Still don't like this idea.

[the other bob wilson]

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/welsh-football-set-ps3m-boost-proposed-welsh-league-cup-reforms

[Armitage Shanks]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

Nor do I.
This maybe the first step in us leaving the football league.

[Nobody's Rep]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news...ue-cup-reforms

In fairness to Tan he did say (according to dalman so fair size pinch of salt needed) he still wants to take us to the premier league - maybe he doesn't realise the difference between the English and Welsh premier leagues 🤔

[FormerlyJohnnyBreadhead]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

From a Welsh fan's perspective, I think it's a good idea and I understand it completely. I agree with Mooney's argument that Welsh football is in a unique position, and fair play to the FAW for thinking outside the box in trying to proactively generate new revenue streams.

From a Cardiff fan's perspective, I'm not 100%. But that's more because of the fixture congestion issues it would create more than anything. If we got to the group stages, we'd be looking at an additional 15-20 games per season, with a lot of those played during July/August. Combined with our existing league and cup commitments, that's potentially a minimum of 66 games in a season. Dalman's justification of "oh, well Millwall and Wigan did it" is a little flimsy and without a big squad I could see that significantly impacting our league performance.

That said, I don't think it's an existential threat to our EFL position. The four clubs have obviously looked at it from a legal perspective, and Dalman mentioned in his statement the other day that there is no legal mechanism to remove us. I also think the point about us foregoing profit derived from playing in Europe will appease the other English clubs, as that would likely be their biggest contention.

That does though raise the question what exactly is in it for us, and I think that's the crux of it. It would be great to have European football and the trips/memories that would entail (especially for "younger" fans like me that have never experienced it). It would also be nice to have yearly competitive fixtures against other Welsh clubs. It might also be a great opportunity for our younger players to get more minutes and develop.

But I simply don't see how we'd be able to balance everything.

[bobh]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

Nor do I.
This maybe the first step in us leaving the football league.

My thoughts exactly.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

This paragraph is confusing:

"Cardiff City, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham have agreed to exclude any profit derived by representing Wales in UEFA competitions for financial regulations in the English Football League or the English Premier League."

So are we seriously saying that the four league clubs are prepared to give up the possibility of qualifying for Europe via the Premier League, the FA Cup or the League Cup, and the obvious financial rewards that would come with such a qualification, in order to play in some tinpot Welsh competition that they cannot profit from?

This idea sounds worse every time I read about it.

[Cardiff Ultra]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

Its a bit of a curates egg this one. While Im just about old enough to have gone to a city European game and would love to see us back there, do we really want to forgoe the possibility of ever playing in the Champions League or Europa League (as ridiculous as that sounds now)?

Also as some have pointed out above, the fixture congestion if we did get into the group stage would be horrific in a 46 game Championship season. If we then resorted to playing the reserves in Europe then we'd have effectively given up the top two European competitions for nothing.

I dont really buy into the idea that its the thin end of the wedge as far as joining the Cymru Premier is concerned. No one in their right mind is going to be up for that and Im sure all the legalities have been explored. If we wouldnt do it when the Welsh clubs were on their collective arses in 1992, why would we now? Also T=there are undeniable benefits for Welsh football, as Noel Mooney has eloquently expressed, but I think on balance for me its a no.

[WJ99mobile]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

From a Welsh fan's perspective, I think it's a good idea and I understand it completely. I agree with Mooney's argument that Welsh football is in a unique position, and fair play to the FAW for thinking outside the box in trying to proactively generate new revenue streams.

From a Cardiff fan's perspective, I'm not 100%. But that's more because of the fixture congestion issues it would create more than anything. If we got to the group stages, we'd be looking at an additional 15-20 games per season, with a lot of those played during July/August. Combined with our existing league and cup commitments, that's potentially a minimum of 66 games in a season. Dalman's justification of "oh, well Millwall and Wigan did it" is a little flimsy and without a big squad I could see that significantly impacting our league performance.

That said, I don't think it's an existential threat to our EFL position. The four clubs have obviously looked at it from a legal perspective, and Dalman mentioned in his statement the other day that there is no legal mechanism to remove us. I also think the point about us foregoing profit derived from playing in Europe will appease the other English clubs, as that would likely be their biggest contention.

That does though raise the question what exactly is in it for us, and I think that's the crux of it. It would be great to have European football and the trips/memories that would entail (especially for "younger" fans like me that have never experienced it). It would also be nice to have yearly competitive fixtures against other Welsh clubs. It might also be a great opportunity for our younger players to get more minutes and develop.

But I simply don't see how we'd be able to balance everything.

We have a big squad, full of youth that would jump at the chance to play a competitive fixture

[Trigger]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

This paragraph is confusing:

"Cardiff City, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham have agreed to exclude any profit derived by representing Wales in UEFA competitions for financial regulations in the English Football League or the English Premier League."

So are we seriously saying that the four league clubs are prepared to give up the possibility of qualifying for Europe via the Premier League, the FA Cup or the League Cup, and the obvious financial rewards that would come with such a qualification, in order to play in some tinpot Welsh competition that they cannot profit from?

This idea sounds worse every time I read about it.

That paragraph could definitely do with a full article on how that works. We talking competition profits or everything down to gate receipts.

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

This paragraph is confusing:

"Cardiff City, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham have agreed to exclude any profit derived by representing Wales in UEFA competitions for financial regulations in the English Football League or the English Premier League."

So are we seriously saying that the four league clubs are prepared to give up the possibility of qualifying for Europe via the Premier League, the FA Cup or the League Cup, and the obvious financial rewards that would come with such a qualification, in order to play in some tinpot Welsh competition that they cannot profit from?

This idea sounds worse every time I read about it.

My thoughts exactly. We're doing this just for the good of Welsh football? I doubt it. Something doesn't add up there.

I really hope this gets blocked by the FA as the other EFL clubs have asked them to.

[KingOfSiamIAm]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

To put things in perspective, I copied a paragraph from Wikipedia. It is regarding the first qualifying round of the Nathaniel Cup…

Twenty-eight clubs will enter in Round 1, which will be made up of any club without floodlights; the two wildcard entries…

I maybe wrong, but I believe both the City and Swansea Town are the wildcard entries, that go into the first round of qualifying, alongside the teams without floodlights.

Hats off to the people charged with running our football Club… into the ground!

[Bald Barry Bastad]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

I don't feel comfortable with it either. Something about it feels very off.

[JamesWales]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

I object to all this on several grounds.

First and foremost I think it's really unambitious. Twice in the 15 years or so we have been one game off Europe. We are a large city and being in the premier league and qualifying that way has to be the ambition. What's the point if we can't do that? If we sacrifice that for the Conference League then frankly we may as well be in the Welsh league.

There's practicalities too. How many games is the league cup? 5? How many in the conference league? Including qualifying then it's at least 8. Plus the FA Cup and League cup. Club could be ****ed, and for what? A weekend on the piss in Liege and Sofia?

We would also become the most disliked teams in the league and understandably so. Mooney will be happy, I don't think we should be. Cardiff City >Welsh football every day of the week for me.

We should be careful what we wish for here. I think I would genuinely favour joining the Welsh leagues over these muddied waters.

[TheBirchgrovePub]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

This paragraph is confusing:

"Cardiff City, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham have agreed to exclude any profit derived by representing Wales in UEFA competitions for financial regulations in the English Football League or the English Premier League."

So are we seriously saying that the four league clubs are prepared to give up the possibility of qualifying for Europe via the Premier League, the FA Cup or the League Cup, and the obvious financial rewards that would come with such a qualification, in order to play in some tinpot Welsh competition that they cannot profit from?

This idea sounds worse every time I read about it.

I'm not sure how you have reached that conclusion from that paragraph. It is effectively saying we won't profit from the prize money as all prize money will be split between the Welsh clubs isn't it?

If anything I would suspect we would run at a loss from this if we said for arguments sake that we reached the group stage once every 5 years

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: Still don't like this idea.

I'm not sure how you have reached that conclusion from that paragraph. It is effectively saying we won't profit from the prize money as all prize money will be split between the Welsh clubs isn't it?

That's basically what I was saying - the paragraph suggests there would be no profit for any of the EFL clubs if they were to play in Europe.

What did you think I said?