Premier League B teams and 'non-English' clubs ruled out of EFL reforms

[Joe Jones]

From BBC Sport (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37440689)

Premier League B teams and 'non-English' clubs will not be included in plans to reform the structure of the English Football League.

In May, it was revealed that the EFL, formerly known as the Football League before a rebrand this summer, could expand to include a fifth tier by 2019-20, with 100 teams over five divisions.

It is planned that additional clubs would come from the National League.

EFL clubs met to discuss the proposals for the first time on Thursday.

The exclusion from the plans, which will be voted on by all clubs in June 2017, of extra clubs from non-English leagues would appear to remove any prospect of Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers being involved in the EFL in the foreseeable future. Welsh clubs Cardiff and Newport already compete in the EFL.

Meanwhile, the idea to include Premier League B teams in any restructure which formed part of the Football Association commission's four-point plan to boost English football, has also been rejected.

"The logical place for many was to source the additional teams for League Three from the National League," EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said.

"We will now continue our consultation with the National League with a little more certainty as to what any change could mean for them."

This season, the Checkatrade Trophy has included under-21 teams from Premier League and Championship clubs for the first time on a trial basis, something which the "overwhelming majority of fans" are against, according to the Football Supporters' Federation.

So this looks like a positive step and alleviates a lot of fears which would have plagued Football League fans.

What do you reckon to this and also to the potential League Three plans?

[Piethagoram]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/05/20/proposed-changes-to-football-league-may-cost-premier-league-club/

The biggest threat remains if the Premier League force the abandonment of the "Solidarity payments"

 

Relegation to League 2 has cost us £120k.... but the £240k or so Notts receive, is a significant cash inflow. EFL clubs losing such funds, would in reality turn Premier League into its own franchise with threat of pulling up the drawbridge to relegation / promotion.

 

It may eventually come down to our Parliament passing a law to protect the League structures, as I fear foreign ownership of PL clubs have their own international agenda

[Who r ya?? You Pies!!]

Definitely a positive step I think , wait to see what develops along the line , absolutely no need for a league 3 , teams can get promoted through the pyramid , as it stands so  absolutely no change needed to the structure at all .

[Elite_pie]

Hopefully this unanimous backlash will alert Shaun Harvey, Greg Dyke & Co that there is still football outside the Premier League, with some very passionate supporters.  I can see enthusiasm for a fifth division waning now B teams won't be involved.  If it really is a "Whole Game Solution", then consider the needs of clubs at our level a bit more.

[Dripsey3]

The National League should be League 3, the North and South should be 4A & 4B. There should be be 3 up and 3 down between League 2 and League 3. 

[DangerousSausage]

It's nice to hear but it's not the first time we've been told this. They were "ruling out" B teams while at the same time including them in the Checkathingy Trophy

If crowds in the matches involving B teams in that competition are larger than the rest, the "trial" may well continue and the idea may be revisited in the future. The pressure needs to stay on.

[liampie]

im surprised it has not been forced into effect but i am glad it is not the case.

leave football as it is.

[ivansneck]

To be honest i don't mind the Conference being an official Division 5 so long as the self-styled 'premier' league have no more power than any other 20 football clubs. The scrapping of the B teams is at least 1 good step. It should be followed by:

1.  The artifical separation of the FA and FL being scrapped.
2.  No plc allowed to run a football club.
3.  A salary cap at all levels - no more than 50% of income to be paid in wages.
4.  A proper disciplinary policy at all levels of the game.
5.  Compulsary youth set-up at levels 1-5.
6.  No club allowed to have a debt bigger than 10% of annual turnover.

[Piethagoram]

@ivansneck whilst I agree in sentiment, some things are not practical

1. FA is independent and runs the rules / referees. FL then, has to be independent too. Otherwise accusations of match fixing if under one organisation

2. Why plc? Maybe restrictions on dividends / loans to the owners to prevent money being taken out is a better way to go

3&6  The problem with this is you cannot forecast your income for the season. Basically any plan would need to be on last season with threat of point deductions

4. OK

5. where is the funding for this? Clubs in L1 L2 rely on central grants for their academies

[ivansneck]

2 minutes ago, Piethagoram said:

@ivansneck whilst I agree in sentiment, some things are not practical

1. FA is independent and runs the rules / referees. FL then, has to be independent too. Otherwise accusations of match fixing if under one organisation

2. Why plc? Maybe restrictions on dividends / loans to the owners to prevent money being taken out is a better way to go

3&6  The problem with this is you cannot forecast your income for the season. Basically any plan would need to be on last season with threat of point deductions

4. OK

5. where is the funding for this? Clubs in L1 L2 rely on central grants for their academies

Some responses.

1. All other European football associations manage to run leagues and referees

2. Because a plc is bound by the Companies Act, which has a legal requirement to maximise shareholders, dividends and profits. Thus selling assets is in effect compulsary if a reasonable offer is received. It takes the focus away form sport and onto business

3 and 6. That's the rule in Germany and other nations, the 10% gives you 'wriggle room'. Fail to manage the finances of the club properly and it loses it's licence to play at professional level. Concentrates the mind!! Only spend money you actually have!

[Piethagoram]

@ivansneck 

1. The genie is already out of the bottle... The Premier League wants to keep its income for itself. The EFL has to rely on crumbs. It maybe seen that the Premier League dictates to the FA

2 The real risk for plc's is that the value of the land for say a supermarket is greater than the football club, you know which way the decision will go. Rules should be drawn up to cover both public and private companies

3&6. I agree with you

[ivansneck]

You're right about the genie, but the FA should just over-rule them in my opinion - but I know it never will.

AS for plc's the FA can't bring in special rules that over-rule either EU or UK legislation, that's why may of us campaigned in the 80's to stop plc's being involved beofre they were. However, it is perfectly legal to set up a competition that plc's can't be a part of from the offset - see the Bundesliga - La Liga etc. etc. Then Man United plc can decide if they want to join (voluntarily stop being a plc) or just play with themselves. Of course, if they chose the latter they couldn't play in European competitions and their players couldn't play in internationals...