THE CARABAO CUP BOOSTS IN DIFFERENT WAYS

Big cup games tonight with the UEFA Super "Doopa" Cup being played in Skopje, Macedonia, as Jose pits his wits against Real Madrid, with Gareth Bale between two stools. The Super Cup idea has been in existence since 1971 when Dutchman, Anton Witkamp, a journalist, thought it would be good to see which club was really the greatest in Europe, at a time when Dutch clubs, especially Ajax, were dominating competitions. Ajax (Champion League winners) met Rangers (yes Glasgow! Cup Winners Cup winners) in 1972. Rangers were actually banned from playing in European competitions due to their fans' behaviour, but the game went ahead and Ajax won 6-3 over two legs. The tie was played over two legs originally to maximise revenue.

With Arsenal are already one cup up this season (Community Shield actually), the FA Cup has got going (albeit it in the lower reaches), and the EFL Cup  is ready on the blocks with the Carabao (meaning Red Buffalo) sponsored cup competition amusing a few lost souls from the lower divisions. If your remember last year this competition led to the more prestigious clubs fielding their youngsters, thereby dragging the competition into the mud, until it got to the exciting rounds.

Carabao are also sponsoring Flamengo in the Brasilian Serie A, as well as Reading FFC and Chelsea's training kit.

If you happen to support a team having a dodgy start to their season or maybe is on a roll, the League Cup, as we once  knew it, will either give your club a boost, an opportunity to play some new players or to maintain the roll.

Barnsley (defeated badly at Bristol City on Saturday) certainly needs a boost and are taking on Morecambe (who won at the weekend) at Oakwell.
Luton having scored 8 last weekend is on a roll and entertain Ipswich and as yet the team lists have not been published, so I can't predict how seriously the managers will take EFLCup.

There are a few "nice" fixtures-it looks regional but I'm not convinced: Newport County play at Southend,  Pompey travel abroad to Cardiff.

Mind you Aldershot are at Torquay this evening in the Vanarama. Who pays travel costs?

Forest Green Rovers and Lincoln make their debuts.

On the theme of Cup ties, it is good to read that Chapecoense are reviving their club's spirits as they visited Spain and played Barcelona on their home ground, for the Joan Damper trophy, a match that confirms the Spaniards link with South American players. Remember the Brasilian club lost almost all their first team players (all but 3) and officials in a plane crash on 28th November 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6KvRDqo5_Y