fan_of_mulligan wrote:One thing I find really interesting is that clubs in Europe (especially in Scandinavian Countries) double up there domestic cup competitions as pre-season friendlies, so not only are players preparing themselves for the up and coming season, but your also playing competitive matches where the result has something on the line.
Why not move Round's One and Two of The Football League Trophy to July and have The Group Stage Format the competition used to have in the 1980's where two team's from each three team group progressed to The Last Sixteen, by playing these games before the season start's you free up three mid-week's during The Football League Season which can be used for local mid-week league games, and you could have two or even three additional Saturday's for longer away trips.
You then play The Last Sixteen Match in July and the competition will resume in November for The Area Quarter Finals.
The attendances for The Football League Trophy would be better in the summer, as the early round's get attendance's barely over 1,000, team selection's would be stronger, and you will get the opening round's out of the way very quickly so that when the tournament resume's in November, you are left with eight team's in The Northern Section and eight team's in The Southern Section.
I also think that Gillingham should be playing Plymouth Argyle in The First Round of The League Cup tomorrow, more supporters are more likely to go if the match is on a Saturday, the squad selected would be stronger as there would be a week's break between The Plymouth Argyle Game and The Sheffield United game, and your not playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday in the first two weeks of The Football League Season.
I suggest this idea because, trying to fit 46 League Games, FA Cup, League Cup, Football League Trophy and Kent Senior Cup Games between August and May is challenging, if playing the early rounds of The Football League Trophy and The First Round of The League Cup free's up a few mid-week's for league games, then that can only be a good thing.
What does everyone on here think about my idea ???
I noticed in your question to Justin FOM,he agreed with your suggestion of playing the League Cup game on the Saturday before the season starts.