Papa Pizza Palace

Gibson,Gibbons and Coburn all on the bench.

"Hot dog"!

As an American living in the 70s might shout!

Haha!

Once upon a time,in my local football days DrF,our team scored,all jolly good.Our GK,an American culture fan,shouted very loudly and from his area "Hot Dog",in a American/Gloucestershire accent.

I was actually a little bit embarrassed. 🙂

Exactly.
Very 'raddie-dudee'.👍

Looking more like the team that finished last season. Arguably the most composed performance to date Clarke and Jasper particularly stand out. Fully deserve to go in one to the good, bodes well for Cambridge and a long awaited 3 points! UTG

Joe has spoken out about the competition.

It's in the Post.

Absolutely spot on from our Manager.

B***** is correct, but he should clarify that the authorities need to revert to the original format. 

The original justification was flawed on a number of levels, including the fact that there are far bigger obstacles that impede the development of young players, including the big clubs stockpiling young players and then failing to develop them. Look at the cases of Ross Barclay, Jack Rodwell or even Scott Sinclair. 

There is a clear rationale for a lower league cup as the 'romance' of the FA cup in particular evaporated a long time ago - there is nothing 'romantic' or even vaguely interesting about Man City's 'b' team putting ten past a L1 side. 

The win against city in the area final and the 3-2 defeat against Doncaster (as good a cup final as I can remember) are fondly remembered by the club's fanbase but few would now care, even if the club made it to Wembley. 

Joey B***** has blasted the EFL Trophy as a "nonsense competition" after Bristol Rovers' 2-0 win over Crystal Palace under-21s on Tuesday, saying "the sooner we're out of it, the better". The Gas secured a comfortable victory at the Mem, with Alfie Kilgour and Trevor Clarke getting the goals, but the manager has made his opinion of the competition clear.



B***** was irked by the performance of referee James Oldham and his decision to send Glenn Whelan off for violent conduct – with Rovers set to appeal – while only producing a yellow card for Kofi Balmer for a "horse collar" foul on Clarke, pulling him to the ground from the collar of his shirt. The Gas manager was also angered by other fouls his players took from the team level on points at the top of Premier League 2 Division 1 with Manchester City.

It led B***** to speak of his "disdain" for the tournament, admitting Rovers do not "take it seriously". He believes the format of the competition, which brought in under-21 teams from Premier League academies in 2016 as well as quotas requiring at least four senior players in the starting XI – a move that has been widely unpopular across the EFL – is not helping EFL clubs.

"I thought they (Crystal Palace) were what the problem is in the modern game, an academy side that are miles away from producing people who can play in the league," he said. "They’re so far away, let’s be honest, so it kind of makes a mockery for me of what that Premier League 2 is.

"You hear me talk all the time about these big clubs stockpiling players and what player for them today… We wouldn’t take any of their players, we just wouldn’t, they're so far away. It’s a good opportunity for us to look at that because we do like to utilise the loan market but I was so surprised to see them.

"It’s easy for them because their games don’t matter. Their games are irrelevant and nobody cares about them, but we’ve got a proper game on Saturday when mortgages are on the line, real football, real men’s football. So to have a team of kids go out and leave late challenges on you is bizarre. The competition is about developing younger players."

With four points from their opening two games in Group M, Rovers are well placed to qualify for the knockout stages with just already-eliminated Swindon Town left to play. That game will be played at the Mem on October 18.

But the Rovers boss says he will not be taking any risks with any key players in that game, airing his frustration with the officiating after a bruising night for the Gas. Kilgour had to be withdrawn after being caught in the head and he has entered concussion protocol, while Sylvester Jasper and John Marquis also took knocks.

"We don’t really want to play in this competition, I’ll level with you," B***** continued. "It’s a waste of our time because we get players suspended, you get players injured from nonsense tackles from young kids who are miles off playing men’s footy. I just don’t see why we should support it.

"Next game, I may well just play our kids because I can’t risk my first-team players getting injured against a bunch of kids who are miles off the level and trying to impress people who are watching by kicking senior players. It’s a nonsense competition.

"Who cares about it? It’s a nonsense competition, and when it’s officiated in that fashion it makes me even further devalue the competition. I’ve tried to support it in all my time but when I get officials like that who are basically on work experience sending my players off that don’t deserve to be sent off and all the while allowing young players to steam in and make stupid tackles and don’t book them or reprimand them because they’re young players, it’s a nonsense.

"We don’t take it seriously, so I said to the lads tonight go out and enjoy it because the opposition are inferior because they are a bunch of kids. If you take their teamsheet and look at it in five years’ time, some of those lads will be working in civilian jobs. They won’t be playing football. Youth teams are usually geared around the development of one or two players, so I get why the EFL have put the competition in, but you can see from my point of view, if I lose any real senior players, we’ve got a proper game at the weekend and real football to come.

"You try to do the right thing because if we don’t fulfil the quotas, we get fined and all the other nonsense that comes down the track, but you can see from our standpoint we’ve got a duty of care to fulfil our league campaign and play the best team we can on a Saturday in the league. Having this nonsense of a competition in the middle of it, when players can be injured and suspended now, it just makes me question it.

"Who is the competition for? Is it for Crystal Palace? Yeah, I think so. Is it for the referees and officials to gain experience? Yeah. It isn’t for senior players and senior teams, it’s just a deterrent to us. The sooner we’re out of it the better and I’m going to go forward carrying absolute disdain for the competition when referees officiate it like that."

Match Report | Rovers 2-0 Crystal Palace U21s.

The Gas cooked up a feast in the Papa John's Trophy, delivering a first competition defeat on Crystal Palace with a tasty two-nil win.

Joey B***** made eight changes to the team that started against Exeter City on Saturday. Summer signing Josh Coburn made the bench, alongside James Gibbons and Lewis Gibson, who both made a welcome return from injury.

There was a first start for recent signing Syl Jasper - and he very nearly marked it with a goal in the 28th minute, but Palace goalkeeper Whitworth pulled off a sensational save from close range.

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The tricky winger had the game's next chance on 38 minutes when his shot from 15 yards was deflected behind for a corner.

Harvey Saunders then danced through two challenges before striking a bobbling shot straight at Whitworth from twenty-five yards. A minute later, the Palace 'keeper sliced a clearance straight onto Saunders' head but the ball ballooned over an empty net.

The Gas did strike in first-half injury time, however, as Coutts' delicious corner had Alfie Kilgour licking his lips and the centre-half rose highest to power home a header from ten yards.

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The half-time interval saw two lucky Rovers fans try to win a year's supply of pizzas by landing a football on the penalty spot. The Rovers' substitutes also tried their hand but no-one was successful.

The Gas made two changes for the second-half, with Thomas and debutant Coburn replacing goalscorer Kilgour who had taken a kick to the head and John Marquis.

Coburn won a free-kick in the 53rd minute down by the right-hand corner flag, but Coutts' set-piece was cleared.

Saunders was shown a yellow card for sliding in on Gordon in the 55th minute, before James Gibbons made his return from injury, replacing Luca Hoole. Lewis Gibson also got a pizza the action, replacing Luke McCormick at the same time. Jasper was booked for a trip in the 63rd minute, as both sides struggled to take control of the game.

Palace's best chance fell to Ozoh after 66 minutes, but his right-footed shot was sliced well wide of Jaakkola's goal.

Saunders was replaced by the in-form Ryan Loft after 70 minutes, and was straight in the action, swapping passes with Coburn before Palace cleared.

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The Gas made it two-nil in the 73rd minute when Trevor Clarke cut inside after a marauding run and fired home with his right-foot from the edge of the box.

Loft saw yellow for leaving a foot in a minute later as the game got a little spicy. The weather, however, was less than Hawaiian, with the October air beginning to bite. Tempers flared again after 82 as Clarke was hauled to the floor as he broke away with the ball following a great save by Jaakkola. Glenn Whelan was shown a straight red in the aftermath, presumably for dissent.

Palace's Phillips was then shown a yellow for leading with his elbow on Jasper, who had to leave the field for treatment.

From the free-kick, Gibson made an intelligent run but fired just wide.

A late chance for Palace saw the bar come to Jaakkola's rescue from a header, before referee Oldham called time, leaving plenty of good things for Rovers to takeaway from the game.

Rovers: Jaakkola, Kilgour, Westbrooke, Marquis, Jasper, Coutts (C), Clarke, Saunders, McCormick, Whelan, Hoole.

Subs: Belshaw, Finley, Gibson, Loft, Gibbons, Thomas, Coburn

Crystal Palace: Whitworth, Gordon (C), Balmer, Grehan, Adebomi, Omilabu, Phillips, Watson, Cadogan, Ozoh, Rodney.

Subs: Izquierdo, Imray, Mooney, Akinwale, Raymond, Bell.

Referee: James Oldham

Attendance: 1,058

I think the foul on Trevour Clark was worthy of a red card.

Glens red is worth appealing against.