Relevant que the rules will
Sunderland have two important away fixtures in the next six days at Shrewsbury and Doncaster. Due to a loony aberration apiece from Bryan Oviedo and Max Power, the rest of the squad must plod on without them in these games.
Their suspensions were effectively extended beyond the three matches for Oviedo, four for Power, because they were also ineligible to play in the deeply uninteresting Checkatrade Trophy, due to a rule that the authorities had not exactly made abundantly clear.
The Football Association doesn’t count the competition as a “first team competitive match” unlike the FA Cup or League Cup. However, suspended players can’t play in daft tournaments until their bans have been used up in proper competitions.
But even though it isn’t officially competitive, Sunderland can’t just treat the Checkatrade Trophy as they see fit (as Premier League and Championship clubs do); perhaps fielding 16 year-olds to give them experience.
Not a bit of it. Another rule states: “Each EFL Club shall play its Full Available Strength in and during all Matches” – of face a fine.
So what are we dealing with? We have two apparently contradictory rules. Each Checkatrade game is simultaneously not a “first team competitive match”, while also a fixture to be taken with the utmost seriousness.
On 4 September, the day of Sunderland’s unforgettable encounter with Stoke City in the competition, we sent the