The Carling Cup thread

[Vombatus]

The Carling Cup draw has been made with a few interesting ties - Forest versus Notts County is a nice one, but my favourite is Crystal Palace v Crawley Town/AFC Wimbledon.

The full draw is:-


Carling Cup first-round draw

Rochdale v Chesterfield

Port Vale v Huddersfield Town

Rotherham United v Leicester City

Hull City v Macclesfield Town

Hartlepool United v Sheffield United

Leeds United v Bradford City

Doncaster Rovers v Tranmere Rovers

Walsall v Middlesbrough

Barnsley v Morecambe

Accrington Stanley v Scunthorpe United

Derby County v Shrewsbury Town

Oldham Athletic v Carlisle United

Bury v Coventry City

Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool

Burnley v Burton Albion

Preston North End v Crewe Alexandra

Nottingham Forest v Notts County

Brighton & Hove Albion v Gillingham

AFC Bournemouth v Dagenham & Redbridge

Ipswich Town v Northampton Town

Cheltenham Town v Milton Keynes Dons

Bristol Rovers v Watford

Plymouth Argyle v Millwall

Oxford United v Cardiff City

West Ham United v Aldershot Town

Southampton v Torquay United

Charlton Athletic v Reading

Portsmouth v Barnet

Stevenage v Peterborough United

Southend United v Leyton Orient

Wycombe Wanderers v Colchester United

Hereford United v Brentford

Exeter City v Yeovil Town

Bristol City v Swindon Town

Crystal Palace v Crawley Town/AFC Wimbledon

Ties will be played during the week commencing 8th August 2011.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

To get so excited about these also rans, competing for a nothing award is tantamount to seeing a tit in a see through blouse! 

I can do with the World Cup, the European Cup and the best in the Premiership, but the others.........................! 

[Vombatus]

To get so excited about these also rans, competing for a nothing award is tantamount to seeing a tit in a see through blouse! 

I can do with the World Cup, the European Cup and the best in the Premiership, but the others.........................! 

For a non-football fan to make the effort to criticise a football thread smacks of someone having too much time on their hands rather than a tit in the hand.

As for tits in blouses, I refer you to my avatar.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

I will refrain from further comment, and go seek a tit (or preferably a pair) to play with.

Beats football anyday!

[garytaffy]

Can't say i'll be fixated on this cup........Cardiff have never taken it seriously often playing squad players and on the odd occasions they have fielded reasonable teams they put in laclustre performances.I can never understand this attitude......they should play to win EVERY game.A good run can inspire teams......in the league, but not Cardiff.I think i'll give this fixture a miss as watching the youth/reserves loose to Oxford in't good for ones health!!!!!! 

[Adam]

It doesn't have the Kudos it did years ago due to the Sky 4 fielding their kids due to Champions League commitments.

However it is still a trophy, a trip to Wembley and a route to the Europa League.

It didn't inspire Birmingham last year though, after they beat the Gunners they went into free fall in the league and surprisingly got relegated.

How about inviting the Scottish teams to play in the Carling Cup, I think that might make it more interesting!

[garytaffy]

why not...........though i doubt football politics would allow it.

[Starman]

The Carling Cup draw has been made with a few interesting ties - Forest versus Notts County is a nice one, but my favourite is Crystal Palace v Crawley Town/AFC Wimbledon.

Ties will be played during the week commencing 8th August 2011.

Bloody Brums. Birmingham went down. They are in the uefa cup so cannot play in the first round of the Carling. This means that there is one too many teams in the first round.

So the football league decided that the two lowest ranked teams, ie the two newest members of the football league, would have a playoff first. So Crawley and AFC will play each other, I think, on the 20th July. The winner to go on and play the Eagles.

[garytaffy]

That worked out well for me as i've pencilled in that game as Crawley will be a new ground for me. Promise i will be cheering for the Wombles Starman 

[Starman]

Sorry Garytaffy. Got it wrong. Here is the fixture:

Friday, 29 July 2011
Carling Cup
Crawley Town v AFC Wimbledon, PR, 19:45

[Vombatus]

why not...........though i doubt football politics would allow it.

Anybody remember the Texaco Cup, Anglo-Scottish Cup or whatever they were ?

As a Forest fan who was fortunate enough to see my team play at Wembley, on numerous occasions, I would not 'diss' this competition.

You can call these competitions what you like - the lure of a trip to Wembley is worth it. One of the best games I saw was Forest 4 vs Everton 3 in the Zenith Data Systems Cup - now there's a job for the engraver !  It may even have been the Simod Cup at that time.

[Starman]

I agree that the so called lesser cups can be good. Gives the smaller teams something to go for. The trip to Wembley is also a big draw.

Don't forget the Johnstone Paint Trophy. FA Vase and the FA Amateur FA Cup.

By the way did you know that Wimbledon are the only team ever to win the FA Amateur cup and the FA Cup? I'm sure you did.

(CC. Didn't Forrest  beat Saints in the ZDS final in about 1992?)

[Vombatus]

Forest did indeed win, 3-2 - with goals by Kingsley Black (brother of athlete Roger) and 2 from Scott Gemmill. Interestingly (ish) I sat behind young Gemmill (who was a youth team player at the time) at the aforementioned vs Everton final. Interestingly (ish) Scott's father Archie played in the 1979 League cup final that saw Forest beat Saints by the identical 3 - 2 score.

Matt le Tissier scored for Saints in 1992 and he has become a very good after-dinner speaker and nice bloke to boot. Worth hearing his comments about Glen Hoddle 

[binnsy]

why not...........though i doubt football politics would allow it.

Anybody remember the Texaco Cup, Anglo-Scottish Cup or whatever they were ?

As a Forest fan who was fortunate enough to see my team play at Wembley, on numerous occasions, I would not 'diss' this competition.

You can call these competitions what you like - the lure of a trip to Wembley is worth it. One of the best games I saw was Forest 4 vs Everton 3 in the Zenith Data Systems Cup - now there's a job for the engraver !  It may even have been the Simod Cup at that time.

What was the name of the Cup where they had a line about 30 yards out from your goalline and you could not be offside?

[Starman]

Binnsy.....Thought you may like to share some stories of when you used to follow your local team around. Not the Tractor Boys, the other team whose name I can't remember.