Enter to win......

[Ernest]

We better not lose on Thursday or next Sunday after this

 

[timbha]

The only concern today is maenpa's injury. Nothing else matters in terms of this seasons mission.

 

[wellquickwoody]

What league would a reserve side play in then?

Good question. Whatever happened to the Combination League?

 

[Sheebo]

This. I only know who won it last year because of who they beat in the final!

If we ever made it into a Stoke type of Prem team mid-table etc I'd like us have a few good runs at the cup though. Wigan, palace etc have proved its possible to have a run. But when most teams are fielding reserve sides it's not quite the same.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The FA cup was ruined long before this season.

 

[Bozza]

not disrespect the competition by treating it as a sideshow.

I understand why CH chose the team he did, but maybe we should just not enter? The FA Cup was a highlight of the domestic season, it has become an irrelevance, very sad.

BTW Well done Lincoln.

That side was good enough to win at a canter. They didn't. It's why we love football.

 

[AZ Gull]

Good question. Whatever happened to the Combination League?

In 1999 The Barclays Premier Reserve League was started which removed the top clubs' reserve sides from the Football Combination and the Central League (the northern/midland equivalent).

In 2003 the Football Combination became regionalised with two divisions for a couple of seasons and then three.

By 2009 a handful of clubs had started to have development squads (as opposed to reserve sides) which were meant to provide a better bridge between the youth team and the first team. The final season for the Football Combination was 2011-12 when Albion were in the Southern Section with Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Crawley, Forest Green Rovers and Torquay, meaning there were only 10 league matches all season. The following campaign Albion entered their U-21s in the Professional Development League (League 2, South Division) and no longer had a reserve side as such.

The Central League continues in existence, and up until last season was known as the Final Third Development League.

 

[wellquickwoody]

In 1999 The Barclays Premier Reserve League was started which removed the top clubs' reserve sides from the Football Combination and the Central League (the northern/midland equivalent).

In 2003 the Football Combination became regionalised with two divisions for a couple of seasons and then three.

By 2009 a handful of clubs had started to have development squads (as opposed to reserve sides) which were meant to provide a better bridge between the youth team and the first team. The final season for the Football Combination was 2011-12 when Albion were in the Southern Section with Bournemouth, Cheltenham, Crawley, Forest Green Rovers and Torquay, meaning there were only 10 league matches all season. The following campaign Albion entered their U-21s in the Professional Development League (League 2, South Division) and no longer had a reserve side as such.

The Central League continues in existence, and up until last season was known as the Final Third Development League.

I wonder if that could be a better training environment for our squad players?