EFL Trophy (formerly JPT)

As you all are already aware, 16 teams from the Prem are allowed to enter a B team into this coming seasons competition and it will start by playing group games before reaching the knock out stages.

Dont know about you, but I will be boycotting these game along with a hell of a lot of fans across the country who are not happy about B teams joining in.

However, if you are at all interested, here is confirmation on how it will all work.


Clubs:

- 48 clubs from League One & Two.

- 16 invited Category One Academy teams, who are:
Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Leicester, Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, Swansea, Tottenham, West Brom and West Ham.


Eligibility Criteria:

- EFL Clubs – a minimum of 5 ‘First Team’ players in the starting 11 as defined under the competition’s existing rules.

- Invited Clubs – 6 of the starting 11 to be U21 (as at June 30).


Group Stage:

- 16 groups of 4 teams organised on a regionalised basis.

- Groups to include one invited club and at least one club from each of Leagues One & Two.

- Clubs to play each other once, either home or away. Invited clubs will play one home game at the club’s first team stadium.

- Clubs will be awarded 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. In the event of a drawn game (after 90 minutes), a penalty shootout will be held with the winning team earning an additional point.

- The top two teams will progress to the Knockout Stage.


Knockout Stage:

- Round 2 (32 teams) will remain regionalised with each group winner being drawn at home to a second placed team from a different qualifying group.

- Round 3 (16 teams) and Round 4 (8 teams) will be ‘free’ draws.

- Semi-finals (4 teams) will be a 'free’ draw and will consist of single ties played at the stadium of the club drawn first in each tie.

- If scores are level after 90 minutes in Rounds 2, 3 and 4, the game will be determined by the taking of penalties. The EFL will confirm arrangements for the Semi-Finals and Final in due course following further consultation.


Dates:

- Group Stage
- w/c 29th August 2016
- w/c 3rd October 2016
- w/c 7th November 2016
- Round 2 - w/c 5th December 2016
- Round 3 - w/c 9th January 2017
- Round 4 - w/c 23rd January 2017
- Semi- Final - w/c 20th February 2017
- Final - 2nd April 2017 (Wembley Stadium)

The date of the draw for the group stage will be announced in due course.


Match Proceeds:

After deduction of match expenses, all proceeds will be split:
- 45% Home Club
- 45% Away Club
- 10% to the pool account

Invited clubs will donate all or some of their share of gate receipts to a fund that will be shared equally by League One and Two clubs.

Group Stage - Invited Clubs will donate their 45% share to the fund.
Knockout Stage - Invited Clubs will retain 25% of their share and donate 20% to the fund.
Semi-finals & Final - Invited Clubs will retain 30% of their share and donate 15% to the fund.

http://www.efl.com/news/article/201...d-for-201617-3170687.aspx#ixqUrrL13aW5Ik7e.99

 

Don't want premier league youth teams, if it ain't broke don't fix it. If the premier league teams want their players to play a better class of football than the youth leagues provide then send them out on loan for a season starting with the lower leagues so they learn in the school of hard knocks and work their way upwards that way they get a better class of football and the lower league teams get a chance to play some of tomorrows star players and help them on their way, that way they might just appreciate the good things that come their way later in their careers..

 

I will also be boycotting it I think its time they got rid of this completion anyway.

 

Bristol Post are saying that the Liverpool Echo are reporting tonight that Jurgen Klopp's Premier League giants are reluctantly considering a withdrawal over rules that state the invited clubs have to play one home game at their first-team stadiums.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/premie...9485097-detail/story.html#FaFtL29c5aWIQtHK.99

So basically they dont trust us lower league clubs on their Anfield pitch. Blooming cheek of it So we have to accept their under 21's on our pitch but they dont want us on their pitch. Prem clubs, you can **** right off.

Whats the bets other clubs now say the same and to stop them from pulling out, the Football League will bend over backwards and make them play all games away from home.

Edit, found the article from the Liverpool Echo.... http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-fc-likely-turn-down-11576325

 

Ridiculous idea .why did they scrap the premier reserve league in the first place. Hardly fair to us lower league teams to have to play them might as well scrap the whole competition in my eyes .jpt was a declining competition anyway. Just look at the attendences the fans obviously don't want it anyway.

 

Fans only become bothered at the semi final stage as a trip to wembley is possible. Most teams field a weakened team. Prices dont help either to watch a weakened team in a competition that no one cares about until the final stages!

 

If we draw Liverpool maybe we could play them at the training ground would be about their standard

 

I couldn't agree more mate I only bother if we draw colchester United away otherwise not bothered about it.

 

Stupid idea, just like trying to put them in the football league, nobody is going to be interested in watching Liverpool Vs Man United reserves in the final

 

More news.... It seems Liverpool are not the only teams in the Prem that are not interested! Seen this on our supporters club website...

https://bristolroverssc.co.uk/2016/07/10/efl-trophy-news-2/

This “enlarged” cup competition replaces the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy for the 2016/17 Season.

Whereas the JPT was a cup competition for League One and League Two sides other “sides” are now added.

If you are unhappy with this new structure you can sign the AL3 petition: HERE

At the EFL AGM in Portugal, the proposal was for 16 Under-21 teams to be included in a one-season trial.

It appears now that many Premier League sides are not accepting the invite to participate.

In their place, Category One Academies such as Derby County and Norwich are being contacted.

Premier League teams would have been allowed to field three over-aged outfield players, plus a goalkeeper.

However, eight days after the decision was made, the EFL were told of changes required by the Premier League.

Now a rule change means the eligibility criteria for their Development League has changed to Under-23.

The EFL had to subsequently negotiate with the Premier League an alternative age-eligibility approach.

The competition rules now state that only six Under-21 players have to feature in the 16 Premier League teams.

 

I don't want to see premier league boys teams in the competition, if the premier league teams want them to gain experience let them loan the players out to lower league teams and then they can get experience in competition where it matters to players, supporters and clubs alike not in a set of games that most supporters don't give a dam about, and as for Liverpool not wanting these games played a Anfield beggars belief what makes think that the place is so special

 

Man City has now pulled out http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36763761

Man City's excuse is... The early rounds of the competition clash with international Under-21 games.

The BBC now believe Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool are all expected to decline the chance too. Although we already know about Liverpool who dont want the likes of us lower clubs on their pitch!

Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland and Swansea are among the clubs who will accept their invitation.

An EFL spokesman said: "The EFL is currently awaiting responses from a number of clubs that have been invited to take part in this season's EFL Trophy. Already a number of clubs have accepted our invitation. In any instances where clubs do decline, we will issue invitations to other clubs with category one academies in the order in which they finished in the 2015/16 domestic league tables."

Replacements for the likes of Man City WILL be found then.

Why dont they just accept it is a stupid idea and scrap it.

 

Well what you will need then is a Swansea U21 v Sunderland u21 in the final as I would imagine that Wembley Stadium would be empty for a final between two under 21 teams and that will then hit them in the pocket.

 

Because as a body / organisation that seems to think that 'they know best' they dont wish the oiks to see them as coming up with a stupid idea and haveing to backtrack by scrapping it.. A different organisation granted but again just look at the recent Euros, 32 teams was just silly and seeing a side that finished third in their respective group without winning a game subsequently going on to win the pot was just daft, I mean they only won one game before the final but hey, because Iceland and Wales did unexpectedly well the whole thing was a resounding success !....I think most of us would argue differently.

 

The rule was to allow U21 teams into the comptetition but the Premier League have forced the Football League to change the rule just 8 days after making the U21 rule.

Now the rule has changed to U23's so they have increased the age criteria.

Not only that, the rules now state that only six U23 players have to feature from the 16 invited teams.

Now I thought the point of allowing these B teams from the Prem to join our competition was to give their youngsters the needed competitive experience. But instead, the age range of players from invited clubs have increased and there is an allowance of over aged players too. So the whole point of allowing them into our competition (for the benefit of their youngsters) has been lost and it lookes like the Premier League now seems to be in charge of the rules and dictating things.

So you could have 6 players aged 23 and 5 players aged between 29-33 who cant break into the 1st team. How is that benefitting the youngsters giving them competitive experience???

 

The group draw will be made tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10am. Just before this at 9:30am, the 16 teams from the Prem and Championship, that have accepted their invitations, will be announced.

 

Here are all the teams to be involved....

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Northern section draw.........

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Southern section draw.........

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I have no idea how they worked out who is in the Northern and Southern sections!

Cheltenham put in the Northern section but a few Brummie clubs in the Southern section!

Cambridge put in the Northern section but Peterborough who are 40 miles more North are put into the Southern section!

Then you got Wimbledon from London. They got to face 2 Welsh clubs and Plymouth who are the furthest South West club to travel to.

I hope you all will be boycotting this competition.