WHY DIDN’T THE LEAGUE TALK TO THE FANS?

AS AN avid Football League supporter for nearly 50 years (and having seen some 2,000 games), I feel well qualified to offer constructive comments on the League and their competitions.

I’d like to talk about the Football League Trophy. My first question to the Fooball League is ‘Why did you not consult some of the 300,000-or-so supporters who attend FL matches each week?’

Here is what I would've said: 1. Scrap the FL Trophy altogether (please read on .... ) 2. Make the Football League Cup for Football League teams only ie: do not include any Premier League clubs – most of whom couldn't give a damn about the welfare of the rest of us anyway! 3. With 72 clubs in the Football League Cup, have the bottom 16 teams from last season's League Two play a preliminary round in pre-season. Knockout. Penalties at 90 minutes /excitement/competitive – better than a friendly. (The Anglo Scottish / Texaco Cups were a pre-season success in the 70s) 4. 1st Round has 64 teams – split north/south. Again penalties, this time after extra-time. 5. Down to 32, all in together for the 2nd round – 16 matches.

Instead, what the FL have done is made the FL Trophy even worse: 1. Having groups leads to meaningless games. 2. Why have Premier League teams in the Football League Cup – and now the Trophy too?! 3. If you’d thought about this, you’d have had group games in pre-season – like a friendly but competitive. 4. With so many meaningless games, attendances will be awful. Who is going to dash home from work to rush off to say, Orient v Stevenage on a Tuesday night and pay for it knowing the result is likely to be meaningless? 5. Most FL fans I've spoken to aren't interested in watching West Brom U21s (or anybody else’s). GRAHAM GOODALL, Cheshunt