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League 3 - good or bad news?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2016 5:37 pm
by Garawa
This announcement has just been made:

Premier League B teams and 'non-English' clubs will not be included in plans to reform the structure of the English Football League.
In May, it was revealed that the EFL, formerly known as the Football League before a rebrand this summer, could expand to include a fifth tier by 2019-20, with 100 teams over five divisions. It is planned that additional clubs would come from the National League. EFL clubs met to discuss the proposals for the first time on Thursday.

The exclusion from the plans, which will be voted on by all clubs in June 2017, of extra clubs from non-English leagues would appear to remove any prospect of Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers being involved in the EFL in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the idea to include Premier League B teams in any restructure which formed part of the Football Association commission's four-point plan to boost English football, has also been rejected.


Personally I think this would good for the Gills. The midweek games are missed by many who work and children at school. Most take place when Champions League games are on also so the gates are quite small. Not having a couple of Tuesday night games will help small clubs with smaller squads with injuries, boost weekend gates making them more profitable, have less costs in stewarding as well as long distance travel and ease fixture congestion especially in poor winters. We all thought it was a way to simply squeeze B teams and top Scottish sides into our leagues now they have been ruled out, who is in favour or against it? In effect the league will grow by 8 teams and increase the promotion and relegation drama.

Re: League 3 - good or bad news?

PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 7:52 am
by bunburygills
It's something I've thought for a long time,even writing on here about it. My suggestion, and I still believe it, is that the 4th and 5th leagues should be equal but north and south as it was years ago. This would save a massive amount of money in travel expenses both for the teams and supporters. It would be easy working out a promotion scheme, even having playoffs between the two divisions.

Re: League 3 - good or bad news?

PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:33 am
by Garawa
Always used to didn't it. I think that's why 4 still go up from the 4th tier as 2 went up from the north and south divisions. No play offs back then I think. With a smaller division 4 going down would be harsh but you could make it 3 with the winners if each going up plus a playoff winner between the 2. However would this be more like extending the conference rather than efl and how would that affect a recently nationalised conference division? Tricky.