News and Views
Academy Get Bristol Rovers, Pompey and Yeovil
28 July 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Reading will take part in the EFL Trophy (Johnstone's Paint Trophy) this season after being invited as one of the 16 Premier League and Championship clubs with a Category 1 status academy. The Royals weren't in the original 16 clubs to be invited to take part, but were called on after several of the countries "biggest" clubs declined the change to be involved. The format of 48 clubs from League One and League Two combined with 16 academy sides from the top two tiers of English football is on trial for this season only.
The competition usually involves just the lower two divisions of the Football League. Reading, and the other academy teams, will be required to field at least 6 under-21 players in their starting eleven in all fixtures. The format will allow Reading to play a mixture of academy and fringe first team squad players as they look to progress in the competition - which finishes at Wembley Stadium on 2nd April 2017.
The Royals have been drawn in Southern Group A, which includes Bristol Rovers, Portsmouth, and Yeovil. As an academy side entry, Reading will play two games away followed by their final fixture at home. The away games are Bristol Rovers on 30 August 2016 and Portsmouth on 4 October 2016. The home fixture is expected to take place at the Madejski Stadium on 8 November 2016 against Yeovil Town. The games take place in the International breaks - the only useable breaks in the fixture lists - which may have put off some of the invited academy sides.
The 16 academy sides include Leicester City, Southampton, West Ham United, Stoke City, Chelsea, Everton, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland, Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Brighton and Hove Albion, Derby County, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, and Reading. Last year saw Barnsley lift the trophy with Wembley victory over Oxford United.
Discussion On This Story:
The Royal Forester
The Cube
Norwich, Derby, Wolves and Reading are 4 of the other 5. Brighton had Category 1 status, but not sure if they have retained it. I expect they have a category of their own being such a massive club.
From Despair To Where?
Sutekh
Overall this is an utter bellend of an idea and hope it lasts as long as the Anglo-Italian lasted or the Watney Cup or the myriad of other pointless cup ideas the league come up with to try and get money.
Just who would pay to see, say Stoke City Academy, take on Crawley Town remains to be seen. My guess is both sets of supporters would baulk at the thought of that.
Anyone remember the days of the Football Combination and Central Leagues. Seemed to work perfectly well as a method to give game time to leading young talent and players recovering from injury or on the edge of the first team. Why they had to scrap all that is totally beyond me.
Nameless
Although the rules mean these will not be Academy sides.
There must be 5 first team players and 6 u21 players in the starting 11
Nope, the EFL teams must have 5 first team players, the academy sides (B teams, whatever you want to call them) must have 6 u21s
Meaning the invited sides aren't going to be Academy sides as such. Although I'd concede that current U21 league rules allow a similar number of overage players and very few teams actually take advantage of that.
The key point though is that no invited clubs have to stick a bunch of kids out against 'grizzled pros'. There is plenty of scope to field a good mix of experience and youth. unless of course some clubs want to replicate the League Cup and play just kids.....
Still agree it's a bit of a rubbish idea for football in general but would actually be happy with us taking part and seeing how our 'young stars' got on. Would be a step ,up from the U21 league
Stranded
If you want to improve the best youth in the country this way, at least invite the top academies by using the existing competitions as a qualifying tournament. So simply invite the whole U21 first division from last year and the top 4 from Div 2.
The FL are clearly just hoping that 2 big clubs get to Wembley in the hope they can sell more tickets than for Barnsley v Oxford.
Forbury Lion
Brum Royal
According to the BBC article (which I'm assuming you're referencing here) the declined invites will then be "passed to other clubs with cat 1 academies, in the order of finishing league position".
So a) how many of the 15 or so teams that finished above us have cat 1 academies, and b) depending on the potentially 6 declines from the list TBM mentions above we might then get an invite.
TBM
According to the BBC article (which I'm assuming you're referencing here) the declined invites will then be "passed to other clubs with cat 1 academies, in the order of finishing league position".
So a) how many of the 15 or so teams that finished above us have cat 1 academies, and b) depending on the potentially 6 declines from the list TBM mentions above we might then get an invite.
Norwich, Derby, Wolves
Sutekh
Membership of leagues, on the other hand, is perpetual until you resign or are thrown out. Ergo I would presume that as members of the FL, as in this case, that all clubs are also automatically entered into the League Cup and whatever other affiliated cups there are that are deemed appropriate for that club's level.
If a club does not wish to participate then I believe they are at liberty to withdraw just as they would be at liberty to resign form the league itself.
MoorgateRoyal
We can debate the rights and wrongs of academy teams participating in tournaments like this but I think it's good for the club overall.
One8Seven1*
It also gives us a chance to meet Oxford and Swindon in the competition!
Top Flight
I think the tournament will be regionalised. Certainly at the group stage. And also in the next couple of rounds. We could end up being drawn in a group with Swindon, Oxford, Barnet, Millwall, Northampton, Exeter, Plymouth, Charlton.... I'm sure at least one of those teams mentioned will be in our group. Definitely though, we will not be drawn with Accrington.
I'm looking forward to this tournament. It should be fun.
Stranded
I think the tournament will be regionalised. Certainly at the group stage. And also in the next couple of rounds. We could end up being drawn in a group with Swindon, Oxford, Barnet, Millwall, Northampton, Exeter, Plymouth, Charlton.... I'm sure at least one of those teams mentioned will be in our group. Definitely though, we will not be drawn with Accrington.
I'm looking forward to this tournament. It should be fun.
Oh yeah, I was being flippant really.
In many ways I think for a club like us this is a good thing - will offer a further step in the education of the younger players in a competitive environment hopefully allowing them experience to step up to the 1st XI if needed.
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