Former Carlisle United manager Paul Simpson has helped launched the Vertu Trophy and said it was a lifeline for EFL clubs.
Ahead of the Round of 32, the Bristol Street Motors Trophy has been rebranded as the Vertu Trophy for the remainder of the season and beyond.
At the launch event at Wembley, Vertu Motors spoke to Simpson in one of his first interviews since leaving the club earlier this season.
He said: “For clubs at League One and League Two level, it’s a great opportunity to get to Wembley Stadium. That’s the be-all and end-all of it as a footballer. But it’s also a really good financial boost for them as well.
“You get rewards for each game you win, and then if you get to Wembley, there’s an opportunity to get some really good money from the gate receipts and then it’s not just the clubs, it’s the fans as well. For them, it’s a great day out.”
During his first tenure at Carlisle United, Simpson took a team struggling financially in the National League and was able to guide them to back-to-back promotions and into League One.
During this time, the club also managed to get to the Football League Trophy final against Swansea City in 2006, and Simpson spoke about the impact this had on the Cumbrians at the time.
He said: “It was a really proud moment as a manager to walk out with your team and lead them out [at Wembley]. For it to be my home city team as well, that was a really big thing for me.
“And you also think of the finances. We made a lot of money out of that competition by getting to the final. It helped us to relay the pitch at Brunton Park, which meant we had a brand-new playing surface.
“It’s just a special moment in your career that you remember forever.”
Simpson later managed several Football League clubs before taking charge of England’s U20s in 2017, leading them to a U20 World Cup win with future stars like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ademola Lookman, and Dominic Solanke in the team.
Speaking about the impact of the Vertu Trophy on young player’s careers, Simpson said: “I think it’s a huge part of the development for footballers to be involved in this competition because they get that chance to play against senior teams and challenge themselves.
“They play against styles of football that they’re probably not used to in their academy football. And I think it goes a long, long way to helping them get a career in professional football.
“From my experience with the FA, I remember going to a trophy semi-final game at Lincoln with Lincoln City against Chelsea U21s.
“And in that team, there was Reece James, Trevor Chalobah and Callum Hudson Odoi. And at Lincoln City, they used to have an air raid siren that used to go off when they got a set play. That’s totally different to what these guys are used to being involved in.
“So, as a psychological side of it, that was a really big thing for them to have to deal with. All of that goes together into their memory bank, which helps them when it comes to first team football.”
The knockout round of the Vertu Trophy is set to commence the week starting December 9, with holders Peterborough United hosting Northampton Town and finalists Wycombe Wanderers set to face Swindon Town.
