Football
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Premier League academy teams approved to play for EFL Trophy

Premier League academy teams will be allowed to play in the EFL Trophy next season after radical plans to revamp the competition were approved at the English Football League's annual general meeting in Portugal.

Sixteen of the 21 existing category one academies -- 14 of them belonging to top-flight teams -- will be invited to join a 64-team competition which will start with 16 groups of four before becoming a straight knockout with a final at Wembley.

The Premier League is understood to have provided £1 million to create a total prize fund of £1.95m, with bonuses awarded for each win. The overall winner will receive £100,000.

The 16 elite academy sides will be evenly distributed throughout the groups with the 48 clubs from Leagues One and Two, with the whole competition running on a north/south basis until the final.

Each team will play each other once in the group stage, with the academy team getting just one home game, and the top two sides will go on to the knockout stages.

The competition is currently without a title sponsor as Johnstone's Paints' contract expired last season, when Bristol City beat Oxford United in the last JPT final.

Support for the idea, however, was far from unanimous among the 48 clubs: the Press Association reported almost a third of them either voted against the idea or abstained.

The main point of contention was that this introduces competitive fixtures between EFL clubs and what are effectively Premier League reserve teams, an idea which was rejected when Football Association chairman Greg Dyke suggested it in 2014.

His plan was to allow B teams into the league pyramid, as occurs on the continent, but EFL clubs and fans reacted so badly many assumed the idea had gone away for a long time.

EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey, however, has continued to discuss "whole game solution" ideas with the FA and Premier League, with the EFL Trophy plan being the least contentious.

Last month, Harvey floated another idea, restructuring the game into five leagues of 20 clubs, with the Premier League continuing to run the top flight and the EFL looking after the rest.

That, of course, would require eight new clubs but Harvey has not revealed if they would come from the Conference, Scotland or the squads of Premier League clubs.

The conversation about this at the AGM was even more heated than the EFL Trophy debate but Harvey did secure a majority vote to continue talks with the FA and Premier League about finding a solution to fixture congestion.

Harvey is understood to have reassured sceptical club chairmen that any final decision to go ahead with the idea will require 90 per cent of the 72 EFL clubs to proceed.

Many of the chairmen, however, remain unconvinced of the economic arguments.

Harvey explained the new plan would reduce travel costs, cut down on midweek games, give teams more time to prepare, create space for cup competitions and perhaps even allow clubs to reduce their squads.

The FA and Premier League have already expressed their support in principle, as both are keen to reduce fixture congestion. The FA has already cut quarterfinal replays in the FA Cup and the Premier League continues to explore ways to introduce a winter break.

But many EFL clubs, particularly in the Championship, have pointed out that 20 teams means four fewer home games.

EFL research says this would cost them £625,907 a season (£183,566 for League One, £119,238 for League Two) with the suggestion being the revenues would be made up by more cash from the Premier League.

Harvey said: "As outlined at outset, any decisions can only be made by clubs themselves and it was therefore essential that they had the opportunity to hear more about the thinking that has underpinned the board's approach and were able to debate all the relevant issues.

"Clubs have asked for more information, further consultation and the opportunity to discuss additional matters at subsequent meetings during 2016-17.

"In parallel, we will develop discussions with the FA and Premier League alongside other stakeholders across football, as we look to find what is best for the English game."

In other business at the Tivoli Marina Hotel in Vilamoura, Ian Lenagan, the owner of Super League rugby league team Wigan and former director of Oxford, was voted in as the EFL's new chairman, replacing Greg Clarke.

But as with the vote on the EFL Trophy proposal, PA reported that the vote was far from unanimous with several clubs voicing their displeasure at the process.

There was also reports of some criticism of Lenagan's record as an ambassador for League Two clubs whilst at Oxford.

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