Although the Blues have not yet officially announced their decision, the club’s chief executive has strongly suggested they will not be taking part in the competition.
The tournament, which is similar to the EFL Trophy, involves fifth-tier clubs facing Premier League Under-21 teams. While some National League teams took part last season, others chose not to.
When asked by the News & Star about Carlisle United’s stance, chief executive Nigel Clibbens gave a clear indication the club would be opting out.
“The club has formed a view and made its decision,” Clibbens said. “We haven’t made it public yet — we want to announce it in the right way.”
When asked whether the opinion of fans had influenced the decision, Clibbens confirmed: “Yes – we had discussions with Matt Spooner, the CUSG director, and he made the supporters’ view very clear.”
Back in 2016, Carlisle backed the introduction of academy sides into the EFL Trophy, despite fan opposition shown in a poll. Reflecting on that, Clibbens added: “I’ll let you draw your own conclusions based on that past feedback.”
Asked whether the club considered holding another poll, he said: “No, we didn’t feel it was necessary. We’ve got direct experience now, including how the EFL Trophy played out.”
Clibbens highlighted the voluntary nature of participation in the National League Cup, unlike the mandatory inclusion in the EFL Trophy once a vote is passed. He also pointed out that the competition isn’t geographically structured, meaning long travel distances could be involved — something he noted wouldn’t be beneficial to the club.
He made clear that the club’s main focus is on winning promotion.
While Premier League clubs’ involvement in the National League Cup comes with a financial incentive — £1 million in prize money was split among non-league clubs last season — Clibbens stressed that this wasn’t a driving factor.
“If you reach the final, the earnings are reportedly similar to the EFL Trophy,” he said. “But for us, this decision isn’t about money. We’re in a very different situation now compared to a few years ago.”
Several clubs declined to enter the competition last year. Eastleigh, for example, cited low interest, fixture congestion, and minimal financial benefit. They also raised concerns over a lack of protection for National League clubs when top-tier teams target their young players.
The competition’s format — introduced last year with 32 teams — was intended, according to the National League and Premier League, to help elite youth players gain experience against senior teams. However, the inclusion of Premier League youth sides in the EFL Trophy has been divisive since it began in 2016, with some games drawing historically low attendances, including Carlisle’s lowest ever at Brunton Park.
Leave a Reply