2022/23 League Cup

[EdinburghBlue]

Heard that from now on the groups will not be regionalised.  This in response to a feeling that the competition could become stale with some teams having the same opponents year-after-year.  If true, I think this a good development. 

[morrison]

I'd prefer that so I hope that's the case. The weather's decent & away days to new places is the best part of the group stages... in theory.

Reality is we've all drawn almost identical groups over the last few seasons.

[CM.]

We'll still get Kilmarnock.

4 times we've met them in 6 seasons. Has there been a more regular match up?

Edited April 21, 2022 by CM.

[EdinburghBlue]

46 minutes ago, CM. said:

We'll still get Kilmarnock.

4 times we've met them in 6 seasons. Has there been a more regular match up?

And us twice.  In 6 seasons we’ve had 20 different teams, with only Ayr, Livingston, Motherwell and yourselves twice.  But given how unlikely we are to get beyond the group stage it would be good to have open the possibility of games against some teams from the north.

[CM.]

17 minutes ago, EdinburghBlue said:

And us twice.  In 6 seasons we’ve had 20 different teams, with only Ayr, Livingston, Motherwell and yourselves twice.  But given how unlikely we are to get beyond the group stage it would be good to have open the possibility of games against some teams from the north.

We've had 18 different opponents with Killie x4, Stranraer x2, Dumbarton x2, Morton x2 the ones met more than once. Replace Dumbarton with EK and that was this seasons group. 

Including friendlies, Aberdeen (and Kelty but we'll get them in the league next year anyway) is the only side of the current 42 I haven't watched us play against so if this binning of regionalisation is true and presuming seeding remains then I'd like them as the top seed. Potential TV game too if we ended up playing them at home.

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by CM.

[mrman2011]

Get rid of the Groups and just have the 42 teams involved....No need for Highland/Lowland involvement

 

Have the 5 Euro teams into the Last 16. Before that play as 2 legs

 

So it would mean 37 teams involved in the 2 round qualification. for 11 places

 

Round 2: 22 Teams (11 ties) - 2 Legs

Round 1: 30 Teams (15 Ties), 7 Byes - 2 Legs 

 

Easy and no need for dead matches 

 

 

[EdinburghBlue]

On 21/04/2022 at 10:01, EdinburghBlue said:

Heard that from now on the groups will not be regionalised.  This in response to a feeling that the competition could become stale with some teams having the same opponents year-after-year.  If true, I think this a good development. 

Clarification… it’s actually a proposal from the SPFL’s Cups Working Group rather than a decision, although there’s optimism that it will be accepted. 

[parsforlife]

3 hours ago, EdinburghBlue said:

Clarification… it’s actually a proposal from the SPFL’s Cups Working Group rather than a decision, although there’s optimism that it will be accepted. 

The working group have little power but I can't see many clubs objecting. Central belt clubs will see no difference in travel and the proposed ' local' matches never transpired. 

We would also benefit if we ditch the regimented fixture format as that also contributes to the staleness. 

[vikingTON]

The regional split has definitely outlived any usefulness - plus we need as many chances of ticking Pittodrie off the list before they tear it down.

[Elixir]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

The regional split has definitely outlived any usefulness - plus we need as many chances of ticking Pittodrie off the list before they tear it down.

Decent chance for next season IMO.

[vikingTON]

Tynecastle is another one that still has to be done for us, owing to shan and completely pointless Covid restrictions. 

[TheScarf]

Does this mean our annual defeat on Premier Sports away to Hearts in the last game of the group is no more?

[RiG]

The League Cup group stages are dull as f'ck. Get rid of regionalisation. We've had the same 3 teams in 3 of the last four years in our group (Hearts, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers). 

[Lyle Lanley]

6 hours ago, TheScarf said:

Does this mean our annual defeat on Premier Sports away to Hearts in the last game of the group is no more?

We should just scrap the groups altogether. 

[stanley]

Glad to hear it. We're not in the group stages next season but wasn't great being in the northern section and playing the same teams regularly. In just five seasons we've played East Fife, Cowdenbeath and ICT three times and Peterhead, Cove Rangers and Raith twice.

[mrman2011]

Groups are really boring 

[Ranaldo Bairn]

38 minutes ago, mrman2011 said:

Groups are really boring 

Yes they are.

There was a very good reason we binned them in 1985 or so, as many of us, myself included , pointed out at the time.

[RiG]

Confirmation that regionalisation has been binned.

https://spfl.co.uk/news/premier-sports-cup-202223

[CM.]

I don't really mind the groups but glad regionalisations been removed to open the draw up a bit more. Hopefully seeding next so they aren't trying their best to get all the top flight clubs through but that'll never happen.

[roy of the rovers]

I'm very pleased the regionalisation is no more. A wee trip to Pittodrie, Dens or Easter Road amongst some others would be a nice change for us as I've not seen us play at these grounds before.