FA proposing League Structure changes

gullintwoplaces · Post by **gullintwoplaces** » 06 May 2014, 11:07

Looks like the FA want to introduce a new League to bring in Premiership "B" teams, which would affect League 2 and the Conference. Don't know what to think of this, which is allegedly about bringing up home grown talent. Might be easier to restrict the number of foreign players that can play in any game, but what do I know.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27289819

PlainmoorRoar · Post by **PlainmoorRoar** » 06 May 2014, 11:15

Terrible idea, Greg Dyke really doesn't have a clue!

Bomber · Post by **Bomber** » 06 May 2014, 11:34

PlainmoorRoar wrote:Terrible idea, Greg Dyke really doesn't have a clue!

As it isn't April 1st today, I'd imagine these ideas were under some serious consideration.

I don't see how the likes of Shaquile Coulthirst and John Marquis would learn more from playing in such a league than they would have done when they were on loan with us this season.

I'd imagine his next thought would probably be to merge League Two and the Conference to have a League Two North and a League Two South with Conference North and South acting as feeder leagues.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 06 May 2014, 11:38

Amateur clubs have had reserve sides playing in leagues for years, of course, alongside other clubs' first teams. Professional clubs too, including Premier League clubs, have also had their own competitive leagues over the years (the various divisions of the Football Combination come to mind) but these have been outside the existing professional league structure.

But if the idea is to introduce a new division within existing league structures, this will affect the incomes of professional league clubs and needs to be looked at very carefully by all clubs including those in the lower leagues. Because on the face of it, this idea seems to be all about, yet again, advantaging and creating extra income for mainly Premier League clubs and the wealthier Championship clubs.

After all, how many lower league clubs will be able to afford full-time competitive reserve teams which would probably be a drain on their resources rather than providing additional income?

One wonders about the motivation and incentive behind this new idea from the FA. How and why did this originate, and from whom..?? Regular competitive football for all players is fine and probably needed, but will need long and careful consideration as to how this will affect the incomes of lower league clubs as well as the practicalities of providing full regular reserve teams.

And while the FA and the Leagues are at it, if they want to increase competition they could have a re-think about the number of teams promoted and relegated, with a standard number of teams involved each season, such as 4 up and 4 down between all leagues and divisions.

Post by **Gulliball** » 06 May 2014, 11:51

The Premiership was 'meant' to be about improving the England team, but it was just the biggest clubs getting a chance to become frighteningly rich. This idea won't improve the national side either, but it will appease the big clubs, who want it to go through.

The scary thing is that they have enough power to force it through, without caring about the impact it will have on the pyramid, who all have 100+ years of history in their own right.

The time for the likes of Chelsea to wonder what they're going to do with 100+ players was before they signed 100+ players, not now.

PlainmoorRoar · Post by **PlainmoorRoar** » 06 May 2014, 11:55

Do i want to watch Torquay United vs Southampton B/under 21 - No

Do i care for games such as Accrington Stanley vs West Ham under 21s?

recreate the old reserve league, this idea is would ruin the leagues

gullintwoplaces · Post by **gullintwoplaces** » 06 May 2014, 11:57

The more I have thought about this proposal, the more I think that it is completely against the interests of clubs in the lower leagues. It will damage the smaller clubs immensely and will only have a marginal impact on the England team. Clearly there must be a financial benefit for the Premiershyte, otherwise it would not be on the table. The foreign owned Premiershyte teams are only interested in money and the egos of the owners. I hope that the Football League is brave enough to tell Greg Dyke to bu$$er off.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 06 May 2014, 11:58

Another knock-on effect of this idea would be on the lack of availability of players in the higher divisions to be sent out on loan to lower league clubs. If these players are instead playing in their own clubs reserve sides, and if these reserve teams were to play within the existing league structure, one can envisage the existing professional lower league clubs being pushed even further down the football pyramid..

DevonYellow · Post by **DevonYellow** » 06 May 2014, 12:07

What a crazy idea.

If this gets closer to being reality all lower league clubs need to join together to protest vehemently and block this.

gullintwoplaces · Post by **gullintwoplaces** » 06 May 2014, 12:08

I have had a look at the forums of some of the other lower league clubs. There is universal hostility to this idea, I am astonished that somebody as sensible as Dario Gradi is on the committee that dreamed it up, shame on you Gradi. I smell a very big rat here, and that arse Dyke is at the centre of it. Stick to TV Dyke, you clearly know nothing about football. I will never go to a League game between Torquay and a Premiershyte B team, I would rather stay at home.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 06 May 2014, 12:20

The Football League has been in existence for nearly 130 years and in all that time clubs have sensibly seen fit to keep reserve teams in a separate league structure. In recent years and with the formation of the Premier League practically all major changes in football have been to the advantage of the bigger wealthier clubs. So nothing new here; the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And I, too, smell a very big rat...

PhilGull · Post by **PhilGull** » 06 May 2014, 12:50

Another crazy idea to further line the pockets of the Premier League big boys. This will do nothing to improve the England team, if that is the aim then they need to scrap the 'home-grown' rule and instead force everyone to have a minimum number of players eligible for England in the match day squad and they need to do more to stop the big teams hoovering up all the remotely good young players.
The problem with the England team is clubs like Tottenham signing players like John Bostock. Five years at Spurs without a single appearance. Sent on loan to five different clubs and then released. Now playing in Belgium. I'm not suggesting it is guaranteed but had he stayed with Palace he could now be playing regular Premiership football and have an England cap or two.

ferrarilover · Post by **ferrarilover** » 06 May 2014, 13:18

PhilGull wrote:Another crazy idea to further line the pockets of the Premier League big boys. This will do nothing to improve the England team, if that is the aim then they need to scrap the 'home-grown' rule and instead force everyone to have a minimum number of players eligible for England in the match day squad and they need to do more to stop the big teams hoovering up all the remotely good young players.
The problem with the England team is clubs like Tottenham signing players like John Bostock. Five years at Spurs without a single appearance. Sent on loan to five different clubs and then released. Now playing in Belgium. I'm not suggesting it is guaranteed but had he stayed with Palace he could now be playing regular Premiership football and have an England cap or two.

The first line of this is the crux of the matter.

It's pointless looking for sound footballing reasons for these proposals. You'll find them, of course, it'll hold water for a little while, but there is one thing and one thing only which those at the top of football are interested in and that is money. If it won't make the FA and the top clubs a shit load of cash, then they're not even thinking about it.
That's the form at these meetings, that's how these ideas come about. The only item on the agenda is "how can we make the rich richer?" Once they've got a plan, they then send it off to be legitimised somehow. Doubtless, we'll be told that it's "for the good of the national game" and that it'll "develop a pool of home-grown talent". That may be true, but there's nothing stopping that happening anyway. Those who oppose it will be met with such questions as: " why do you want to stop England winning the world cup?" and "why do you want to see the UK used as a place to develop all the foreigners who beat us at the Euros?"
It's all a diversionary tactic, of course. Look over there at my assistant with the big tits while I nick the watch right off your wrist.
I have no doubt that the Conference and L2 etc will be shunted aside to make way for the Pepsi Cola Premier Championship. Sky Sports 914 will show every match 'exclusively live'. They'll have bid £eleventy trillion to secure the rights for fifteen minutes, so, regrettably (yeah, right) dear loyal Sky customer, your bill is going up by another hundred quid a month in order to pay some 14 year old at Man City £600,000/hour, plus the inevitable skimming off the top which goes straight to Dyke, Gradi and the other endlessly corrupt Blatter Mini-mes.

It's all bollocks, and everyone with half a brain knows it's bollocks, but you know what, it'll go ahead anyway.

Matt.

Gloomy Gull · Post by **Gloomy Gull** » 06 May 2014, 13:49

Do I take it you are not keen on the idea then !!

hector · Post by **hector** » 06 May 2014, 14:04

If this League was sandwiched between League 2 and the Conference, then it would take us 2 years minimum to get up and we are not likely to get past the B teams of top clubs. That would be us done with all because of bad timing. Like 1958 all over again!!!

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