Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Yesterday The Football League announced plans to add an extra division to the current setup, one that if the plan was ratified would see 80 clubs under the auspices of the league and bringing the total of league clubs up to 100.
The central part of the extension is creating an extra division of 20 clubs but also shrinking the three current leagues that they in charge of. This would mean a decrease of games in a league season going from 46 down to 38
The initial hurdle that the Football League are going to have is convincing club chairman that less Football and ultimately less gate receipts is a good idea
With less games it would all but eliminate Midweek fixtures, but for me they are part of what makes the league uniques. If this was to be implemented then Midweek Football would almost always be for the preserve of Cup competitions
The Football League talk about product when discussing these plans, with the name of the competition being changed to the English Football League or EFL for short it’s clear that the marketing men have had some influence regarding this idea
The extra 8 clubs will more than likely come from the National League which in fairness is a de facto League 3 these days anyway, but could this be the perfect opportunity for Celtic and Rangers to enter the English League setup. If it was ever going to happen then surely this would be the perfect opportunity
Perhaps half a dozen ‘B’ teams could be allowed into the League through expansion. That way they wouldn’t be denying a League place as such. But if you were to let half a dozen in then you are looking at a very slippery slope
Could the bottom two levels be regionalised with North and South divisions. This would put a stop to the possibility of Carlisle facing Plymouth but again surely that’s what makes English Football unique
There could also be a danger that National League clubs become stretched beyond their means as the jump to full-time could prove too much for them. They will have a dilemma of having to spend big to not be left behind
I think the idea does have it’s merits but I think we are going to need more finer details before we can weigh up whether it’s a good idea or not. But ultimately it will be a decision for the 72 club chairman next June. Until then I would imagine there to be a fair bit of posturing, we will also be watching this space with interest.
