Mr. Aguia said:I just don't get it. Let's take out the damage it will do to those lower league clubs who will be pushed out of the League and into the conference from the equation. Just how is playing in league 2 going to help promote youth into our first team? How many League 1/2 players are being bought by EPL clubs? I can't think of any. I don't see any EPL clubs loaning players to league 2 sides. If they thought that playing games in League 2 would be beneficial then they'd be doing that already. I just don't see how playing in the lower leagues is going to develop them into a EPL player. Too many living int he past where players from lower leagues would make the jump. Those days are gone. The problem is coaching not playing time. If they were good enough they'd be playing. The reason Scott Sinclaire isn't good enough isn't a lack of playing time. If he was good enough he'd be playing.
The point is that everyone knows that League Three football wouldn't be good enough for prospective PL youths, but League One football just might - a fair few PL youths do get loaned to L1. However, the FA knows they could never get away with putting B-teams right in L1, or even L2, so they're trying to compromise by agreeing to let them start at a level below L2 and have to earn their spurs - which most B-teams worth their salt would surely do in under 3-4 seasons. Yes, you're somewhat sacrificing a few players who have to play at a lower level but it's considered a worthwhile exchange for promoting a B-team "fairly" to the right level for development.
N.B. I'm not defending the idea, just answering your question.
Bottomless_Sailor said:All that has to be done is make the reserve league more prestigious (which I think is being worked on anyway). And that basically just means money.
Disagree. Although I don't agree with damaging the FL just to promote youths, I just cannot see any way to make a reserve league "prestigious" enough that it would provide a level of competition which actually gives the kids the experience they need to develop properly. It just can't be done. You could make the prize money £100m, it would still be a competition full of kids who didn't take it seriously. You could get them to play in the JTP as a cup competition, it would still be a competition full of kids who didn't take it seriously. You could have the winning team enter the CL Group Stage and it would still be a competition full of kids who didn't take it seriously. Simply put, kids don't get the experience they need unless they play senior-level football against serious sides with serious fans in serious competitions.
That doesn't necessarily mean we need B-teams in the league structure, but it does mean that reserve competitions are a waste of time, at least when there are alternatives to consider. Even the loan system is a better option.
greasedupdeafguy said:This idea keeps coming up but its even worse than b teams, why would bury fans want to be basically Manchester City b team?
This, and utterly this. I've been on a couple of forums where fans were reacting to the suggestion that they could be turned into a "strategic" farm team for a PL club. There was not a word of support for the idea to be found. If you did this, it would be less than a season before you saw a fan-created A.F.C. Bury apply for entry into the Northern Premier League, and the "real" Bury would suddenly be pulling attendances of 100 a week, most of them wearing City shirts come to see the youths.