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Football league propose 5 professional leagues of 20 teams


ciderbeans

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The Football League Board has put forward a number of sweeping changes to the structure of its own competitions and the most significant proposal involves increasing the number of clubs in the Football League to 80 across four divisions. 

Seventy-two clubs currently compete across three divisions - the Championship, League One, and League Two - the additional teams required would likely be drawn from the National League although the proposals don’t set this in stone.

If clubs were allocated equally across the divisions in the new system clubs would have eight fewer league games per season.

The Football League says this will maximise the number of weekend fixtures and mean fewer long midweek trips are needed. During 2015/16 there were 10 rounds of midweek fixtures in the Championship and six in both League One and League Two. The new proposals would see midweek league fixtures almost entirely eradicated.

The Football League Trophy would also see a new format introduced to include a group structure of three games followed by a knockout stage. Group games would be played over the middle weekend of international breaks to “provide the competition with its own identity”.

The League Cup format would remain unchanged and the Football League play-offs would still be the last major football event of the domestic season. The Football League says these changes are in line with major Premier League and FA objectives such as protecting the FA Cup, supporting the England team, and increasing the prospect of club success at a European level.

Throughout this process the Football League insists that a number of key principles will guide any changes - the primary one being that no clubs should be financially weakened by the changes. Promotion to and relegation from the top-flight would remain although there would be no relegation spots out of the Football League in 2018/19.

The Football League says: “The congested fixture list remains one of the game’s biggest concerns with insufficient dates available in each season to sensibly accommodate both League and Cup fixtures without significant clashes. This concern is not unique to the Football League, it is shared for differing reasons by both the Premier League and FA.

“The proposal, which takes into account English football’s collective concerns, enjoys the 'in principle' support of executives from the Premier League and FA. The Premier League is due to take a report to their Clubs at their summer meeting. The FA Executive needs to consult with their Board.

“The Board has discussed a number of approaches to addressing the challenges in this area. Please note at this stage the Board is offering no recommendation other than asking its members to give full consideration to the proposal which would start in season 2019/20.”

While the proposals are relatively detailed a number of key questions remain - something the Football League acknowledges. The earmarked transition season would be 2018/19 - how will this affect promotion and relegation? Where do the extra teams come from? What is the impact on the National League (AKA Conference)?

The Football League argues that a reduction in the number of fixtures played “would be the catalyst for further change” which might encompass a winter break, the future of the Community Shield, the possibility of midweek FA Cup rounds, and even an end to FA Cup replays.

Will this happen? What does the FSF think?

If these changes are to take place the Football League will need to confirm them by November 2017 to ensure a “smooth transition between current and future domestic Football League broadcasting agreements”. Football League clubs will be asked to vote on this at their June 2017 AGM.

Before that time the Football League will also have to convince other “stakeholders” that it is in their interests too. “If consensus can be reached around these matters, it is the Football League’s belief that a genuine ‘Whole Game Solution’ will be achieved,” says the Football League.

The Football Supporters’ Federation believes that fans have a crucial voice in that process and will ensure it is heard.

FSF Chair Malcolm Clarke says: “These proposals include sweeping structural changes that could have ramifications for supporters in the Football League, Premier League, National League, and beyond.

“One of the unique aspects of the game in this country is how deep the roots go. Clubs at step five of the football pyramid and below have magnificent levels of support that equivalent clubs in other countries could only dream about.

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Promotion and relegation would be interesting, for clubs below the Premiership, with only 20 teams in each league. Assuming 3 clubs are promoted and 3 relegated, nearly every team would be either fighting to avoid relegation or fighting to reach the playoffs. Teams in the middle could be doing both at the same time!

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20 teams by 2019-20. This means the Championship must lose four teams over the next four seasons. This could be achieved by having four relegated, but only three promoted for each of the next four seasons.

Interesting on SSN when a Manager was interviewed and he said "The news is only just coming out, so no response from any club yet". That suggests the Football League has proposed this radical move without consulting it's members.

Looking further down the pyramid; eight Conference teams will become League clubs in the next four years. That will waken the Conference as it makes up it's numbers from further down the system. When Inverness, Elgin, Peterhead and Ross became members of the Scottish League, it devastated the Highland League as to make up their numbers, the HL recruited smaller than usual clubs which then affected the Leagues they came from.

Financially, that's four less home games for clubs, that could be crippling for the likes of say, Hartlepool, Bury aand their ilk.

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Very interesting proposal. My first thought was less games equals less money, surely stressing the survival of smaller clubs or those without significant financial backing.

Another step towards elitism?

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15 minutes ago, 22A said:

20 teams by 2019-20. This means the Championship must lose four teams over the next four seasons. This could be achieved by having four relegated, but only three promoted for each of the next four seasons.

Interesting on SSN when a Manager was interviewed and he said "The news is only just coming out, so no response from any club yet". That suggests the Football League has proposed this radical move without consulting it's members.

Looking further down the pyramid; eight Conference teams will become League clubs in the next four years. That will waken the Conference as it makes up it's numbers from further down the system. When Inverness, Elgin, Peterhead and Ross became members of the Scottish League, it devastated the Highland League as to make up their numbers, the HL recruited smaller than usual clubs which then affected the Leagues they came from.

Financially, that's four less home games for clubs, that could be crippling for the likes of say, Hartlepool, Bury aand their ilk.

They haven't said where the clubs will come from have they ? 

Hope they're not thinking of adding b teams 

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Not sure about this.  The first thing I thought of was

Will they reduce the season tickets as well be playing less games!  Can you actually see this happening cos I can't.

I would have thought the lower league smaller clubs would be against this as this mean less revenue.

 

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Less Tuesday night matches is a big attraction for me, as currently the amount make owning a season ticket unviable.

Now for the clubs, losing out on revenue from a reduction might make this a bitter pill to swallow, so I wonder if there's proposals to make a TV deal sweetener in the works.

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I don't really get the claim that it would help England in international football, how many full England players are in the lower leagues? None. If a winter break is required for the national side, make the PL introduce it rather than vandalise the entire pyramid.

As @ojjy says above, I'd expect season ticket prices to be reduced too.

And I love Tuesday night games, better atmosphere than most Saturdays under lights.

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As others have said, without looking too deeply into it it would appear that the lower league clubs would suffer the most due to less games/income.

The league format is fine, it ain't broke - don't fix it. Anyway, who is it that always complains about fixture congestion? The Premiership clubs.

Unless a team outside of the Prem go on a cup run, or get hit with a backlog of rearranged games due to weather etc, you very rarely/ if ever hear of a lower league manager complaining about fixture congestion.

How does it benefit the Premiership clubs then? Because I guarantee that is where this comes from.

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The Football League has distributed a discussion document to its member clubs ahead of its summer conference and AGM next month

Clubs are being asked to consider the re-organisation of the domestic league system into five divisions of 20 teams from the 2019/20 season. 
  
Under the proposal, The Football League would become a four division competition below the Premier League, including a new League Three, with 100 clubs competing across the professional game. In addition, the League Cup and League Trophy will be retained with the latter potentially having a revised format include a group structure of three games before becoming a knockout competition thereafter. 
  
At this point, the Board of The Football League is offering no recommendation other than asking clubs to give the matter their full consideration, taking into account the following: 
  
- Football League Clubs should be in a financially no worse, or preferably better, position as a result of any changes; 
- Promotion to/relegation from the Premier League must be retained at three places; 
- There would be no relegation out of The Football League in season 2018/19; 
- Football League Clubs must support the final proposal. 
  
The proposal stems from English football’s collective concerns about the fixture calendar and enjoys the 'in principle' support of executives from the Premier League and FA. The Premier League is due to take a report to their Clubs at their summer meeting, while the FA Executive needs to consult with its Board. 
  
The congested fixture list remains one of the game’s biggest concerns with insufficient dates available in each season to sensibly accommodate both League and Cup fixtures without significant clashes. The League’s proposal seeks to achieve a new, innovative approach to the fixture calendar and will need ‘whole game’ support as this concern is not unique to The Football League and is shared for differing reasons by both the Premier League and FA. 
  
If implemented , the proposal would The number of midweek matches reduce from next season’s nine in the Championship, seven in League One and six in League Two to just one in the Championship, League Two and the new League Three and none in League One in 2019/20. 
  
In considering these matters, the football authorities have identified the following objectives: 
  
Football League Objectives: 
  
- To maximise the number of weekend/Bank Holiday league fixtures; 
- To remove where practical fixture congestion and scheduling conflicts; 
- To protect/improve financial distributions/income generation for Football League clubs; 
- To maintain the Football League Play-Off Finals as the last event of the domestic season. 
  
Premier League and FA Priorities: 
Increasing the prospect of success for Clubs in European competitions; 
Increasing the prospect of success for England Teams at all levels; 
Retaining the value and status of the FA Cup Competition; 
Avoiding a ‘problematic’ fixture clash with UEFA Competitions; 
To achieve a fixture schedule where the FA Cup Final is played the week after the last round of Premier League fixtures. 
  
The Football League believes there are any number of potential benefits for Football League clubs in reducing the number of fixtures, the importance of which will depend on a club’s individual circumstances.  In all circumstances clubs should not be disadvantaged by the proposed changes.  Benefits include but are not limited to: 
  
- The importance of each individual fixture will increase; 
- Reduced travel costs to four games which are often at a distance; 
- Midweek travel for fans vastly reduced. 
- Potential to reduce squad size;      
- Increased importance of reserve team football; 
- Enhanced recovery time/match preparation. 
- Increase in sale of season tickets due to reduction in midweek games; 
- Increased profile on League One, Two & Three at different stages of the season; 
- Statistically greater chance of promotion (and relegation); 
- At least six new Clubs (30%) to play each season. 
- No relegation out of the Football League in 2018/19; 
- Different formats for the Football League Trophy available; 
- Opportunity to standardise promotion/relegation. 

Any final decisions on this proposal would not need to be made by Football League clubs until their AGM in June 2017 enabling full consultation with clubs and stakeholders, including fans.

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Biggest difference for me, is that there will be only one midweek game all season.

I quiet like midweek games, as I can't always get to weekend games.

How many people come to watch midweek games, as that's the only one's they can make, because they actually play football on a Saturday?

I can see why they are doing it...whether it will work is another thing.

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It could work, I'd need to hear more about it before making my mind up.

I'd be 100% against it though if the extra 8 teams were made up from premier league B sides or Scottish teams, it would have to be Conference teams moving up.

 

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Looking after those in the premier league, no regard for FL clubs at all here. Absolute nonsense to say it'll ease fixture congestion in championship, league one and league two. Yeah I forgot we had so many clubs from the football league playing In Europe etc....

 

And what about those clubs at the bottom of the FL pyramid, the ones that may not be able to afford to lose four home game revenue per season? Guess the TV money will filter down past the premier league and we will all get a nice even share.....yeah, actually maybe not.

Oh and don't forget this is also about helping the England national side too...his about we implement x amount of English players have to start each game rule? Also stop clubs like Chelsea stock piling youngsters for years on end and sending them out on loan to rubbish teams in Holland, just because they don't want their rivals to get hold of them. Its just ludicrous.

If the FL are spinless enough to accept these kind of proposals then all clubs that are happy with it can liquidate as far as I'm concerned.

 

All about the premier league, TV money and not upsetting the football consumers. Why don't you let the big boys go off to a European super league each week where we can get shot of them instead of pandering to their every demand. No benefit for clubs like ours, so as far as I'm concerned the fa, football league etc can go screw themselves.

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with the league structure as it is, it really makes my piss boil that some clueless nobody wants to try and make themselves look important.  I like midweek games , i like the Saturday,  Tuesday,  Saturday of the championship. ..Dear Football league,   leave it the **** alone :ranting:

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18 minutes ago, Doozerchris said:

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the league structure as it is, it really makes my piss boil that some clueless nobody wants to try and make themselves look important.  I like midweek games , i like the Saturday,  Tuesday,  Saturday of the championship. ..Dear Football league,   leave it the **** alone :ranting:

 

Exactly if it ain't broke don't fix it!!

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Rich will get richer scenario here. Loss in games will be supplemented by increased TV money, but that will be top heavy as always. Lower league clubs will therefore suffer. Sky will focus on championship games still, league 3 teams will barely get a look in until play off time. I think the gap between divisions will only get wider as well, so we could end up seeing more Bolton and Portsmouth scenarios. 

All in all, it's a no from me.

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