FA to propose that PL clubs have feeder/B-teams

[Falastur]

Did a search, didn't find a match. Please merge if duplicate.


I know we've discussed this a couple of times here but it seems Greg Dyke is going to propose as part of his review of grassroots football that Premier League teams should have B-teams playing in the league system - although apparently how he wants to work it is that PL clubs will not create a new B-team but will sign an agreement with a lower-league club to act as their feeder/B-team. The feeder gets a load of players on loan, the two clubs share youth training facilities, the feeder club has to use the PL club's style of football (if the PL club so chooses) and so on. The other thing is that they want to encourage specifically English players coming through the system rather than have floods of foreigners be bought from abroad.

Support seemed to be about 50-50 last time this idea was raised. Just wondering what people thought now that this could become reality. Personally, I was against B-teams as I believe they harm the other clubs, but if you are using an existing club then I could maybe get on board with that.

Second question: if this went through, which team do you think City would choose as its feeder/B team?

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/19/fa-english-football-feeder-clubs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... eder-clubs</a>?

A debate on English football to look at lower league 'feeder clubs'

• Dearth of English players in top-flight worries Greg Dyke
• Continental B-team concept to be controversial in England

The feasibility of Premier League sides having a formal relationship with "feeder clubs" lower down the league pyramid is likely to be part of the debate about English football's future instigated by the Football Association.

The new FA chairman, Greg Dyke, this month announced a commission to look at ways of arresting the alarming decline in English players playing top-flight football. As part of that review it is expected the merits of feeder clubs – and even the concept of formal "B teams" that has long been commonplace on the continent – will be examined.

Senior figures responsible for youth development at Premier League clubs are pushing for more formal relationships between Premier League sides and lower league clubs. They believe it could help alleviate the financial difficulties of many lower league clubs and at the same time provide a useful outlet for promising 17- to 21-year-olds schooled in new upgraded Premier League academies to play more competitive football.

The advantage over the existing and often chaotic loan system would be that the flow of players could be more tightly monitored and a feeder club could share a playing style and culture with its top-flight brethren.

Any such proposal would be controversial with Football League clubs and even the most enthusiastic proponents accept that introducing B teams named after their parent clubs, as is commonplace in Spain, Germany and France, is likely to be a non-starter in England.

But a system modelled on the Dutch league, where Ajax have a formal link with Almere City that allows several players to go on loan every season to assist their development, is considered perhaps more viable.

In Spain La Liga clubs are allowed to have B sides in the professional pyramid up to Liga B, while in France they can play up to the third tier.

The debate is likely to be framed as part of a wider look at the loan system and whether it best serves the development of young players for the national side. An increasing number of Premier League clubs loan out young players to Football League clubs and abroad to give them more competitive action, with mixed results.

Chelsea currently have 25 players out on loan, while Manchester City have 14 and Spurs 10. Proponents of the idea are likely to ask the commission whether those players would be better served by being grouped at a single club rather than spread across several.

But the concept could have severe ramifications and would pose some difficult questions for the Football League. Nevertheless, there is believed to be enough support for the concept across various Premier League clubs for the proposal to be among those debated by Dyke's commission, which has promised to report its findings in the New Year.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Second question: if this went through, which team do you think City would choose as its feeder/B team?

I suspect that the Rag Dyke has already sorted out who we would choose! I suspect that we'll get Penzance and MANUre will get someone on the Carrington doorstep!

 

[Sheikh Rattle n Roll]

Don't we already have one in Arsenal?

 

[kenzie115]

I wouldn't be happy if I was a fan of a lower league club that became a feeder team.

Also, how would it work if you drew your feeder club in the FA cup?

 

[Groke]

I wouldn't be happy if I was a fan of a lower league club that became a feeder team.

Also, how would it work if you drew your feeder club in the FA cup?

or city drew scum's feeder club and some future pele (mk LXXIII) was tasked with taking out Silva or someone..

Wank idea, pissing all over 125 yrs of history

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Dyke is one of those institutional apparatchiks whose tenure at a place is characterised by radical change. Fuck history, fuck tradition, fuck the fans - let's change summat that ain't broke!

 

[kenzie115]

Dyke is one of those institutional apparatchiks whose tenure at a place is characterised by radical change. Fuck history, fuck tradition, fuck the fans - let's change summat that ain't broke!

Have you also noticed that all the goals he sets are far enough into the future to guarantee that he won't be in the job when the time comes and the targets haven't been met?

 

[Matty]

This will never happen as the lower league clubs, rightly so, will want to protect their heritage rather than being "City-lite". Can you imagine Huddersfield, or Burnley, being an offical feeder club? These are clubs with numerous trophies to their name historically.

If it did happen however I'd want City to link up with Crewe as their youth development over the eyars has been excellent.

 

[mad zab]

Personally I would have the Championship and Division 1 come under the control of the Premier League.

Then have regionalised leagues by using the Division 2, Conference teams and official B teams from the top 3 leagues.

 

[Falastur]

Personally I would have the Championship and Division 1 come under the control of the Premier League.

Then have regionalised leagues by using the Division 2, Conference teams and official B teams from the top 3 leagues.

With respect, having a PL B-team in a regional 4th tier league would be like loaning players to pub teams, that level of competition is just no good for youth development. Also I rather think that regionalising L2 and the conference would put a number of clubs into bankruptcy.