EFL Trophy format

THE EFL has confirmed the format of the EFL Trophy 2016-17 which...
...for the first time, will include 16 invited teams from clubs with Category One Academies.

A total of 64 clubs will compete in the competition, beginning with 16 groups of four teams, each of which will include at least one club from each of Leagues One and Two, along with one invited team.

The top two sides in each group will then go into a knock-out stage that will culminate in a showpiece final at Wembley Stadium on April 2.

The new-look competition will also have an enhanced prize fund, with an expected £1.95m being up for grabs, including £10,000 per win and £5,000 per draw during the Group Stage and £100,000 for the eventual winner.

The first 16 clubs with Category One Academies that have been invited to take part in the EFL Trophy 2016-17 are: Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United.

EFL Chief Executive Shaun Harvey said: "The new format is intended to rejuvenate this competition and also assist the development of the very best young players in English football.

"This will help us deliver more and better home grown players which will deliver benefits to the national team and domestic league football at all levels.

"I believe this is the right time to pilot these changes to the EFL Trophy, which we will review at the end of the 2016-17 season following discussions with our clubs and having consulted with the other football bodies and supporter organisations."

A Premier League spokesman said: "The overriding aim of the Elite Player Performance Plan across the Premier League and English Football League is to produce more and better home grown players capable of performing at first team and international levels.

"Participation for a selection of Premier League clubs' teams to take part in the EFL Trophy is an important part of a range developments that both we and the EFL believe will help young, talented players progress physically and mentally on top of the technical aspect of their game developed in the Academy system.

"It is a progressive move by both leagues; one that we welcome."

COMPETITION FORMAT

Clubs

48 clubs from League One and Two
16 invited Category One Academy teams


Eligibility Criteria

EFL Clubs: a minimum of five first-teamplayers in the starting 11 as defined under the competition’s existing rules
Invited Clubs: six of the starting 11 to be Under 21 (as at June 30)

Group Stage
(Date of draw to be announced)

16 groups of four teams organised on a regionalised basis.
Groups to include one invited club and at least one club from each of Leagues One and 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 three points for a win and one point for a draw. In the event of a drawn game (after 90 minutes), a penalty shoot-out 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 August 29, 2016
W/c October 3
W/c November 7


Round 2

W/c December 5


Round 3

W/c January 9, 2017


Round 4

W/c January 23


Semi-Final

W/c February 20


Final
(Wembley Stadium)

April 2

The new-look competition will also have an enhanced prize fund, with an expected £1.95m being up for grabs, including £10,000 per win and £5,000 per draw during the Group Stage and £100,000 for the eventual winner.

Hope it fails, the fa are not going to find the next Alan Shearer from some kid putting 5 past exeter on a wet tuesday night or man utd.

Some FL chairman bowed to their glorious leaders, doffed their forelock and thanked them so much for allowing us to see the wonderful talent they have. Talk about being mugged. This a quote from the original announcement:

''"The new format is intended to rejuvanate this competition and also assist the development of the very best young players in English football. This will help us deliver more and better home-grown players which will deliver benefits to the national team and domestic league football at all levels."

Well from what I have seen, but could be wrong, there appears to be no rule on nationality of the players in the academy team. If that really is the case then the FL clubs can feel totally pithed off with the deal.
''Young player development'' What an absolute load of bollox. I really really hope that fans totally boycott and that crowd sizes are miniscule.

Bolton v middlesboros academy ? Blimey four years ago they were a division above them.

tigertony wrote:

Some FL chairman bowed to their glorious leaders, doffed their forelock and thanked them so much for allowing us to see the wonderful talent they have. Talk about being mugged. This a quote from the original announcement:

''"The new format is intended to rejuvanate this competition and also assist the development of the very best young players in English football. This will help us deliver more and better home-grown players which will deliver benefits to the national team and domestic league football at all levels."

Well from what I have seen, but could be wrong, there appears to be no rule on nationality of the players in the academy team. If that really is the case then the FL clubs can feel totally pithed off with the deal.
''Young player development'' What an absolute load of bollox. I really really hope that fans totally boycott and that crowd sizes are miniscule.

So I persisted and asked the FL about the ''home-grown'' idea when there is no rule about nationality. They replied and yer tis'

-----------------------------------------------
Hello Tony,
Thank you for your email, we note your comments.

The EFL continuously looks at ways in which our competitions can be improved, and discussions regarding the EFL Trophy have been on-going with a view to creating maximum benefit for our members. Our clubs are obviously integral to these discussions and their experience of participating in these tournaments, and the support the competition receives, drives much of the debate.

The 2016/17 season represented an opportunity to trial a new approach to the EFL Trophy, an approach that our clubs were receptive to and voted in favour of. Inevitably, as discussions have involved the Premier League, it therefore follows they also have an vested interest in the competition format and structure for participation. In that sense the competition format aims to incorporate the requirements of our members aligned with the overall objectives of refreshing the competition, providing young players with greater opportunities to play in meaningful matches, and enhancing its commercial appeal.

We acknowledge that, as a trial period, this will be a time for assessment and analysis and our clubs and supporters will be key in establishing feedback on the new format on an on-going basis. We are aware that not everyone will agree with the proposal, however the fact that clubs have voted to trial it for one season means there is naturally an element of the unknown about the process, simply because it is a departure from the previous structure. However we are committed to providing maximum benefit for our clubs with the over-arching aim of enhancing these competitions and creating more and better home grown players. Following discussions the Clubs themselves voted for the format change to groups which guarantees three group games and the associated income benefits.

Until such time we are in-progress with the competition, and it can be judged in practice, can we realistically fully assess how the new format has impacted on clubs and supporters alike. Again, we respect your views on this and please be assured that we recognise the importance of establishing the views and feedback of supporters as part of this process.
Thank you for contacting EFL.
Regards,
Andrew Pomfret
Supporter Services Department
EFL
----------------------------------------

or re-phrased it says
''we know the minnows below the top 2 tiers are only there to ensure that the whole country can watch some footy but frankly we don't give rats arse what you lot think. Yes, we've mugged you over the ''home grown'' bit but tough. Now just piss off and leave us alone''

Shame that most of the 'minnows' voted for the 'associated income benefits' including our team, no surprise there.

Thank you for that TT, he ignored the home grown question.

They'll properly have egg on their faces, if the the final is contested by Stoke and swanseas kids watched by a couple of thousand supporters and the prawn sandwich munchers.

seadog wrote:

Thank you for that TT, he ignored the home grown question.

Perhaps he's a politician in the making. As PatDunne said ''minnows voted for the idea as the EFL sang a few chorus's of ''Keer-ching''.
I think a few of these yes men are in for a surprise.

Good work by Tone, it would prove a point if fans attended only the matches that featured two LG1/2 sides and there was empty stadiums for any fixture featuring an academy team, more effective than a straight boycott IMO.

PatDunne wrote:

Good work by Tone, it would prove a point if fans attended only the matches that featured two LG1/2 sides and there was empty stadiums for any fixture featuring an academy team, more effective than a straight boycott IMO.

Excellent idea.

ARGYLE will renew battle with play-off conquerors AFC Wimbledon and face Premiership opponents Swansea City in the group stages of this year's EFL Trophy.

The Pilgrims have been drawn in Southern Group B of the competition, with Newport County, managed by former Pilgrim Warren Feeney, the fourth team in the group.

This year's competition includes 16 invited Category One Academy teams, like Swansea, as well as the 48 clubs from Sky Bet Leagues One and Two.

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

The matches are scheduled to be played in weeks beginning August 29, October 3 and November 7.

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 shoot-out will be held with the winning team earning an additional point.

The top two teams will progress to the knockout stage. The second round remains regionalised with each group winner being drawn at home to a second-placed team from a different qualifying group.

Southern Group B

Argyle
AFC Wimbledon
Swansea
Newport County

Phoney scum !

Elias wrote:

Phoney scum !

yet they beat us at wembley i know which is more phoney out us and them.

Oh I can't wait for us to play Swansea reserves [sarcasm]!

Danny Salman gives his view on the EFL

Why the EFL Trophy is laughable and will drive fans away

I HAVE to say that I am not in favour of the changes that have been made to what was the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

I don't like the idea of group matches, I don't like the idea of academy teams being involved and I don't like the fact that there will now be more games for lower league teams to play.

There is a lot in the national press about how bigger teams can't cope with more games, but actually lower league teams are struggling as well.

Premier League sides often have enough players to rotate their team, that is a luxury that not every club in League One and League Two have.

Argyle will face the team that beat them in the League Two play-off final

If they are going to persist with this competition I believe it should be a straight knockout like it was before.

I do not like this new format as it is putting sides under more pressure, and they aren't even allowed to fully rotate their squad for these games.

If the idea of this new format is to up the interest, then I think it will fail dramatically.

The group games will have less interest, I believe, because people don't really get excited until the quarter-finals stage.

I think crowds will be even smaller than before, I can't see a Tuesday night tie against Newport County drawing in a big following.

And how many Swansea fans are going to be interested in watching an academy team midweek? not many

You can dilute something too much and that is exactly what is happening.

Is it really a big deal if you beat a Premier League academy team?

The whole point of this competition was to give 'smaller' sides the chance of getting to Wembley.

So the introduction of 16 category one academy sides goes totally against the whole reason we have the competition in the first place.

And how do the costs work out?

Some teams are playing two home games in the group stages, some are playing just one.

Is all the money split evenly?

Will the cost of putting on the game be matched by ticket sales, and therefore make the game profitable? Again, I am not so sure.

These changes give no encouragement for the smaller teams and sure you may get a few good youngsters playing in front of you, but if the final consists of two academy sides then what is the point?

If the competition is not well backed, and if fans aren't turning up for it then maybe it is time to just axe it all together.

Martyn Starnes revealed that Argyle voted in favour of format changes

I know Plymouth Argyle voted in favour of this trial season, and I know it was kind of a thank you to the Football League for what they did to help the team during their financial difficulties.

But regardless of the reason, a bad idea is a bad idea.

I don't think it will improve interest, I don't think any teams will take it seriously and I believe people are trying too hard to make the competition something that it isn't.

During my playing days I played in the competition, when it was the Freight Rover Trophy.

I actually got to Wembley with Brentford in 1985, after we beat Newport County 6-0 in the semi-final.

We lost 3-1 to Wigan in the final, and it was still a great day out.

But just like recent years, there wasn't much interest in the early rounds.

Even as players, we didn't care that much about the games until around the quarter-finals and you really felt there was a chance of getting to Wembley.

That is not to say we went into the game not wanting to win, but it wasn't seen as a big loss if we went out.

If the new format works, then great.

But I don't think it will and perhaps this is the last throw of the dice.

If you are going to have a regionalised group stage in a cup competition then the powers that be should be pitting teams together that are local (if possible).

Local derby matches against the likes of Exeter could draw in crowds

The fact that Plymouth Argyle will be playing regionalised games against two Welsh clubs and a London based club is absolutely laughable.

How is a Tuesday night trip away to AFC Wimbledon going to attract more interest in the newly-named EFL Trophy?

Why don't the Football League put Argyle in a group alongside teams like Exeter, Yeovil and Bristol Rovers?

That is a way you could generate interest.

You would have local derbies, teams would not have to travel hundreds of miles, and it would be much easier for away fans to travel to the game and back in plenty of time to get a good night sleep before work the next day.

I am totally against the idea of a group stage in this competition, but if they insist on doing one they should at least put teams in a group with sides that are fairly local.

Now I know that you will get the odd game that is a fair distance but the Green Army will have to travel 374 miles (there and back) to Swansea and 422 to Wimbledon.

Not so local after all, is it?

The fact that a team in London counts as being local is a joke.

What is the point in doing this format if it doesn't suit the clubs, it doesn't suit the fans, and it adds games to a season that some already say has too many games

My whelm is undered

Complete shite. I wanted mk dons....

Reading all this leaves me completely underwhelmed, think a lot of real fans will see this competition as a damp squib.

The best bit is the club gets fined £5000 for fielding an understrength team. Its interesting that the FL are already distancing themselves from this shambles.

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NEW NAME Checkatrade Trophy

Checkatrade that sees the market leading trade vetting and monitoring website become the Official Title Sponsor of the EFL Trophy.

The competition has been renamed as the Checkatrade Trophy with immediate effect as clubs from Sky Bet League One and League Two get ready to compete with 16 Category 1 Academy teams from the Premier League and the Sky Bet Championship for the first time.

Kicking off week commencing August 29, for the 2016-17 EFL season, the first stage of the Checkatrade Trophy will see 16 regionalised groups of four teams go head to head in the reinvigorated competition format. The groups include at least one side from each of Leagues One and Two, alongside one Category 1 Academy team.

Of each group, the top two teams will progress into the knockout stages of the competition, with eventual finalists going on to contest the showpiece Checkatrade Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium on April 2, 2017.

Shaun Harvey, the Chief Executive of the EFL said: “We are delighted to have signed up Checkatrade as title sponsor for our revamped competition – the Checkatrade Trophy. With credibility and reputation critical to the success of the Checkatrade brand, we feel there are some strong synergies between us both and look forward to developing them throughout the sponsorship term that could run for a five year period.

“With major changes heading the way of the competition in 2016-17, including the introduction of 16 Category 1 sides, this partnership is the perfect platform for Checkatrade. It will also present them with a rare opportunity to be directly associated with cup football in England and a Wembley Final.

“Like ourselves, Checkatrade recognise the huge potential in this competition and through their generous support and the changes we have made to the format, we are in a position to be able deliver additional prize money that makes participating in the Checkatrade Trophy an even more attractive prospect for our clubs.”

Kevin Byrne, Founder and CEO of Checkatrade, said: “As a football fan, it has been a long term goal to partner a well-known English football competition and as many of our listed trades are also fans, this makes our sponsorship of the new Checkatrade Trophy even more exciting.

“This considerable sponsorship is the latest step in our marketing strategy to remain firmly in the public eye. We’re delighted to be associated with so many well respected and prestigious clubs participating in the Checkatrade Trophy and we look forward to engaging with fans over the coming season

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