Do you think Premier league B teams should be incorporated, fully (i.e. Play games like a 'normal' team), into just cup competitions, or not at all?
I really hate the idea like many other fans.I think B Teams would ruin what is the strongest Football League in the world.
People will stop going to watch Football League teams - I have to travel 60 miles each way to Bristol for home games, I won't do that to watch us play Crystal Palace reserves
No No no thats what the loan system is for. Experience at lower league clubs where they can develop and if not good enough with parent club may go to club and sign for them.
This is just total greed and dominance of the game. The big clubs are already making a mockery of the game, particularly in the FA Cup with team changes, i'm sick to death of hearing excuses too many games. About time rules were placed to stop this and bring respect to the game and its paying supporters.
Whilst my answer is NO - can I be a little controversial ? (just for a change) with the number of players that we ( Gills ) loan, ( as do all the other clubs in the Football League ), are we not guilty of being a bit hypocritical ? My point being that this practise is stopping (to a degree), the development of local talent. I submit that the principle is not very different to what the Premier Clubs do when they buy foreign players - thus freezing out their junior players. If we loan a more experienced player, it stops one of the youth players getting a first team chance.
Exactly and a point i have made for as long has I can remember, hence why i personally am against loan players being used over our own young talent, re youth v experience!
Nothing wrong in getting players on loan it can benefit both clubs involed. Being prem to league 1 or league 1 to non league. More games for the player more chance he has of having a career in the game. I would of coarse like youth to be given a chance as well. Ok listen someone like chelsea will have 40 or more youth players hoping to play in prem one day. How many will make it.1 or 2; so where should they play? After a season or 2 they will be released and who would like them? Yes a club like us would try and snap them up. They could then become a great signing who could then be worth millions in the future. Do you really think someone like Houghton will get a chance at Chelsea. He will end up in lower leagues and have to work himself back up. So u could say whats the point in having youth acadmys for clubs like us? Well of coarse we continue with them in the hope there is another Payne or Dack somewhere and gives local kids a more realistic chance of playing football as a career.
gioblues I'm not disagreeing with the point of your post - my thought about hypocrisy is based on the fact that fans of 'lower league' clubs are quick to criticise Premiership clubs for wanting a platform ( Premier B league ) in which their squad can gain experience. -- The hypocrisy being that if we loan players from these numbers, we 'deprive' our local talent from getting a chance - so why should we deny the clubs in the Premier from doing basically what we are doing when we use the loan system. ? If Gills were in the Premiership - with a large squad of young players, I bet all of us would prefer to see a Premier B league rather than loan the players to different clubs. Perhaps I shouldn't use the word 'Hypocrisy' - instead I might suggest 'Jealousy.'
