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Challenge Cup 2017-18


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2 hours ago, NewBornBairn said:

Scottish Professional Football League chief executive Neil Doncaster has admitted that Uefa's willingness to sanction Irish and Welsh teams taking part in the Scottish Challenge Cup could open the door for Celtic and Rangers to play in England. (Scottish Sun) http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40197933

 

And there's the entire thinking behind this clusterfuck

 

39 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

Doubt it. It's hardly the first example of a cross border competition.

I don't think the EPL would be any more interested in having the OF than they would taking Ajax or PSG.

That was funny though.

 

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On ‎07‎/‎06‎/‎2017 at 12:38, liam_barnett said:

They've announced the non-Scottish teams are in at 2nd round, I presume the rest will be the same as last season?

http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/irn-bru-cup-expanded-for-201718/

It says "56 teams in total". Deduct 6 clubs from Northern Ireland, Wales and Eire entering leaves you with 50 fighting for a maximum 26 places in R2 - i.e. only 2 of those 50 can get a bye?

Presumably the 50 will again be 30 SPFL clubs + 4 Highland clubs + 4 Lowland clubs + 12 'B' teams = 50.

So it would reduce the completion by a round and bring the non-Scottish teams in a round early, but would also force Championship clubs into R1.

As with last season it isn't obvious why they wouldn't invite 5 Highland & 5 Lowland (v presumably giving Inverness and Falkirk a bye).

Last season 'B' teams had to win 2 rounds to face a Championship team - only Celtic 'B' did this, but drew SPFL1 club Livingston who thrashed them - but this time they could meet in the opening draw. That also raises the chance of several interesting possible mis-matches... you could get Dundee 'B' v Dundee Utd and Ross County 'B' v Inverness.

 

On ‎11‎/‎05‎/‎2017 at 10:15, Only one David Marsh said:

I still think they are using this to eventually allow colt teams into the league but again fans need to boycott this monstrosity 

SPFL press release earlier - to consult member clubs on allowing 'B' teams into the league:

http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/spfl-consults-with-clubs-on-colt-teams/

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Would quite like to see English teams as well in it next season. If they are keeping the colt teams, perhaps maybe the top 4 from the Conf North/South from the previous season could be invited to go up to 64?

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  • 2 weeks later...

1st round draw on Tuesday is at 1pm live on the SPFL Facebook page & there's no seedings but it's by north & south: 

North Section:

Aberdeen U20 
Alloa 
Arbroath 
Brechin 
Brora Rangers 
Buckie Thistle 
Cove Rangers 
Cowdenbeath 
Dundee U20 
Dundee United 
Dunfermline 
East Fife 
Elgin 
Forfar 
Formartine United 
Hearts U20 
Hibs U20 
Montrose 
Peterhead 
Raith Rovers
Ross County U20 
Stenhousemuir 
Stirling 
St Johnstone U20 

South Section:

Airdrieonians
Albion Rovers
Annan Athletic
Ayr United
Berwick Rangers
Celtic U20
Clyde
Dumbarton
East Kilbride
East Stirling
Edinburgh City
Hamilton U20
Kilmarnock U20
Livingston
Morton
Motherwell U20
Partick U20
QOS
Queen’s Park
Rangers U20
Spartans
Stirling University
St Mirren
Stranraer


http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/spfl-reveal-updated-irn-bru-cup-format/ 

1st round matches on Tuesday 15th & Wednesday 16th August, entering at round 2 are Falkirk, ICT & as we know the 6 non-Scottish clubs.

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The potential for U20s to face Championship teams is such a desperate attempt to boost crowds it's almost comical.

LOOK HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED THIS YEAR

No, St Johnstone U20s just played Dundee United at Tannadice in front of 595 people, instead of someone like Montrose in front of 130.

In fact, just look at that sentence. St Johnstone U20s v Dundee United in an actual, 'serious' game.

This is madness. A large scale boycott is needed again. Some of our clubs might only listen if it hits them where it hurts.

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40 minutes ago, liam_barnett said:

North Section:

Aberdeen U20 
Alloa 
Arbroath 
Brechin 
Brora Rangers 
Buckie Thistle 
Cove Rangers 
Cowdenbeath 
Dundee U20 
Dundee United 
Dunfermline 
East Fife 
Elgin 
Forfar 
Formartine United 
Hearts U20 
Hibs U20 
Montrose 
Peterhead 
Raith Rovers
Ross County U20 
Stenhousemuir 
Stirling 
St Johnstone U20 
 

Aberdeen U20 away please. Desperate for a match up here :lol: 

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10 minutes ago, Sonsteam of 08 said:

The potential for U20s to face Championship teams is such a desperate attempt to boost crowds it's almost comical.

LOOK HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED THIS YEAR

No, St Johnstone U20s just played Dundee United at Tannadice in front of 595 people, instead of someone like Montrose in front of 130.

In fact, just look at that sentence. St Johnstone U20s v Dundee United in an actual, 'serious' game.

This is madness. A large scale boycott is needed again. Some of our clubs might only listen if it hits them where it hurts.

It's so transparent it's laughable, yet they truly think they can fool us. 

The under 20s teams were mostly battered by League 1 and 2 teams, with only Celtic under 20s getting to the 4th round, where they were giving a 5-1 hiding by Livingston, a League 1 team at the time.

Imagine one of the under 20s teams playing a Championship team. They'll be mauled. In front of 10 fans.

Get this nonsense to f**k.

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26 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

It's so transparent it's laughable, yet they truly think they can fool us. 

The under 20s teams were mostly battered by League 1 and 2 teams, with only Celtic under 20s getting to the 4th round, where they were giving a 5-1 hiding by Livingston, a League 1 team at the time.

Imagine one of the under 20s teams playing a Championship team. They'll be mauled. In front of 10 fans.

Get this nonsense to f**k.

As much as I'd hate a team to take it seriously, I'd love a Championship side to dish out double figures to someone. I wonder what positive spin they'd whip up on that.

How come Rangers U20s are in it by the way? I thought they had withdrawn from the Development League because they weren't finding it challenging enough...despite the fact they finished 8th last year or something.

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Wouldn't watch us against an U20 team, but the trip to Crusaders last season was fucking dynamite. Would quite happily take any of the non-Scottish teams away again, failing that, a non-leaguer away. f**k having to play a league side again.

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1 minute ago, Afro said:

Wouldn't watch us against an U20 team, but the trip to Crusaders last season was fucking dynamite. Would quite happily take any of the non-Scottish teams away again, failing that, a non-leaguer away. f**k having to play a league side again.

What was the street life like?

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How long do they keep this regionalised for?

As others have said, looks very much like a way of trying to get the Colt teams 1) playing in front of slightly bigger crowds and 2) playing the non Scottish teams.

This could be a really enjoyable tournament if they launched the Colts and added the remaining Lowland League and Highland League teams. Could stick the EoS and SoS champions in too. Promotes the idea of the pyramid and gives an extra carrot to try and tempt more Juniors across.

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At Falkirk, it's free to attend any of our Development League matches and we finished above 7 of the Premiership sides. Why the f**k would anyone pay to see our first team against a side our U20s can already compete with? :lol:

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Celtic 'B' were the only ones to make R3 last season (half of them lost in R1), and as soon as they played a full-timer they too were thrashed. Most of the 'B' crowds were dire.

Making the 6 non-Scottish clubs enter in the Last 32 not Last 16 is an improvement on last year, and also gets rids of what was R1; but the glaring controversy remains inclusion of 'B' teams.

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Btw, I see a significant increase in the prizemoney pot is being trumpeted...

... amounting to the equivalent of a whole £485 per club :lol:. Of course there are 2 more teams to share the pot now, too.

I wonder if everyone still gets a crate of mineral water?

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As I recall last time around the prizemoney in the early rounds was a whole £500 more than before and there was nothing at all for being on TV (as it had all been rolled into the prize pot to prop it up and pay £4,000 to teams required to travel to Wales/Ireland - incidentally I see that's been increased by £1,000).

Every little helps - but if you draw one of the 'B' teams and the crowd is even 40 or so paying adults lower than it would have been against an actual club, your £500 has disappeared.

In practice only 2 of 19 ties involving 'B' teams last time got over 500 - one of those was Livi v Celtic 'B' in R3. More typical were the 13 which got under 400, 7 under 300 and 3 under 200.

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