Perhaps the thinking behind this is that, by taking on 8 from the National League and making 4 leagues of 20, it will make it harder for the PL to force B teams into the structure.
I really don't feel there is any fixture congestion in the football league, its just a problem made up by boards members who want to feel important and inflate their egos. I enjoy a good mid week away match, perhaps they want us all to be turning on our tellys and watching plastic football instead.
Perhaps the thinking behind this is that, by taking on 8 from the National League and making 4 leagues of 20, it will make it harder for the PL to force B teams into the structure.
They can stop them trying to force teams upon them as it currently stands, by just saying "no".
There are too many matches in the Championship (Bundesliga 2 gets by on 18 teams) - a cut to 22 or 20 teams would make it less of a slog. (I love weeknight football, but the only good thing about dropping into League One is that there are more Saturday matches.) But even then, would clubs accept the loss of gate money when the TV rights pay so poorly? I can't see Championship turkeys voting for Christmas, never mind League Two dodos.
But the big problem is the Premier League. This is stating the obvious, of course, but it needs spelling out. It has too many teams and spreads out across the TV schedule like a fat man standing in a pub doorway. Friday nights (from this August), Saturday lunchtime, Saturday teatime, Sunday lunchtime, Sunday afternoons, Monday nights - denying much-needed exposure to Football League clubs. The slow death of the Saturday 3pm blackout isn't helping. Seen that Mirror back page in the Oak marking CAFC's promotion out of the third division? Forty years on, the Championship might as well be the Ryman League for all most of the media is concerned. That's before you get to the looming threat of the B teams. The Football League is fading out of view, and this proposal's nothing more than plonking another deckchair on the Titanic.
There's nothing wrong with a 100-club system, but if all the money's concentrated in the 20 clubs at the top, it's no good for the 80 clubs at the bottom, especially the 20 in League 3 (!) who'll get bugger all cash in a league that nobody will want to televise and will be hosting fewer home matches. This probably kills off the Conference as a national league, too.
IMHO the only way it can work is if you have a much smaller Premier League (good for the England team too) and a smaller Championship (or Premier League 2), freeing up whole weekends where the lower divisions can get media attention and promote themselves. And an FA that gave a shit. But in a football world where the Premier League calls the shots, that won't ever happen.
There's no money at the bottom of the football league/top of the conference as it is how are they going to find an extra 6 teams capable of sustaining professional status...oh yeah...Carrington United, Chobham FC, Melwood FC, Colney FC, etc, etc.
There's no money at the bottom of the football league/top of the conference as it is how are they going to find an extra 6 teams capable of sustaining professional status...oh yeah...Carrington United, Chobham FC, Melwood FC, Colney FC, etc, etc.
Most of Conference National is professional already. The main problem will be in ensuring that the new League Three (four fewer matches) and what remains of Conference National (pushed further out into the wastes) are viable.
46 games a season is too long, especially when you have the playoffs to follow.
As a result, there are a lot of mid week games which are clearly less popular as can be seen by the attendance. No good for young children, and a real pisser when the away game you're looking forward (Blackpool, Sheff Utd or whereever) is on a Tuesday night, instead of being a weekend away
Most of the Conference is professional anyway, they're league clubs in all but name.
46 games a season is too long, especially when you have the playoffs to follow.
As a result, there are a lot of mid week games which are clearly less popular as can be seen by the attendance. No good for young children, and a real pisser when the away game you're looking forward (Blackpool, Sheff Utd or whereever) is on a Tuesday night, instead of being a weekend away
Most of the Conference is professional anyway, they're league clubs in all but name.
PL B teams aren't part of the proposal
Read the Sky link I posted above at 7.43pm. They possibly are.
46 games a season is too long, especially when you have the playoffs to follow.
As a result, there are a lot of mid week games which are clearly less popular as can be seen by the attendance. No good for young children, and a real pisser when the away game you're looking forward (Blackpool, Sheff Utd or whereever) is on a Tuesday night, instead of being a weekend away
Most of the Conference is professional anyway, they're league clubs in all but name.
PL B teams aren't part of the proposal
Read the Sky link I posted above at 7.43pm. They possibly are.
It mentions nothing of the sort
A Premier League spokesman said: "The structure of the Football League is a matter for it and its member clubs.
"It is no secret that the Premier League, Football League and Football Association are open to discussing potential improvements in the structure of the fixture list.
"The earliest any changes could come into effect is beyond the 2019/20 season, so there is nothing imminent or a pressing timetable."
Obviously the PL would have an interest, as apart from anything else 3 teams get relegated every season
The talk is that B teams would take part in a revised Football League Trophy, which again makes sense
Not for me .. this is not Spain where there are not enough decent or ambitious clubs to fill out a big league structure .. there are many small clubs founded many years ago, or even recent newcomers such as Wimbledon which have either been in the FL before or who have been struggling for years to get into the 'bigger time' .. A better idea would be to make the National League Premier a full FL member.
Also, a 38 game season will mean the loss of four home games and all that income .. On the positive side, eighty clubs would give more small clubs the chance of some 'glory' .. Lastly, personally, I enjoy midweek games under the lights, they're often VERY atmospheric.
The proposal would see an increase from 92 to 100 clubs in the English structure.
According to Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey, it makes sense for the extra spaces to be filled from teams from the National League but he has also left the door open for Premier League B teams to join the professional ladder.
But then the standard response of all Chairman is to say
"we need the extra games"
Hence, they invent mickey mouse cup competitions - whose looking forward to the first round of the JPT? - plus classics like the Full Members and Anglo Italian Cup
Not sure it will happen on that basis - there MUST be more than 8 teams where losing x 8 gate revenues would place them in a parlous position.
What would make more sense would be to have a Laegue Two (North) and League Two (South) bringing in the Conference (or whatever its called these days) in the process. And then have further promotions/relegations from each of these into existing regional leagues as appropriate.
Not sure it will happen on that basis - there MUST be more than 8 teams where losing x 8 gate revenues would place them in a parlous position.
What would make more sense would be to have a Laegue Two (North) and League Two (South) bringing in the Conference (or whatever its called these days) in the process. And then have further promotions/relegations from each of these into existing regional leagues as appropriate.
But the leave the remainder intact.
this, or something similar was the set up until the 1950s ? .. it makes sense .. not the FL but recently, Gateshead played a NL game at Torquay on a Tuesday night .. ridiculous, and a definite big money loser for the Geordies
They are only outline proposals but, at first blush, this does feel like the thin end of the wedge.
Given the generally parlous economic state of the Football League clubs, it's hard to see how the loss of four home fixtures won't create a bigger hole in the bucket. On a personal level, I also really enjoy the midweek games.
I expect the Premier League is pushing for this behind the scenes and that some money will be passed down the tube in order to make it happen. 'Premier B' teams are likely to be part of the quid pro quo, together with the appalling idea of abolishing FA Cup replays.
Comments
"Increased importance of reserve team football"
Hmmm.
But putting in Prem B teams would be a bloody disgrace, and the end of any credible competitive games within the lower leagues.
But the big problem is the Premier League. This is stating the obvious, of course, but it needs spelling out. It has too many teams and spreads out across the TV schedule like a fat man standing in a pub doorway. Friday nights (from this August), Saturday lunchtime, Saturday teatime, Sunday lunchtime, Sunday afternoons, Monday nights - denying much-needed exposure to Football League clubs. The slow death of the Saturday 3pm blackout isn't helping. Seen that Mirror back page in the Oak marking CAFC's promotion out of the third division? Forty years on, the Championship might as well be the Ryman League for all most of the media is concerned. That's before you get to the looming threat of the B teams. The Football League is fading out of view, and this proposal's nothing more than plonking another deckchair on the Titanic.
There's nothing wrong with a 100-club system, but if all the money's concentrated in the 20 clubs at the top, it's no good for the 80 clubs at the bottom, especially the 20 in League 3 (!) who'll get bugger all cash in a league that nobody will want to televise and will be hosting fewer home matches. This probably kills off the Conference as a national league, too.
IMHO the only way it can work is if you have a much smaller Premier League (good for the England team too) and a smaller Championship (or Premier League 2), freeing up whole weekends where the lower divisions can get media attention and promote themselves. And an FA that gave a shit. But in a football world where the Premier League calls the shots, that won't ever happen.
All very depressing.
Smaller leagues means more teams involved in promotion/play off/relegation battles for longer, so should add to the excitement.
46 games a season is too long, especially when you have the playoffs to follow.
As a result, there are a lot of mid week games which are clearly less popular as can be seen by the attendance. No good for young children, and a real pisser when the away game you're looking forward (Blackpool, Sheff Utd or whereever) is on a Tuesday night, instead of being a weekend away
Most of the Conference is professional anyway, they're league clubs in all but name.
PL B teams aren't part of the proposal
Even on this page, it's a casual comment rather than part of the main proposal. Apart from anything else, there are 8 extra places, how could you even decide which PL B teams to include?
Also, a 38 game season will mean the loss of four home games and all that income .. On the positive side, eighty clubs would give more small clubs the chance of some 'glory' ..
Lastly, personally, I enjoy midweek games under the lights, they're often VERY atmospheric.
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10288179/football-league-proposals-for-new-league-three-and-20-team-league-structure-explained
Where will the extra clubs come from?
The proposal would see an increase from 92 to 100 clubs in the English structure.
According to Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey, it makes sense for the extra spaces to be filled from teams from the National League but he has also left the door open for Premier League B teams to join the professional ladder.
Scrap the JPT, its a crap competition, and revenue from attendance is minimal anyway.
They'll have B teams for Man U, Man C, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs plus 2 others.
"we need the extra games"
Hence, they invent mickey mouse cup competitions - whose looking forward to the first round of the JPT? - plus classics like the Full Members and Anglo Italian Cup
Not sure it will happen on that basis - there MUST be more than 8 teams where losing x 8 gate revenues would place them in a parlous position.
What would make more sense would be to have a Laegue Two (North) and League Two (South) bringing in the Conference (or whatever its called these days) in the process. And then have further promotions/relegations from each of these into existing regional leagues as appropriate.
But the leave the remainder intact.
Given the generally parlous economic state of the Football League clubs, it's hard to see how the loss of four home fixtures won't create a bigger hole in the bucket. On a personal level, I also really enjoy the midweek games.
I expect the Premier League is pushing for this behind the scenes and that some money will be passed down the tube in order to make it happen. 'Premier B' teams are likely to be part of the quid pro quo, together with the appalling idea of abolishing FA Cup replays.