Bristol Street Motors trophy - round of 32

[Jerry St Clair]

After the final round of fixtures tonight we’ll be at home to one of:

Birmingham
Wimbledon
Cambridge
Stevenage
Leyton Orient
Northampton
Swindon

No u21 teams to ease a passage into the round of 16. Not really altogether keen on any of those. It’ll be a tough ask to progress. Probably Swindon or Northampton ideally?

[Artemis]

Swindon please. Revenge for the league game.

[Broadway Brian]

Stevenage please. Revenge for ‘you know when’.

When is the draw?

[Shade]

Nobody seems to know. I expect it'll get announced a fe whours before it's done on Sky Sports News or something...
It's no wonder everyone thinks it's the Tinpot Trophy when there's so little information about it online.

[WhaddonIrregular]

Anyone but Birmingham

[Broadway Brian]

Looks like there’s still one game to play - Rovrum v Bradfud next Tuesday, so expecting the draw to take place after then.

[Jerry St Clair]

Looks like there’s still one game to play - Rovrum v Bradfud next Tuesday, so expecting the draw to take place after then.

Confirmed that the draw will take place after the final group game (though not sure exactly what date).

An interesting snippet from this - Birmingham are in the Southern section of the draw while Aston Villa u21s are in the Northern half. So, they can't play each other unless they get deep into the final stages of the competition. Which is a shame. That would have been fun.

And by fun, obviously I mean horrific on many levels.

[Robin]

After the final round of fixtures tonight we’ll be at home to one of:

Birmingham
Wimbledon
Cambridge
Stevenage
Leyton Orient
Northampton
Swindon

No u21 teams to ease a passage into the round of 16. Not really altogether keen on any of those. It’ll be a tough ask to progress. Probably Swindon or Northampton ideally?

Some very winnable fixtures there with one potential exception and I get that depends upon whether they put out their second strong or not. Ideally I'd take Cambridge, Swindon or Northampton please.

[Artemis]

Draw takes place on Friday, 22nd ahead of the Championship game.

https://www.efl.com/news/2024/november/ ... f-32-draw/

[Warwickshire Robin]

JP saying we "will be at home to one of Birmingham City, AFC Wimbledon, Cambridge United or Stevenage in the last 32 of the EFL Trophy, with the draw on Friday evening. £20,000 for winning teams".

Not sure why we can't get Leyton Orient, Northampton or Swindon, but that doesn't leave us with a lot of good options!

[Jerry St Clair]

JP saying we "will be at home to one of Birmingham City, AFC Wimbledon, Cambridge United or Stevenage in the last 32 of the EFL Trophy, with the draw on Friday evening. £20,000 for winning teams".

Not sure why we can't get Leyton Orient, Northampton or Swindon, but that doesn't leave us with a lot of good options!

Yeah, looks like the southern draw is split into two halves. No explanation why. (Mind there is no logic to the competition full stop).

Not much to choose between the three other than Birmingham. That would obviously be horrible. He Who Must Not Be Named would return and undoubtedly score, and, in all probability, there would be more Brum fans inside Whaddon Road than Cheltenham. No thanks.

[Artemis]

The draw is split in half in such a way that it's ok for Stevenage or Cambridge to trudge half way across the country, but not for Swindon to be able to mosey on up the A417/9.

You couldn't make it up.

[Shade]

I haven't checked so this might be absolute balls, but I'm guessing the North and South Groups were also split into halves, so, for example, teams in groups A-D would be drawn against each other, and teams from E-H would be drawn against each other. Like at the Euros or World Cup...except with a draw after the group stage (because, why not, it's the EFL Trophy and it needs to be more obscure and drawn out). We just need a Bristol Street Motors wall chart to plan the Road to Wembley...

[Shade]

As if this trophy wasn't shambolic enough, it is no longer the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, and has been rebranded the Vertu Trophy with immediate effect...

[Si Robin]

It's because Vertu is the parent company of Bristol Street Motors and is rebranding all of it's brands to Vertu.

[PCrobin]

Shambolic is the word. Still bitter that the one time we had a decent run at it we had to play a one off semi-final on the home turf of our opponents. With a 20,000 crowd on our backs....and still only lost on penalties!

[asl]

I'm not sure this is "a shambles"... The sponsoring business has re-branded and wishes to have its new brand reflected in the sponsorship. Nothing at all to do with how tin-pot or otherwise the competition might be. Different matter if the sponsor had been removed for some reason and a new sponsor taken over.

[horlickfanclub]

I agree with asl. Not sure why some use any excuse to have a go at this competition. We have benefited finanancially and also been able to give games to young players or those coming back from injury. Bradbury and Kinsella are two who showed form in the trophy and are now in the First team. They can change name every week for all I care if we keep banking the cash.

[Shade]

Not sure why some assume that just because we've picked up money from the competition it doesn't mean it's not poorly run and there's lots of room for improvement.

Who changes the name of a competition half way through? It's just the definition of tinpot, allowing the sponsor to do that. I'm not knocking the competition for its benefits as mentioned above, obviously, but if the organisers ever want it to be taken more seriously and fans to turn up to games before the semis, it's not likely to happen with mid-season name changes and only finding out the draw is tomorrow and the teams we can face, in the last couple of days. If it feels like the organisers can barely be assed, the fans won't be.

[WhaddonIrregular]

Shambolic is the word. Still bitter that the one time we had a decent run at it we had to play a one off semi-final on the home turf of our opponents. With a 20,000 crowd on our backs....and still only lost on penalties!

I seem to remember we had a good run in 2006 but had to play in the week building up to the Newcastle game, so fielded a weakened team. Was it Colchester?

[Jerry St Clair]

Who changes the name of a competition half way through?

De ja vu.

Last season the contract with Papa John’s expired, no new sponsor could be found so it continued to be the called the Papa Johns until Bristol Street Motors took over in November.

[Malabus]

Anyone know if the prize money has increased since two years ago when we made it to the semi-finals.

[Fuller]

Drawn against Cambridge Utd at home.

[HamTown]

Drawn against Cambridge Utd at home.

Currently 22nd, best pick I think

[Shade]

Yeah, don't think we could have picked better. Not that it'll be easy.

[Malabus]

Very pleased with the draw. Should attract fans through the gate.

[Robin]

I agree with asl. Not sure why some use any excuse to have a go at this competition. We have benefited finanancially and also been able to give games to young players or those coming back from injury. Bradbury and Kinsella are two who showed form in the trophy and are now in the First team. They can change name every week for all I care if we keep banking the cash.

You do realise that the money involved is tiny right, we probably make a loss each match with tiny crowds and the floodlights on.

[Robin]

Shambolic is the word. Still bitter that the one time we had a decent run at it we had to play a one off semi-final on the home turf of our opponents. With a 20,000 crowd on our backs....and still only lost on penalties!

I seem to remember we had a good run in 2006 but had to play in the week building up to the Newcastle game, so fielded a weakened team. Was it Colchester?

Yep along with Salford the only two times we've made the quarter finals I believe. Anyway Cambridge home is very winnable, would be nice to get through and a third to the list.

[Robin]

Anyone know if the prize money has increased since two years ago when we made it to the semi-finals.

I might be wrong but I think it's £20k for a win in this round and £40k if you get through the quarters, technically nothing for winning the semi final as runners up get £50 and winners £100k.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

I agree with asl. Not sure why some use any excuse to have a go at this competition. We have benefited finanancially and also been able to give games to young players or those coming back from injury. Bradbury and Kinsella are two who showed form in the trophy and are now in the First team. They can change name every week for all I care if we keep banking the cash.

You do realise that the money involved is tiny right, we probably make a loss each match with tiny crowds and the floodlights on.

Don’t be so dismissive of the prize money. Beat Cambridge and we’ll probably have got around £50k in prize money so far, which can be the difference between being able to make a loan signing in January or not.

I think JP reported that the record breaking run under Wade in this tournament earned us over £150k in prize money.

[Fuller]

I’m pretty sure the game will be on Tuesday 10th December.
Let’s hope for decent weather and a good turnout.
Doubt Cambridge will bring many.

[Robin]

I agree with asl. Not sure why some use any excuse to have a go at this competition. We have benefited finanancially and also been able to give games to young players or those coming back from injury. Bradbury and Kinsella are two who showed form in the trophy and are now in the First team. They can change name every week for all I care if we keep banking the cash.

You do realise that the money involved is tiny right, we probably make a loss each match with tiny crowds and the floodlights on.

Don’t be so dismissive of the prize money. Beat Cambridge and we’ll probably have got around £50k in prize money so far, which can be the difference between being able to make a loan signing in January or not.

I think JP reported that the record breaking run under Wade in this tournament earned us over £150k in prize money.

Yes IF we beat Cambridge maybe it can help but the group stages we are probably losing money with operational costs so some of the prize money is already spent. I would like us to have a run again just saying don't look at it as money which can go to January unless we run deep in the comp.

[Fuller]

I haven’t seen any official confirmation of the fixture v Cambridge Utd, but it was mentioned at the forum last night it is on Tuesday 10th December kick off 7pm.
Tickets available on the official website now. Be good to see a half decent turnout.

[horlickfanclub]

You do realise that the money involved is tiny right, we probably make a loss each match with tiny crowds and the floodlights on.

Don’t be so dismissive of the prize money. Beat Cambridge and we’ll probably have got around £50k in prize money so far, which can be the difference between being able to make a loan signing in January or not.

I think JP reported that the record breaking run under Wade in this tournament earned us over £150k in prize money.

Yes IF we beat Cambridge maybe it can help but the group stages we are probably losing money with operational costs so some of the prize money is already spent. I would like us to have a run again just saying don't look at it as money which can go to January unless we run deep in the comp.

We have not lost money on this competition . The Chairman stated so at the forum.

[paperboy]

Don’t be so dismissive of the prize money. Beat Cambridge and we’ll probably have got around £50k in prize money so far, which can be the difference between being able to make a loan signing in January or not.

I think JP reported that the record breaking run under Wade in this tournament earned us over £150k in prize money.

Yes IF we beat Cambridge maybe it can help but the group stages we are probably losing money with operational costs so some of the prize money is already spent. I would like us to have a run again just saying don't look at it as money which can go to January unless we run deep in the comp.

We have not lost money on this competition . The Chairman stated so at the forum.

As they are all night matches our solar panels are a big help one imagines too.
Out of curiosity do our lights have LED bulbs?