Football League revamp won't include 'B' teams, 'non-English' sides

The restructuring of the English Football League will not allow Premier League "B" teams and clubs from "non-English" divisions to compete in the professional pyramid, following consultations between the EFL and its 72 clubs.

Discussions also revealed that clubs in League One, League Two, and a potential fifth tier would like to play through a proposed winter break, with a final vote on further aspects such as the number of teams in each division slated for June 2017.

(Courtesy: @SkySportsNewsHQ)

Thursday's meeting marked the first time the organisation and representatives from Football League outfits discussed the proposed reforms, with the suggested inclusion of top-flight reserve teams in the professional game - similar to how Barcelona's B team competes in the third rung of the Spanish football ladder - roundly shunned.

It follows the controversial allowance of Premier League academy teams to compete in this season's EFL Trophy, a competition usually reserved for clubs in the third and fourth tiers. That decision has sparked a downturn in attendances as teams' fans boycott games to express their displeasure at the larger teams encroaching on the tournament.

Another contentious idea was to include "non-English" teams in the tiers between the Premier League and non-league football - namely Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers. This has been shelved for the time being due to feedback from the meeting, however, and the EFL will now explore other ways to pick teams to compete in anticipated League Three - or fifth tier.

"The logical place for many was to source the additional teams for League Three from the National League (currently out of the Football League) but we felt it important that the debate was introduced at an early stage," said EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey. "An opportunity was provided for all club owners' and executives' to voice any opinions and, where applicable, table concerns.

"We will now continue our consultation with the National League with a little more certainty as to what any change could mean for them. These conversations will include the FA in their capacity as the governing body - not a competition organiser."

Additional talks are ongoing to review the distribution of revenue earned in the English game, with the EFL seeking a fairer cut from the Premier League. This is something the EFL believes would help the country's professional system on a more widespread level.

The EFL underwent a "comprehensive corporate and competition rebranding" in Nov. 2015 by tweaking the name from The Football League to the English Football League and changing the logo. The alterations fell foul of the Welsh representatives over the three divisions - Cardiff City and Newport County - who felt they had been labelled as English in the new format.