Football Association to look at introduction of B teams

A new competition for Premier League and Championship clubs to field B teams will be considered by the Football Association on Wednesday.

It is being proposed that the teams could play in a league sandwiched between League Two and the Conference.

 

Who are the men that make up the FA’s England Commission?

•Greg Dyke – chairman of the FA

•Roger Burden – vice-chairman of the FA

•Howard Wilkinson – League Managers’ Association chairman

•Ritchie Humphreys – Professional Footballers’ Association chairman

•Greg Clarke – Football League chairman

•Glenn Hoddle – Former England manager

•Dario Gradi – Crewe Alexandra director of football

•Danny Mills – Former Leeds United, Manchester City and England defender

Another option is to merge League Two and the Conference with the B teams to form two regional leagues.

The proposals are part of FA chairman Greg Dyke’s commission on the future of the national team.

It is understood that the Premier League and Football League clubs are broadly in favour of a new competition which would give greater competitive opportunities for their young, home grown talent.

But they have deep reservations about how it might fit into the pyramid and the knock on effects to other leagues and competitions.

The Premier League would favour a beefed up Academy league for players aged under 23, modelled on America’s college football system.

One question is whether current League Two clubs would be relegated into the Conference or the new B team league if they went down. The other difficult issue is how far could B teams be promoted?

Alan Algar, sponsorship manager for Conference sponsors Skrill, told BBC Radio 5 live he had reservations about the idea.

“I think it’s a disgraceful proposal because it makes it very difficult for non-league clubs to feel part of the football pyramid,” he said.

 

“People all over the world look towards England and are envious of our pyramid and the way things work here. To insert a number of teams that aren’t competitive and won’t have a fan base just makes it very difficult.”

Despite such worries, one source told the BBC that following more than 300 interviews with clubs and other stakeholders in the game, led by research consultant Peter Beverley, there was a universal acceptance that a major overhaul was needed to ensure big clubs’ reserve teams and younger English talent were being given more regular, competitive football.

Commission members point to the fact that clubs in Spain, France and Germany all play B teams in competitive leagues – thought to be a big factor in those countries developing talent.

 

How do B Teams function in Europe?

Spain

Reserve teams play in the same league system as the senior sides but must operate at least one level below the first team, and they cannot be promoted to the top flight.

A reserve team can still be relegated in the normal manner, and also if their senior team is relegated from the league above.

B teams are ineligible for cup competitions.

 

Netherlands

The top reserve division, Beloften Eredivisie, and the second-highest football division, Eerste Divisie, run as separate league systems.

However, reserve teams Jong Ajax, Jong PSV and Jong FC Twente broke away for the 2013-14 season and made their debut in the Eerste Divisie, but they cannot be promoted.

The only period in which players with more than 15 appearances for the first team are able to move between senior and reserve squads are during the transfer windows.

Until the 2009-10 season the champions of the Beloften Eredivisie were awarded a place in the KNVB Cup competition but this is now no longer the case.

Reserve teams are allowed to play within the league structure, but cannot operate above the third division, also known as 3. Liga.

Germany

Since 2008, reserve teams are no longer allowed to play in senior cup competitions in Germany.

Dyke is believed to be keen to open the debate about the state of the national game ahead of the World Cup finals in Brazil which kick off on 12 June.

 

There is a determination to get on the front foot ahead of the tournament to pre-empt the inevitable debate which will follow if Roy Hodgson’s England team put in a disappointing performance in Brazil.

Ironically the emergence of players like Raheem Sterling at Liverpool and Adam Lallana at Southampton have taken some of the heat out of that debate in recent months.

And some senior figures inside the FA are urging Dyke to hold fire until after the competition and until all the finer details of the commission’s proposals are ironed out.

The Dyke commission was set up last autumn to try and address ongoing concerns about the strength of the English national team and the lack of top-class English talent forcing its way through into Premier League first teams.

The commission, which includes former England manager Glenn Hoddle, former Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson and ex-Crewe manager Dario Gradi, is aiming to deal with two major questions – the pathway for players aged between 17 and 21 and grassroots facilities.

While it is thought the commission has done extensive work on the first question, the issue of grassroots football is not yet complete.

Other proposals expected to go before the FA board include a shake-up of the loan system, changes to the homegrown player quotas operated by Premier League and Football League clubs and improvements to coaching.

But it is the B team proposal that promises to be the most controversial.

BBC

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