The Capital One Cup – aka the League Cup – kicks off on Tuesday UK time but has been almost forgotten about with all the new season fanfare.
With all the hype of the opening day weekend just gone, does the League Cup capture the imagination this early in the season? Or in fact at all, as most of the big names tend to play second string sides, and a lot of the lower teams have bigger fish to fry in their own division – with Sheffield Utd and Bradford City being the recent exceptions.
The FA Cup is loved for its tradition and giant killings, whereas the League Cup seems to be a minor nuisance. Is it because the League Cup is seen as poor man’s FA Cup or that the football fans have only room for one competition in their hearts? Either way, maybe it’s time to do something a little more radical to shake it up.
For the neutral, it’s always interesting to see lower division teams getting as far as possible, or at least giving the big boys a hard time, and the FFA Cup in Australia might just have the answer. While that competition is a little too heavily manufactured to ensure one non-A League in the final four, some lessons can be taken in ensuring the lower teams get as far as possible and give them the best chance of putting on a show.
Here’s a suggestion to spice it up a bit, without ruining too much of the fabric of a normal Cup competition.
Round 1
Championship, League One and League Two teams are drawn against teams in their own division only. This ensures 12 teams from each division move to the next round.
Round 2
The 12 teams from each division continue to play teams within their own division to leave 6 teams from each level to the third round.
The bottom 12 EPL teams play against each other, with the 9 worst from last year plus three promoted sides. In total, 6 sides from the EPL remain in the draw.
Round 3
The six teams each from the Championship enter. League One, and League Two are joined by the 6 winners from the EPL side of Round 2, plus the top 8 EPL sides who have yet to play. This leaves 32 teams remaining.
From here it is open slather. Until the semi-finals all games are played at the home ground of the lower-ranked side from the year before.
Not that will guarantee upsets, but it will provide a bigger chance. It gives the lower-ranked sides a little and sometimes much needed cash boost if they draw a big gun. With a game less for the top 8 EPL sides, it will be easier for them to participate as they have just five games to a final.
Round 4
16 teams play each other with the lower ranked team at home.
Round 5
8 teams play each other with the lower ranked team at home.
Semi finals
There will be one leg only – played at neutral venue – maybe even trying out something like the new Olympic Stadium or Millenium Stadium or Wembley.
Otherwise, perhaps the best for and against from Round 3 onwards gets the right to host, putting a little more emphasis on all the games.
Either way, the most important thing is that there will be only one game – no more two-legged semi final series.
Final
The final will take place at Wembley Stadium.
That’s just a quick revamp idea that could work. Of course nothing tops your side winning and progressing for interest in this competition.
For those interested, here is the Round 1 fixtures to be played mostly on Tuesday night UK and Wednesday 4:55am in Australia.
Round 1
Accrington V Hull
Blackburn V Shrewsbury
Brentford V Oxford Utd
Bristol Rovers V Birm C
Cardiff V Wimbledon
Carlisle V Chesterfield
Charlton V Dag and Red
Colchester V Reading
Fleetwood V Hartlepool
Huddersfield V Notts Co
Ipswich V Stevenage
Luton V Bristol City
Millwall V Barnet
MK Dons V Leyton Orient
Morecambe V Sheff Utd
Northampton V Blackpool
Nottm Forest V Walsall
Peterborough V Crawley
Plymouth V Gillingham
Port Vale V Burnley
Rochdale V Coventry
Rotherham V Cambridge
Scunthorpe V Barnsley
Sheff Wed V Mansfield
Southend V Brighton
Swindon V Exeter
Wigan V Bury
Wolves V Newport
Wycombe V Fulham
Yeovil V QPR
York V Bradford
Bolton V BurtonWednesday
Crewe V Preston
Oldham V Middlesbrough
Portsmouth V DerbyThursday
Doncaster v Leeds
cm
Guest
So, further to my point just above. It helps to have some idea of the names. Originally, the Football League was created in the 19th century and included the professional clubs. Basically it was to have a regular league competition between them. This expanded over the years to include four divisions Below that you had regional leagues (north and south, and then smaller and smaller) and now there is a national "conference" league - outside the Football League but nationwide. The creation of the Premier League in 1992 was effectively the richest clubs breaking away from the Football League to form their own competition, although there would still be relegation and promotion and both would have the FA as the overarching body. Division One -> Premier League -> Premier League Division Two -> Division One -> Championship Division Three -> Division Two - >League One Division Four -> Division Three -> League Two League Cup is for the professional Clubs, run by the Football League FA Cup open to clubs below, run by the Football Association This is why I reckon they should just have the League cup being for the clubs in the Football League.
At work
Roar Rookie
Thanks Shannon Meyer. I can understand why the top division teams don't take it too seriously, as it is too similar to the FA Cup. I agree bringing in all 4 nations would probably propel it to where it wants to be. I love the sound of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, we should have a similar thing in Australia for the NPL teams called the Dulux Wash & Wear Cup.
The Gurgler
Roar Guru
The League Cup is limited to the 92 EPL/Football League Teams whereas the FA Cup is open to any team and has multiple qualifying rounds before Round 1 of the FA Cup starts. The EPL and Championship teams only join in Round 3. Leagues One and Two and the best of the Non League teams meet in Round 1. Leagues One and Two get their own cup - the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Further down there's the FA Trophy (National/Conference and below) and FA Vase for Non League Teams from the seventh tier downards. All finalists in each cup get a day out at Wembley though. I don't mind the sound of all four nations - not a bad idea at all.
At work
Roar Rookie
Can somebody give me a quick run down of how the League Cup differs to the FA Cup?
cm
Guest
I've never got why (okay, I do get it, money) after the Premier League split from the Football League the League cup didn't become something only for the Football League proper. That'd be my solution. A League Cup for the League.
cm
Guest
Not bad Gurudoright!
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Why not go for the entire 3 Lions and have the Angevin Cup. I'm not sure how keen the Eastern Irish, Normans and Gascons will be to compete in it though :)
Gurudoright
Guest
Another way could be to turn it into a 'British Cup' where the Scottish, Welsh and possibly Northern/ Irish league team all play in the same cup. It would add an extra preliminary round if done right but it would be good to see Celtic vs Chelsea in a cup tie or Hearts vs Liverpool or Bangor City vs Sunderland. It could capture the attention of Britain and could be classed as the champions of Britain. Just a thought