Still don't like this idea.

[Father Dougal]

So which players does Noel Mooney envisage will be playing in both his competition and the European Conference league?
If a mix of youth/ under 21s/fringe first team play in the FAW competition, then will they also play in the European Conference, or will the first team play?
The more I hear about it, the more I don't like it. If Mooneys reasoning is to boost grass roots football, then the success of the national teams should be enough.

The EFL sides have to play their strongest teams in this new league cup. 16 teams in it. The EFL 4 and the CPL 12.

The current nathaniel mg cup the city under 21s play in will remain as that includes cymru south and north clubs.

Welsh cup also carries on.

So the CPL teams will have 3 domestic cups. Lucky them.

[Father Dougal]

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.

Apparently this means the prize money goes back to the FAW but the clubs keep any commercial revenue.

[Father Dougal]

IMO the long-term aim of the FAW is to get the Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport to play in the League of Wales.
It'd not cler how they would force us down that route, but this would be a small step to achieving that.

Making the EFL clubs annoyed at us is a pretty good start to be fair.

It wont happen though as the English FA wont approve this.

[Tuerto]

Was just making a joke in favour of some fancy away trips.

Ah, got you, sorry if i came across arsey

[JamesWales]

Apparently this means the prize money goes back to the FAW but the clubs keep any commercial revenue.

Wow, I wonder why Mooney is so keen on this idea?!

[Undercoverinwurzelland]

If we were relegated this year and don't bounce straight back up but somehow won the Welsh cup we could find ourselves playing in League One, the League Cup, FA Cup, Vertu Trophy, Welsh Cup and UEFA Conference League.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Ah, got you, sorry if i came across arsey

Nah you didn't, it's fine.

[WJ99mobile]

Can anyone tell me what benefits, if any, the Scottish Premiership also-rans such as Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs have gained in recent years from playing numerous low-grade European games against teams from small leagues throughout the continent?

Going away to low grade European cities to watching their team.

[The Lone Gunman]

Going away to low grade European cities to watching their team.

Must be a joy for them if they have the money and time to waste.

[JamesWales]

Going away to low grade European cities to watching their team.

I agree with TLG entirely on this issue in relation to our involvement with the Welsh League Cup etc.

I don't think that applies to the Scottish clubs though, for whom this is a natural benefit of doing well in the leagues or cups (which we would forfeit).

Hearts aren't doing well this season unfortunately but they have benefitted from the money and prestige of the Conference League and the trips abroad do count.

It's a fair point though. In practice what have they achieved really?

But then you could say what benefit did Wigan get from winning the FA Cup? Not much, but sometimes you have to enjoy the moment which I know Hearts fans have done in recent years more than most.

I was a sceptic at first but the Conference League has won be round. I just think you should qualify via the league system you choose not pick n mix as is proposed.

[City123]

Must be a joy for them if they have the money and time to waste.

Doesn't that basically sum up all aspects of supporting a football club?

[Canton Kev]

Must be a joy for them if they have the money and time to waste.

Thousands of Welsh fans travelled to Montenegro, Turkey and Iceland last year in the Nations League.

Thousands of Hearts, Kilmarnock and St Mirren fans travelled to the likes of Reykjavik, Prague, Bruges, Copenhagen and Tromsø last year in the Europa Conference League.

I’m not really sure what your point is?

If ~500 Cardiff fans were willing to sit on a bus for 14 hours to go to Middlesbrough, I’m sure plenty more will find the time and money to watch Cardiff in Sweden, Belgium, Austria, etc.

[City123]

Thousands of Welsh fans travelled to Montenegro, Turkey and Iceland last year in the Nations League.

Thousands of Hearts, Kilmarnock and St Mirren fans travelled to the likes of Reykjavik, Prague, Bruges, Copenhagen and Tromsø last year in the Europa Conference League.

I’m not really sure what your point is?

If ~500 Cardiff fans were willing to sit on a bus for 14 hours to go to Middlesbrough, I’m sure plenty more will find the time and money to watch Cardiff in Sweden, Belgium, Austria, etc.

When I was in Germany over the summer I met a group of St Mirren fans who'd booked out a bar for all the St Mirren fans who'd travelled for the Euros to be able to watch the Conference League draw

[The Lone Gunman]

I’m not really sure what your point is?

My point is it must be a joy for them if they have the money and time to waste.

[Canton Kev]

My point is it must be a joy for them if they have the money and time to waste.

That’s life innit. 30 quid could get you a decent chunk of the month’s shopping done. 15,000 people tonight would rather spend that, and 4 hours of their time, sitting in the cold watching Cardiff play Watford.

[The Lone Gunman]

That’s life innit. 30 quid could get you a decent chunk of the month’s shopping done. 15,000 people tonight would rather spend that, and 4 hours of their time, sitting in the cold watching Cardiff play Watford.

Indeed (although my ticket cost half that).

I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer the club concentrated all of its efforts on the bread and butter competitions such as the league and the FA Cup rather than pissing about with extra games in a minor Welsh cup and the lowest possible grade of European competition. However, I’ve no doubt it will please those who enjoy taking trips to the far flung corners of the continent and have the time and money to do so.

[Dave Blue]

Indeed (although my ticket cost half that).

I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer the club concentrated all of its efforts on the bread and butter competitions such as the league and the FA Cup rather than pissing about with extra games in a minor Welsh cup and the lowest possible grade of European competition. However, I’ve no doubt it will please those who enjoy taking trips to the far flung corners of the continent and have the time and money to do so.

Well why not? I don't know why you've included the FA Cup in 'bread and butter competitions' have you read this board after the 3rd round draw? That ship has sailed but some are deluded to think something the club has not achieved for 98 years is just over the horizon. My opinion, bring on Europe, sod the EFL they have no power to chuck us out even if they wanted to.

[Canton Kev]

Indeed (although my ticket cost half that).

I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer the club concentrated all of its efforts on the bread and butter competitions such as the league and the FA Cup rather than pissing about with extra games in a minor Welsh cup and the lowest possible grade of European competition. However, I’ve no doubt it will please those who enjoy taking trips to the far flung corners of the continent and have the time and money to do so.

The Welsh Cup would be, at most, 4 games. Almost certainly at least 1 of which will be against Swansea, Newport or Wrexham.

The lowest European competition still contains teams like Roma, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Real Betis, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Frankfurt, etc.

I’d rather see the likes of them playing at the CCS than MK Dons, Mansfield or Burton in the FA Cup. And considering our recent FA Cup and League Cup crowds tend to be around the 5,000 or so mark, or less, I’d argue most fans would agree.

[splott parker]

Well why not? I don't know why you've included the FA Cup in 'bread and butter competitions' have you read this board after the 3rd round draw? That ship has sailed but some are deluded to think something the club has not achieved for 98 years is just over the horizon. My opinion, bring on Europe, sod the EFL they have no power to chuck us out even if they wanted to.

Why haven’t they got the power? Don’t know if we would be breaking any rule but being the makers of the rules, as their name suggests, one could be introduced. There’s been various financial penalties introduced over the years, so rules are reviewed. Fans of many clubs would shed no tears over the expulsion of the Welsh clubs.

[The Lone Gunman]

The Welsh Cup would be, at most, 4 games. Almost certainly at least 1 of which will be against Swansea, Newport or Wrexham.

The lowest European competition still contains teams like Roma, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Real Betis, Aston Villa, Villarreal, Frankfurt, etc.

I’d rather see the likes of them playing at the CCS than MK Dons, Mansfield or Burton in the FA Cup. And considering our recent FA Cup and League Cup crowds tend to be around the 5,000 or so mark, or less, I’d argue most fans would agree.

The last time City played in Europe was 1993. The opponents were Standard Liege. The crowd was 6,096. There was a bigger crowd a few days before for a league game against Plymouth. And that same season 17,296 turned up for an FA Cup game against Luton.

Different world these days of course, but I suspect those who would expect the club to draw decent crowds in Europe would, on the whole, be disappointed.

[The Prophet of Doom]

If Cardiff beat Stoke and draw Manchester United or Liverpool or Spurs in the 5th round at CCS there will be plenty of interest in the FA Cup guaranteed.

So saying there is no interest in the competition is wrong, it depends who the opponents are.

[Canton Kev]

The last time City played in Europe was 1993. The opponents were Standard Liege. The crowd was 6,096. There was a bigger crowd a few days before for a league game against Plymouth. And that same season 17,296 turned up for an FA Cup game against Luton.

Different world these days of course, but I suspect those who would expect the club to draw decent crowds in Europe would, on the whole, be disappointed.

I think you’re omitting some important details.

We were 5-2 down from the first leg by the time Standard Liege came to Ninian Park. 6,000 fans turned up for a midweek dead rubber in a season we were averaging 6,000 in the league.

Luton was the 5th round of the cup after we knocked out Premier League Man City in the 4th round. Our Round 1 attendance in the FA Cup was 3,200. In the League Cup, 4,500.

Nearly double the amount of people turned up for a game we essentially started 3-0 down, than turned up for the first round of the FA Cup.

Now we average 20,000+ year after year and still only get 4 or 5 thousand turning up for cup games.

Different world indeed.

[WJ99mobile]

The last time City played in Europe was 1993. The opponents were Standard Liege. The crowd was 6,096. There was a bigger crowd a few days before for a league game against Plymouth. And that same season 17,296 turned up for an FA Cup game against Luton.

Different world these days of course, but I suspect those who would expect the club to draw decent crowds in Europe would, on the whole, be disappointed.

I would have thought a crowd of 6,000 would be brilliant for the U21's (who I assume many will be playing some of the early stage games) compared to the double digits they currently get?

We do not have enough details currently to say we "dislike" this idea

[Forgotmyoldaccount]

The way I read it, We'd get money but not be able to use that money towards Financial Fair Play proceedings?

I mean it costs money just to host football games, ofcourse we'd get proceeds from home games at least. Maybe not prize money.

[The Lone Gunman]

Now we average 20,000+ year after year and still only get 4 or 5 thousand turning up for cup games.

On the contrary, the crowd for the last FA Cup game at the CCS was 20,324.