The Football League has been forced to take measures to prevent a repeat of Tuesday night’s League Cup fiasco which saw many of the teams involved make a mockery of it.
England’s second cup competition, which Manchester City accidentally won last year, has been dogged by clubs using it as a chance to experiment with weakened teams or mind-altering drugs.
And a 6-6 between Dagenham & Redbridge and Brentford where neither side made any meaningful attempt to defend their goal as is customary in a competitive football match, combined with bizarre scorelines across the country, confirmed organisers’ fears that the cup wasn’t being taken seriously.
Luton and Swindon contested their clash in fancy dress, Port Vale and Hartlepool played a set of tennis instead, which finished 6-2 to the hosts, and Wimbledon controversially set up a fixture against themselves.
“We’re worried that people are forgetting the significance of the League Cup,” a competition spokesman told FourFourTwo.
“This is a prestigious competition with a proud history of reserve-team players, quarter-full stadia and immediately forgotten sponsors.
“When you hear stories of teams turning their fixtures into drinking games or replacing the ball with a giant cheese football it really makes your blood boil.”
The Football League has indicated that the second round will be more closely monitored and a new rule introduced which will force all teams to field at least one player the fans have heard of.
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