Being the obsessed Rangers hater that I am, I was reading McMurdo's latest blog in which he is spouting his usual garbage about it being a "free-for-all" against Rangers, due to a shelf-stacker having the temerity to tweet nasty comments about Fat Salary McCoist. http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/blog-2/ However, he then decides to jump from this: () To this: A bit of a leap, but I actually think he raises a good point. Clearly the idea needs to be fine-tuned but I for one would definitely enjoy seeing a cup in which the league teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England compete, and have it replace the League Cup, which is just utter mince. I know the sheer number of teams involved would be a huge obstacle and how you would thin them out, along with the possibility of lower league teams *cough cough* resisting the idea because the current set up is undoubtedly their best chance of mixing it with the big guns every season, but surely it's a good idea in terms of rejuvenating interest?
Yeah I like it, but as a free for all. Most likely it'll be regional until the semis. That's if it ever happened....which it won't Thread closed
Regional is a good shout, but i'd say only until the quarters, then it should get mixed up. I had gathered the idea wasn't exactly on the table awaiting a vote - hence why the question was: "is it a good idea in terms of rejuvenating interest", rather than "what are the chances of this happening?".
I've long thought this was a good idea. Scotland and England are unusual in having a second cup competition. Despite many changes to the format, nobody knows quite what to do with it and it has become devalued to the point of being almost meaningless. Probably most realistic is to let the league cups run until the semi stage in each country and then combine to create a British Cup quarter final stage. Even better would be if we could find a way of having the top two from Wales (Swansea and Cardiff City) along with top two from Scotland (Let's face it: in the long run Rangers and Celtic) compete with three from England and one from Northern Ireland. That would be a real British Cup. Might find some interest from TV, hence more money and hence more interest from clubs. Not sure how you would arrange it though.
Sorry if this has been suggested, read the OP then skipped to post a reply: Have each country play their league cups as normal until you get down to the last 8 from each country, then have the 32 teams dumped into a pot for a home nations cup tournament.
Don't call it a home nations cup if you want to have Irish teams in it. ......bigot. Irish teams are **** and so are welsh and a Scotch ones (Cept Sellick).
No way English clubs would go for this, the finalists would end up playing more games then they currently do if the above suggestions were followed. The only way it could be feasible is by just the top flight teams taking part but then what would be in it for them?? The novelty of playing a Scottish team would soon wear off and bar Celtic you would be looking for a shock by the Arabs or Aberdeen for a Scottish side to even win a game!! The idea is a good one, but it should have been put forward 20 years ago when Celtic and Rangers were beating English sides in Europe and the English would have liked the extra competition.
I'm a self-confessed Hunholic and I admit this in my OP. So no, and I never will. The only reason I support Celtic is to beel' about the huns. Imagine my suffering since I've been banned off the hun board
The winners of the 4 league cups (Scot/Eng/Norn/Wal) should enter a home/away knockout tournament with the winners getting an Europa League spot, if the winners have already qualified then the winning teams home country gets an additional Europa spot. Would give the League cup some much needed meaning since the European spot was removed years ago.
But who gives the winner a Europa spot?? Dont all League Cup winners already get a Europa place in Scotland and England?
Not in Scotland, they removed that ~10 years ago (i think). But given the amount of smaller countries that get added to the European competitions each year, it wouldnt take much for Uefa to make a spot for the winner of this 4 country competition.
Just combine the League cups and make it regional for teams outside of the top leagues (say non League England, and outside of the Premier divisions in all other countries) - the likes of Irish Premier League teams with 3,000 home gates have to fly off every year for continental qualifiers, I'm sure down to Brighton for the cup would be a good day out and within budget.
But they do in England and lets be honest it would be a ****e competition without an English team in it! A decent English team would see no benefit of entering such a competiton, half of them would rather do without the Europa. There is also no way uefa wpuld hand out a European place for such a tournament. Firstly European places are awarded to member associations, who then decide how a team qualifies for what competiton. How wpuld this work across 4 independent FAs?? What would stop Scandinavia doing the same to gain an extra place? The old USSR countries?? I doubt UEFA will be looking to expand numbers in the Europa as you already play about 10 games to get to final!
