Stefan Gamble regrets Walsall vote for FA Trophy changes
Chief executive Stefan Gamble says Walsall would not have voted in favour of changes to the EFL Trophy if they had known how the competition would unfold.
The tournament – now called the Checkatrade Trophy – was given a revamp in the summer with football bosses wanting Premier League under-23 teams to compete.
Walsall were one of a host of clubs to vote in favour of a one-year trial for the new format – a decision which angered supporters. But the Trophy quickly descended into chaos when Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham opted against taking part – with Championship sides filling the void.
That prompted fans to stay away from Walsall's opening game against Grimsby with a crowd of just 1,022 watching the clash at the Banks's Stadium. And Gamble admits, had they known what they were getting, the Saddlers would have voted against the proposal.
"We voted for a one season trial that included under-23 teams from the Premier League," the official said. "The competition we have now is not what we voted for. Had we been presented with what we have now we would have voted differently. Key to all this is that it was always going to be a one-season trial. We always reserved the right to veto any move that would have extended it beyond that
