One of the tropes that surrounds domestic football in the UK is that the Carabao Cup, better known as the EFL Cup, is a trophy that is meaningless. It is a “Mickey Mouse competition” and should not be counted as a major trophy. We already have the romance and prestige of the FA Cup so there is no need for another domestic cup competition that ultimately adds more fixtures in the football calendar with very little reward.
Simply put, it is a competition that no one cares about, and based on recent evidence, these people would be right. 2013 was the last time in which a club from outside the Premier League’s “Big Six” won the League Cup. Do you know who that was? Me neither. But I’m sure we all remember Wigan Athletic’s incredible 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final in the same year.
This has been the problem. For over a decade, this competition has been a procession for one of the giants of English football to snatch a minor trophy that ultimately brings in a little bit of extra money. Manchester City won four consecutive EFL Cup titles from 2018 to 2021, which unsurprisingly coincided with their dominance in the Premier League. If the same teams keep winning the competition, then of course it is going to get boring. For both fans and players alike, the trophy has lost its value, and as such it becomes clear why the competition has such a negative stigma attached to it.
That all changed on the afternoon of Sunday, March 16. Newcastle United were finally able to lift a trophy after 56 long and painful years. The timer has reset. A weight has been lifted. The outpouring of emotion and joy when the final whistle was blown truly was a spectacle. Grandparents celebrated with their families, most were in tears; they probably thought they would never see their club lift a trophy.
Gone are the agonising memories of Keegan and the 95/96 season. The city was able to celebrate, and when you haven’t won a domestic trophy for 70 years, you value every single second because it may not happen again. Newcastle not only took control of Wembley, they took control of London. Songs of Jacob Murphy and big Dan Burn were sung long into the early hours of the morning.
For Newcastle, and all of its supporters, the Carabao Cup does mean something. Those who know the city of Newcastle will attest that the football club brings the entire community together. St James’ Park sits right in the heart of the city, and as such is symbolic of how much the supporters get behind their team. In 2023 when Newcastle were beaten in the final of the EFL Cup, all the supporters stayed behind and drowned out the Manchester United fans. They are some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the world, and they deserved their moment.
So for all the critics who say that the Carabao Cup isn’t a real trophy and all Newcastle won was a “Mickey Mouse” competition: thanks, we couldn’t be prouder. The EFL Cup has value because it allows for moments like this. It is incredibly rewarding and cathartic to watch the scenes unfold on Sunday afternoon and shows what football is all about – following a club that you love. Hopefully we can see more moments like this in League Cup finals to come, a competition that does indeed matter.
“newcastle united vs middlesbrough” by nyaa_birdies_perch is licensed under CC BY 2.0.