Accrington 0-2 Bolton (Papa Johns Trophy)

Well done Bolton. Cracking result!
I only just found out that you get an extra league point if you win the trophy. Has that always been the case?

The goals -

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The Trafford

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Biggie wrote:Well done Bolton. Cracking result!
I only just found out that you get an extra league point if you win the trophy. Has that always been the case?

Sounds like a load of bollocks that to me.

Biggie with his usual crap

Was a good result in the end, thought it wasn’t going to be our day, especially after hitting the post and crossbar. But fortunately we finally found the back of the net…twice.

So who’s going to Wembley?
I expect Nat will be going.

I’ll be there too

I'm pleased for the fans who went last night, and those who are into this kind of competition. However, I suspect a decade from now they'll be the same people moaning that Man City's B Team has won the Championship 5 years running.

Natasha Whittam wrote:I'm pleased for the fans who went last night, and those who are into this kind of competition. However, I suspect a decade from now they'll be the same people moaning that Man City's B Team has won the Championship 5 years running.

Surely that’s up to the EFL to show some backbone and tell the PL to naff off. Why should they have any involvement with an EFL competition when they begrudge every penny they’re forced to pay for anything below their level? The buffoons who agreed to letting them enter want dismissing in my opinion.

Whitesince63 wrote:Surely that’s up to the EFL to show some backbone and tell the PL to naff off. Why should they have any involvement with an EFL competition when they begrudge every penny they’re forced to pay for anything below their level? The buffoons who agreed to letting them enter want dismissing in my opinion.

Like they showed backbone when it was suggested U21 teams play in the Papa John competition?

No, very soon I'm guessing the PL will float the idea of their 'B' teams starting in League 2. They'll point to the scenes at Accrington and Plymouth this week and a 50,000 crowd for the final as evidence the fans will embrace it.

If every football fan had my moral backbone then this would be dead in the water, but sadly people are all about short term gain. Who cares about the future of football when you can dance on Accrington's pitch for 20 minutes.

I tend to think the lines are already blurred for lower division clubs already, in that most if not all of them have loanee's from PL and Championship clubs for the season anyway.  Just look at us, arguably the best two players we've had over the season is Bradley (Liverpool) and Trafford (City) and for the remainder of the season we now also have Shoretire (United).

If we lose all three of them next season will we be the same successful side as we have been this season - I highly doubt it.

Whether we like it or not (I don't) the lower leagues are now just a testing grounds for PL clubs to give their youngsters some experience and that flow of logic would therefore follow that giving access to a cup competition for PL U23's would similarly give them a grounding in a 'proper' professional grown mans knock out competition.

It's just the way it is these days - the past ways of doing things have long since gone.

In fact it wouldn't surprise me if say the likes of City, Chelsea or a number of other clubs who have hoovered up the country's (and abroad) youngest talents, actually entered their full strength U21 team (say the Trafford's, Bradley's etc hadn't gone out on loans to other clubs) then they would be the teams reaching the semi's and finals and not the likes of us, Accrington, Cheltenham and Plymouth.

I won't be going to the final but I don't begrudge our fans who are and hope they thoroughly enjoy it.

It might be the last cup final we ever reach for the foreseeable future.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

It's called having morals. I am against this competition because it is the first step towards Premier League clubs having B-teams in the Football League pyramid. I'm not going against my principles just to have a day out in Accrington or London.

Its this for me as well, i haven't been to or watched any up to last night i weakened because my brother in law was watching on sky he invited me round. The crowds have been woeful then all of a sudden its off to Wembley, i am pleased for the club owners and the cash it generates. But its a disgrace that a club of our standing have to play premier kids on  equal terms

Their managers moan - Trafford should have been sent off and it was never a sending off for his player!

The Trafford incident - rushes out of his area to head the ball away but clashes with one of their players who ends up being stretchered off!

The referee deemed that Trafford was purely watching the ball and never had any intent to injure.

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Their players (knee high) tackle...

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Evans bringing a tear to my eye.

It was very good man management and I'm really pleased for Kachunga that he got the goal and the manager and team are all behind him despite all the shit he gets from social media.

YES, I was really pleased to see Kachunga score.