Grimsby Town (H) Checkatrade Trophy 30 Aug 7.45pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

Just as we got used to calling it the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, along comes another sponsor with money to burn so it's now the Checkatrade Trophy. The big (and mostly unwelcome) change is that in addition to the 48 League One and Two clubs there will be 16 "invited" category one teams, with at least 6 of their starting 11 to be under-21 as at June 30th. Also, the first 3 matches are played on a "regionalised" basis which would imply some kind of geographical near-proximity, but don't get your hopes up because our "regionalised" group is:

Walsall
Grimsby Town (our game against them is this Tuesday)
Sheffield United (we go to Bramall Lane on Tuesday 4th October)
Leicester City (we go somewhere in Leicestershire on Tuesday 8th November - these "invited" teams will play 1 home game at their usual stadium)

That's quite a large region! In these groups, the 4 clubs are to play each other once with the two top teams progressing to the knockout stage. It's 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw. If the scores are level after 90 minutes it's straight to penalties, with the winner then getting one additional point to add to the 1 for a draw after 90 minutes. I think that's enough details for the time being!

So.....Grimsby Town - "The Mariners", back in the Football League after a spell in non-League. One name that will be remembered by Walsall fans is midfielder Luke Summerfield, whose father Kevin played for us way back when. Grimsby started this season with a win, then promptly lost the next 4 games before thumping Stevenage 5-2 last weekend thanks largely to a hat-trick from Omar Bogle, No. 9 if you intend watching. Grimsby's current form:

6 Aug Morecambe (H) League Two, won 2-0
9 Aug Derby County (A) EFL Cup, lost 1-0
13 Aug Wycombe Wanderers (A) League Two, lost 2-1
16 Aug Colchester Utd (A) League Two, lost 3-2
20 Aug Leyton Orient (H) League Two, lost 1-2
27 Aug Stevenage (H) League Two, won 5-2

On the subject of "watching", it's evident from posts here and on the very good unofficial Grimsby site (fishy.com) these fixtures will be boycotted by many fans. Because of its (lack of) pedigree the competition is seen as something of an irrelevance, particularly with the entry of largely unwanted "academy" entrants. The attendance may well not even make four figures, but bearing that in mind it's probably a good platform for Jon Whitney to carry on trying to find his best formation, even if all it accomplishes is correcting the tendency to turn in the kind of dismal 2nd half showings that we've seen of late.....

There's not much point in predicting this one - both sides are likely to put out largely experimental line-ups, Grimsby because of an important League 2 game on Saturday, and us because of the injuries/fitness/personnel situation. So let's wait. :wink:

[PT]

To me this competition is on a par with say the Birmingham Senior Cup. Another competition where some play first teams whilst others field kids. It shouldn't be placed in the records as a First Team game as it will artificially break a lot of records for all the wrong reasons.

[Whitters]

Walsall 4 Grimsby 4 (4-0 at half time).
Attendance 442.

[SoccerHQ]

Anyone actually going to this then....

[saddlersjse]

Nope.

[Darth Vader]

Looking forward to seeing the attendance :lol:

[reedswood sadler]

I'm going as I have said before my loyalty is to Walsall FC not to the checkatrade/jonstone/micky mouse cup or any other cups/leagues etc.

I totally disagree with what they have done and I respect and understand why other fans will bycott the game but I will be among the 500.

Whitney should use this game to rest crocks and play fringe players with a few first teamers. my team below.

Macgillvray

McCarthy Preston Toner C0ckerill-Mollett

Edwards DObson

Ginnelly Makris Bakayoko Morris

Give a few a game even try 2 up front and 2 wingers

[bleed_red_n_white]

I'll be there and I will post my opinion after

Looking forward too the backlash

[canadiansaddler]

Must say it's good to see Grimsby back in the league, a proper football club not in the mode of Dagenham & Redbridge

[Ancient Moaner]

Must say it's good to see Grimsby back in the league, a proper football club not in the mode of Dagenham & Redbridge

Always enjoyed the trip to Cleethorpes, fish and chips on that magnificent front :lol: :lol: back to the wind swept ground, usually got beat and frostbite in equal measure! :oops: When do we play them up at their place? seemed to have lost my copy of the fixture list, think it got destroyed by my tears after the Chesterfield debacle.

Someone above mentioned that irrational/stupid/crazy/dubious/deranged idea of two wingers and two upfront!! :roll: :roll: don't you know that such an idea could be considered treason down at the Bezza!! :lol: :lol:

You'll have the management passing out like pansies at the very idea! Wash your mouth out, you'll be mentioning 'strikers' and centre halves next!! :cry:

[Welsh_Saddler]

Must say it's good to see Grimsby back in the league, a proper football club not in the mode of Dagenham & Redbridge

Always enjoyed the trip to Cleethorpes, fish and chips on that magnificent front :lol: :lol: back to the wind swept ground, usually got beat and frostbite in equal measure! :oops: When do we play them up at their place? seemed to have lost my copy of the fixture list, think it got destroyed by my tears after the Chesterfield debacle.

Someone above mentioned that irrational/stupid/crazy/dubious/deranged idea of two wingers and two upfront!! :roll: :roll: don't you know that such an idea could be considered treason down at the Bezza!! :lol: :lol:

You'll have the management passing out like pansies at the very idea! Wash your mouth out, you'll be mentioning 'strikers' and centre halves next!! :cry:

Unless I've got hold of the wrong end of the stick (or the wrong stick!) I don't think we do play them away. This first round of 4 clubs only says that we play each other once. :?

[Ancient Moaner]

Must say it's good to see Grimsby back in the league, a proper football club not in the mode of Dagenham & Redbridge

Always enjoyed the trip to Cleethorpes, fish and chips on that magnificent front :lol: :lol: back to the wind swept ground, usually got beat and frostbite in equal measure! :oops: When do we play them up at their place? seemed to have lost my copy of the fixture list, think it got destroyed by my tears after the Chesterfield debacle.

Someone above mentioned that irrational/stupid/crazy/dubious/deranged idea of two wingers and two upfront!! :roll: :roll: don't you know that such an idea could be considered treason down at the Bezza!! :lol: :lol:

You'll have the management passing out like pansies at the very idea! Wash your mouth out, you'll be mentioning 'strikers' and centre halves next!! :cry:

Unless I've got hold of the wrong end of the stick (or the wrong stick!) I don't think we do play them away. This first round of 4 clubs only says that we play each other once. :?

Oh bugga yes, they'm only in the Fourth Division yet aye they, what a senile old fool. It was the stress of someone mentioning two up front, it just threw me into a daze! :lol: :lol:

[Sound_out]

WFC 1 Grimsby 3.

[otiswfc]

Must say it's good to see Grimsby back in the league, a proper football club not in the mode of Dagenham & Redbridge

Yes nice to see Grimsby back in the league and yes not in the mold of Dagenham & Redbridge but I'd prefer Dagenham to Swansea u23s in a league game so I won't be going to any game in this competition including the final if we get there.
We'll probably end up winning this game 8-7 in the best ever game ever too be played at Bescot in front of 478 fans 12 from Grimsby.

[chunkster]

i just hope jw uses this sham of a game to put a team out that will be totally different from what we have seen in the league so far. i hope he experiments with another system that he can revert to when things are going wrong. after all what have we got to lose :|i would love to see bakayako in a front 2 with jackson :) with 2 wingers

[Mazza01]

I hope we lose 5-0 and no more than 50 turn up!

And for those that choose to attend just remember our club voted in favour of the competition, had they voted against I may and many more may of thought twice about attending.

[EvenFlow]

Give Kouhyar, Kory Roberts, Cockerill-Mollet, Butterfield and Bakayoko 90 minutes tonight. Might as well.

This whole situation has stirred a memory of a game in this competition about 15 years ago- Bryan Small playing left back for us against Wigan, and Ian Gaunt popping up with a 90th minute winner for the Saddlers, after Gino Padula (of all people) had scored for the Latics. Random.

[NEWPORT SADDLERS DAD]

Not going.

[reedswood sadler]

i just hope jw uses this sham of a game to put a team out that will be totally different from what we have seen in the league so far. i hope he experiments with another system that he can revert to when things are going wrong. after all what have we got to lose :|i would love to see bakayako in a front 2 with jackson :) with 2 wingers

Nice to see you agree with the deranged person(me) who suggested this, a cup tie no one interested in, nobody will complain if we get beat so what is there lose.
Sorry if I stressed you out Ancient I do sometimes have these mad ideas and you are right nobody at club would dare do anything so different.

[tinned]

Not going. Hopefully this competition disappears (along with any idea of these B teams playing in our leagues).

Don't give a cack if we win 5 - 0 or lose 5 - 0.

[aaaae]

I'm as likely to go to this as I would be to go to any other competition that Leicester City reserves play in.

[El_Nombre]

I hope we lose 5-0 and no more than 50 turn up!

And for those that choose to attend just remember our club voted in favour of the competition, had they voted against I may and many more may of thought twice about attending.

I understand not wanting people to turn up, but hoping we lose? Get a grip.

[saddlerJP]

Disappointed to see a match thread. Hope we don't pick up any injuries playing in this farce

[cumbria-saddler]

Not being bothered about the score/game either way is different, but not sure why anyone on here would want Walsall to lose... surely every fan would still want your team to win no matter what competition it is in. Whether that's the Birmingham Senior Cup, Youth FA Cup or the Cash 4 Gold LDV reserves cup or whatever it is tonight. I see why people don't want to attend (we usually get rubbish gates in cup comps anyway), but I will still be listening to the game, and don't have a problem with anyone who does choose to go.

Anyway, I think this fixture and the international break has come at a good time for us. It gives us chance to get over injuries, and gives us a break after a few poor results. Hopefully tonight we see a few different players get minutes (Bakayoko, Ginnelly, MacGillivray), and perhaps give JOC (if fit) and Toner a game together if they are going to be our CBs in the coming weeks.

3-1 Walsall, with around 1000 there.

Some of our internationals are playing on the 2nd, will they be with us tonight or are they away already?

[4143]

I get the feeling that those wanting us to lose are missing the point of the boycott. It's primarily to discourage another tournament in this format appearing ever again, so from that perspective the result is completely irrelevant. It's not an excuse to stop wanting your team to win.

Surely a win and a clean sheet will give the team some much-needed confidence and momentum going back into the league. There is also the small matter of welcome (if dirty) prize money, which will be on offer regardless of discontent.

Walsall 3 - 2 Admiral's Pie

[Welsh_Saddler]

Disappointed to see a match thread. Hope we don't pick up any injuries playing in this farce

Terribly sorry to have made the effort only to disappoint you........ :oops:

[kshammer]

Losing this game will be like losing a friendly for me. I want us to win every game but won't care if we lose this one - the competition is a farce and I'll not be attending any games.

[wednesburysaddler]

my daughter and 1 not gone as we are true fans of football

[Welsh_Saddler]

Starting line-up against Grimsby Town:

MacGillivray

Edwards
McCarthy
Preston
Cockerill-Mollett

Dobson
Kinsella

Morris
Oztumer
Kouhyar

Bakayoko

Substitutes: Hallwood, Ginnelly, Sangha, Roberts, Shorrock, Peters, Tonks

One or two unfamiliar names there... :mrgreen:

[chunkster]

i can see the point in fans wanting us to win because it is natural. but to what end? :| so that we can progress in a cup competition that MOST of us disagree with?. come on guys. we have half a team of crocks now. god knows how much more pressure this will put on our team if we do progress. unless jw sticks our kids and second teamers out i really can't see how this cup will benefit us :|