Pan-Great Britain Cups.
I think there should be a selection of Pan-Great Britain
Cups, all the way down the levels, at men’s and female football. I do not want
the Scottish, Welsh and English leagues to merge as that would end our identity,
culture, history, and would decrease the number of British teams who qualify
for Europe. I want 3 strong national leagues
on the island of Great Britain, not just one or two.
Best Of Both Worlds.
The best system would be to continue to have our own Welsh,
Scottish, and English leagues, but have cross border Pan-Great Britain cups on
top of the domestic leagues, domestic cups, and European football. This way the
Welsh Premier sides would grow massively, from playing big English sides, every
year.
Possibilities.
I think a selection of Scottish League and Welsh League
sides should be allowed entry into the English Football League Trophy.
This would help Celtic soccer, especially the Welsh league
sides, by giving them big teams to play against.
There could also be a British Premier Cup between sides in
the Scottish, Welsh, and English Premiers. This could be done in male and
female soccer.
Also all Welsh Premier sides, and some South Scottish sides
could be invited into the English non–league FA Trophy.
Perhaps selected Scottish and Welsh sides could be invited
into the English FA Cup, or English League Cup.
Teams to be invited.
What about inviting in all Scottish Premier sides who have
not qualified for Europe, plus a selection of Welsh Premier League sides, into
the English Football League Trophy?
Travel.
Some would say that travel would be too much, but at present
it is possible for Welsh part-time sides to travel to Eastern Europe, in European
competitions, and for sides in England to travel to Gateshead and Truro for
games. Even the Isle of Man are joining the English League system. So I do not
think that a one off trip from Inverness, or Dingwall, to the Midlands of
England is too much of a journey, for professional sides.
Plus the solution to the problem in the Football League
Trophy is to continue to have the Football League Trophy, divided between North
and South. So the Scottish teams play in the North section of the Football
League Trophy, and the Welsh League sides could play in the South section of
the Football League Trophy.
Fixture Congestion in terms of Football League Trophy
moderation.
There is no need to increase the number of games each
English sides play. The draw for the group stages could be structured to ensure
there is no increase in the number of games each English team plays in the
Trophy. The trophy could be held on European nights. So that Scottish, and
Welsh, sides participating in the trophy, would only be participating when the
top Scottish sides who qualified for Europe. are playing in European competitions
anyway. So they would simply be in the
same boat as the Scottish teams who are playing in midweek anyway.
Plus playing big English sides would be such a draw for
Scottish and Welsh sides that it would counter act any negatives from playing
extra games.
The problem of non-Football League teams in the trophy.
At present under-21 teams of English Premier League sides
are playing in the EFL Trophy. Plus for a while non-league teams were allowed
to play in the English Football League Trophy. In the past many English sides
played in the Welsh Cup. Many English sides have won the Welsh Cup.
What if Scottish or Welsh sides win an English Trophy?
Welsh sides have already won many English trophies. Plus
many English sides have won Welsh trophies. So it would not be a massive change
for Scottish or Welsh League sides to win an English trophy.
Superiority of this idea to having a British League.
Some argue for a British League. But if we did this it would
mean some Scottish sides travelling many, many hundred mile trips each fortnight.
To the extent that the travel would become monotonous, repetitive and tedious.
So my idea is keep travelling to England, Wales or Scotland, as an exciting novelty.
Not as a repetitive burden. Putting Scottish sides in the Football League trophy
would mean realistically no more than a couple of trips to Scotland for teams
in Northern England. While Scottish teams that even get to the final would only
have to make a handful of trips to England. That is not too much to ask.
Scottish and Welsh sides playing B teams of the big sides in
the EFL Trophy.
I know some fans would find this a problem. But I think that
with exception of Celtic and Rangers, every Scottish team would pack their
ground out from a visit by a English Premier League side’s B team. Especially
the likes of Man Utd and Liverpool. And Welsh sides would be excited by playing
big English sides, like Chelsea.
Would UEFA allow this?
Yes. The Scottish have already allowed English, Welsh, and Irish
sides in the Scottish Challenge Cup, and Uefa were OK with this, so Uefa would
be OK with cross border trophies.
If the English really want to help Welsh and Scottish
soccer, then Pan-Great Britain cups on top of our own leagues and European
football is a good idea.
Playing in these trophies would be a like European football
for smaller sides.
I would also back cross border cups all the way down the
levels of British football, on top of domestic and European football.
Perhaps Irish sides could also be invited into the trophies also?
