all league sides.

[EllandRdRoo]

Definetly keep it, very good experience for the small clubs to host the big ones and try their best on a big stage.

[steveedster]

Of course its worth keeping. One of my proudest momenst as a Tranmere fan was watching my team in a cup final even though we lost. Its a fans trophy, a chance to see more lowly teams in a cup final against possible one of the big boys.

[scaryice]

It's a pointless competition.

What I want to know is, can a team choose not to participate? Is there any kind of punishment or fine if they don't?

[el-capitano]

It's a pointless competition.

Pointless for who? the big clubs - yes- but for the lower division clubs who have supporters as well, then its not pointless for them.

The soccer world does not revolve around ManU, Arse, Chelski & Liverpool.

There are other teams who do exist and they have lots of fans, who would love to have another cup in the trophy cabinet.

[pilgrimmarc]

Clubs are not obliged to remove themselves from the competition and originally clubs are not supposed to field weakened sides. The organisers have allowed this practice to happen as otherwise big clubs have threatened to boycott the cup, and the power they hold over the FA and Football league is huge. Now though even lower league clubs field weakened teams. That tells me that the clubs are not that interested in this competition.

The fans are being mislead. Sure a small club may reach the fianl but if getting there by beating weakened and disinterested teams is an achievement then knock me over with a feather.

[steveedster]

Well my team beat some 'full strength' sides back when we got to the final. It is still an important cup for the majority of teams and fans in England. get to the last 16 most teams take it seriously.

[pilgrimmarc]

Steve I can remember Tranmere getting to the Final and they did excite the neutrals by getting as far as they did and the manner in which they got there. Tranmere were entitled to glorify in their achievements.

Seems like only Scaryice agrees with me on this board. :(

[Catfish]

they shouldn't bin the Carling Cup, they should make the Champions League an actual "Champions" League, and the UEFA Cup with the winners of each domestic countries cup competition, so then the Carling Cup would be one of only 3 ways to get into Europe!
I completely agree, but alas it's all about the money, my man.

[pisstaker]

It is pointless unless you win it, then it takes on a whole new light. The winners thank Carling from the bottom of their champagne glasses for the chance to be in Europe. No pro would turn that chance down, so we can only assume that the big teams that don't field big sides early on, aren't too professional or too committed to "the game". No surprises there.