united we stand
Life President⭐
More details here -- it appears to be the football leagues idea!-- maybe the lesser of two evils (B teams in football league)
http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/asp/news/news.asp?NewsItemId=23239
http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/asp/news/news.asp?NewsItemId=21766
May 2014 article
The Football League are reported to be putting forward their own plans to act as a supposed counteract to the Football Association's 'B Team' proposals. Earlier this month, the FA England Commission report put forward plans for a new Football League division that would allow Premier League Reserve Teams to be merged into the pyramid structure as a fifth tier division, with them able to gain promotion and relegation up as far as the current League One division.
Those proposals have gone down like a lead balloon, with supporters groups outside the Premier League pretty much united in their opposition to the proposals, whilst a number of clubs such as Portsmouth and Peterborough United have put out formal statements declaring their positions. The Football League appeared to take a worryingly moderate stance on the proposals, with Chairman Greg Clarke also sitting on the England Commission committee that produced the controversial report.
The Daily Telegraph indicates that the Football League are putting forward plans for 'B Teams' to be incorporated into a revamped Football League Trophy competition, with plans to invite 16 B Teams from clubs with EPPP Category One academies to join the current 48 League One and League Two clubs in an extended competition format.
The objective would be to form a Group Stage of the competition, currently sponsored as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. There would be sixteen groups of four clubs, with each group having a B Team included. Teams would play each other once on a pre-drawn home/away basis, with any matches involving the B Team that see them drawn as the 'home' team played at the Premier League club's main stadium. The winners of the group would follow through to the final sixteen of the competition. This would guarantee each team at least three matches in the competition.
Football League Chief Executive Shaun Harvey has confirmed that the general topic of 'B Teams' and the England Commission report will be on the agenda for the Football League AGM, which is due to take place next week:
"At their summer meeting, clubs will discuss the Football League’s contribution to the England team and how we can enhance our already extensive contribution to the development of young players. While the session was planned well before the findings of the FA chairman’s England Commission were made public, it does now give clubs the opportunity to have their say on these matters. It remains our view that while the objectives of the commission are laudable, the burden it places on our clubs should not be disproportionate or unreasonable. With this in mind, clubs will consider the merits or otherwise of inviting a number of B teams to participate in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy as a means for improving elite player development while also improving the finances of League One and League Two clubs."
The League are proposing a number of caveats to the above plans. They want all gate receipts from matches played on the Premier League grounds put into a central pool for later distribution to the 48 Football League clubs. In addition they would ask the FA to underwrite any shortfall in gate receipts on the Wembley Stadium final, if it is poorly attended due to changes in the competition - this would be measured against the average Wembley attendance over the last ten years.
The current plans are for this to be trialled over a two year period. The obvious questions to answer are how the sixteen 'B Teams' would be allocated to the individual groups - current JPT early round draws are performed on a heavily geographic basis, meaning that a team like Yeovil Town might permanently find themselves paired with Southampton as an annual event. Given the strength of the Saints academy system, that could easily result in teams in that geographical group permanently blocked off from progressing past the group stages. For League One and League Two sides, this represents one of their main chances of reaching Wembley. If the JPT Final becomes Arsenal B vs Chelsea B due to the strength of those academies, then that door becomes closed, and the opportunity of a big Wembley pay day is lost.
2 March
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Football League may be considering a u-turn on their willingness to allow B Teams to participate in its competitions. The concept of B Teams was part of the FA's England Commission Report that was published last year, and championed by FA Chairman Greg Dyke, and put forward the proposal for club's with EPPP Category 1 academies to be allowed to field formalised reserve team structures within the English football pyramid system.
That proposal was savaged by supporter groups and by much of the national media, and by the time it reached the June 2014 Football League AGM it was booted out, in what appeared to be a fairly emphatic rejection. However, the vote that was tabled only related to changes to the league pyramid system, with the Football League having in parallel introduced their own proposals which involved inviting Premier League sides into their Football League Trophy competition. That proposal was never formally dismissed.
Last month, Football League Chairmen met at the FA's St George's Park venue near Burton, where they rejected plastic pitches and agreed a new central fund package. However, according to the Dons Trust - the fans run group that ultimately owns AFC Wimbledon, they indicate that the subject of B Teams was back on the Football League agenda, with their meeting notes disappointingly stating that their club had been the only League Two side to openly go against the proposals. A report from the Trust states:
"There was discussion about that day’s Football League (FL) meeting which was understood to have authorised the FL executive to finalise proposals to allow Premier League ‘B’ teams to enter the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, with AFC Wimbledon being the only League Two club to vote against. It was agreed that Kris Stewart would talk with other trusts to help us decide whether this is something for the Dons Trust to follow up."
During last year's proposals, which appeared to be backed by Football League Chairman Greg Clarke and his Chief Executive Shaun Harvey, most of the concern appeared to be whether the FA or the Premier League were willing to underwrite the losses that might be incurred if a Premier League's B Team did not attract a significant attendance, or where the strength of such sides effectively froze out Football League sides from being able to get a lucrative day out at Wembley Stadium, with the inevitable risk of the likes of Arsenal B vs Chelsea B contesting the final. Great for Sky Sports, but pretty lousy if the likes of Bristol City or Walsall - this year's finalists - were denied their chance to take a cash windfall and promote their club at a Wembley final.
As yet, there's not been any word from the Football League on this subject, but with Wimbledon having informed their fans that such proposals are on the cards, the League will need to make their position clear soon. Our understanding is that last month's meeting was not a binding vote, but gave the Executive Committee enough remit to go ahead and produce firmed up proposals.
http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/asp/news/news.asp?NewsItemId=23239
http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/asp/news/news.asp?NewsItemId=21766
May 2014 article
The Football League are reported to be putting forward their own plans to act as a supposed counteract to the Football Association's 'B Team' proposals. Earlier this month, the FA England Commission report put forward plans for a new Football League division that would allow Premier League Reserve Teams to be merged into the pyramid structure as a fifth tier division, with them able to gain promotion and relegation up as far as the current League One division.
Those proposals have gone down like a lead balloon, with supporters groups outside the Premier League pretty much united in their opposition to the proposals, whilst a number of clubs such as Portsmouth and Peterborough United have put out formal statements declaring their positions. The Football League appeared to take a worryingly moderate stance on the proposals, with Chairman Greg Clarke also sitting on the England Commission committee that produced the controversial report.
The Daily Telegraph indicates that the Football League are putting forward plans for 'B Teams' to be incorporated into a revamped Football League Trophy competition, with plans to invite 16 B Teams from clubs with EPPP Category One academies to join the current 48 League One and League Two clubs in an extended competition format.
The objective would be to form a Group Stage of the competition, currently sponsored as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. There would be sixteen groups of four clubs, with each group having a B Team included. Teams would play each other once on a pre-drawn home/away basis, with any matches involving the B Team that see them drawn as the 'home' team played at the Premier League club's main stadium. The winners of the group would follow through to the final sixteen of the competition. This would guarantee each team at least three matches in the competition.
Football League Chief Executive Shaun Harvey has confirmed that the general topic of 'B Teams' and the England Commission report will be on the agenda for the Football League AGM, which is due to take place next week:
"At their summer meeting, clubs will discuss the Football League’s contribution to the England team and how we can enhance our already extensive contribution to the development of young players. While the session was planned well before the findings of the FA chairman’s England Commission were made public, it does now give clubs the opportunity to have their say on these matters. It remains our view that while the objectives of the commission are laudable, the burden it places on our clubs should not be disproportionate or unreasonable. With this in mind, clubs will consider the merits or otherwise of inviting a number of B teams to participate in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy as a means for improving elite player development while also improving the finances of League One and League Two clubs."
The League are proposing a number of caveats to the above plans. They want all gate receipts from matches played on the Premier League grounds put into a central pool for later distribution to the 48 Football League clubs. In addition they would ask the FA to underwrite any shortfall in gate receipts on the Wembley Stadium final, if it is poorly attended due to changes in the competition - this would be measured against the average Wembley attendance over the last ten years.
The current plans are for this to be trialled over a two year period. The obvious questions to answer are how the sixteen 'B Teams' would be allocated to the individual groups - current JPT early round draws are performed on a heavily geographic basis, meaning that a team like Yeovil Town might permanently find themselves paired with Southampton as an annual event. Given the strength of the Saints academy system, that could easily result in teams in that geographical group permanently blocked off from progressing past the group stages. For League One and League Two sides, this represents one of their main chances of reaching Wembley. If the JPT Final becomes Arsenal B vs Chelsea B due to the strength of those academies, then that door becomes closed, and the opportunity of a big Wembley pay day is lost.
2 March
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Football League may be considering a u-turn on their willingness to allow B Teams to participate in its competitions. The concept of B Teams was part of the FA's England Commission Report that was published last year, and championed by FA Chairman Greg Dyke, and put forward the proposal for club's with EPPP Category 1 academies to be allowed to field formalised reserve team structures within the English football pyramid system.
That proposal was savaged by supporter groups and by much of the national media, and by the time it reached the June 2014 Football League AGM it was booted out, in what appeared to be a fairly emphatic rejection. However, the vote that was tabled only related to changes to the league pyramid system, with the Football League having in parallel introduced their own proposals which involved inviting Premier League sides into their Football League Trophy competition. That proposal was never formally dismissed.
Last month, Football League Chairmen met at the FA's St George's Park venue near Burton, where they rejected plastic pitches and agreed a new central fund package. However, according to the Dons Trust - the fans run group that ultimately owns AFC Wimbledon, they indicate that the subject of B Teams was back on the Football League agenda, with their meeting notes disappointingly stating that their club had been the only League Two side to openly go against the proposals. A report from the Trust states:
"There was discussion about that day’s Football League (FL) meeting which was understood to have authorised the FL executive to finalise proposals to allow Premier League ‘B’ teams to enter the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, with AFC Wimbledon being the only League Two club to vote against. It was agreed that Kris Stewart would talk with other trusts to help us decide whether this is something for the Dons Trust to follow up."
During last year's proposals, which appeared to be backed by Football League Chairman Greg Clarke and his Chief Executive Shaun Harvey, most of the concern appeared to be whether the FA or the Premier League were willing to underwrite the losses that might be incurred if a Premier League's B Team did not attract a significant attendance, or where the strength of such sides effectively froze out Football League sides from being able to get a lucrative day out at Wembley Stadium, with the inevitable risk of the likes of Arsenal B vs Chelsea B contesting the final. Great for Sky Sports, but pretty lousy if the likes of Bristol City or Walsall - this year's finalists - were denied their chance to take a cash windfall and promote their club at a Wembley final.
As yet, there's not been any word from the Football League on this subject, but with Wimbledon having informed their fans that such proposals are on the cards, the League will need to make their position clear soon. Our understanding is that last month's meeting was not a binding vote, but gave the Executive Committee enough remit to go ahead and produce firmed up proposals.
