The second half of the season is when champions are decided, trophies are held high, and fans make memories that will last a lifetime. But not every game is guaranteed to have bums in the seats.
Newly launched National League CupThe contest between non-league sides and top professional U21 teams has entered the knockout stages amid a wave of controversy and apathy.
“This game has really divided our fan base,” said Neil Maskell, club secretary at Maidenhead United, a club that has been a fixture since the start. One of 32 teams participating. “We saw very low attendance, but a lot of people who came seemed to enjoy watching some fun games.”
Poor response to the Nations League Cup
The competition was first introduced in 1979 as the Bob Lord Challenge Cup and most recently as the Setanta Shield in 2009, but at that time it only included non-league clubs – Relaunched at the start of the season as a way to boost non-league development, the club’s coffers were hit after the decision to cancel a potentially lucrative FA Cup replay. There are now 16 top flight and Championship U21 teams taking part, with Premier League prize money of up to £1 million.
“Traditionally we have relied on the occasional FA Cup tie to shore up our finances, as many clubs at our level do,” Maskell said of the fifth-tier side. “The Nations League Cup is seen as an olive branch from the authorities – a new revenue stream that won’t result in a mountain of fixtures on the pyramid.”
The problem is, however, that a significant number of non-league clubs don’t see it that way. Easterly was one of many who refused to play. One of their complaints is that the financial gains from playing at such a low level are minimal and that it places additional demands on their teams.
These are concerns shared by many others, including those entering.
“We lowered the ticket prices but for the group game against Derby County U21s we had around 140 paying fans – just like we saw when we were down in the two tiers,” Maskell revealed. “We can understand why fans are leaving and we accept there will be strong opposition from some to us joining. But we feel we should give it a chance. The chairman, manager and board all support that.”
The game against Derby County ended 3-3, so there is plenty to entertain in the Nations League Cup. Dagenham and Redbridge drew 5-5 with Tottenham U21s (at
184 spectators), while Woking v Southampton U21s ended 4-4 (Attendance: 157 spectators). Other bizarre results included Braintree beating West Ham U21s and Boston United beating Sunderland U21s.
Maskell also highlighted other benefits: “The manager is using the game to give young and fringe players game time, which can only be a good thing for them.”
In the first round, the top two teams from each of the four groups advance to the quarter-finals, which are scheduled to begin in February. Non-league teams were granted certain privileges in the knockout rounds, including home games. A venue for the final has yet to be chosen, with the Nations League looking to make it as easy as possible for fans of both clubs to attend.
“Like I said, we completely understand why many fans stay away from us,” Maskell concluded. “We are still frustrated by the decision to cancel the FA Cup replay. But we don’t want to take the gift too seriously. Whatever happens, don’t expect a sold-out Wembley final.”
