Premier League in talks with the National League over potential new competition

The Premier League and National League are reportedly in talks over a new competition. According to a report by The Athletic, the top 16 teams from the top flight and the top 16 clubs in the fifth tier from the last season could form a new tournament.

If it goes ahead, there would be four groups of eight teams on a regional basis and they would play eachother throughout the course of the campaign. The final may also be held at Wembley, although that is yet to be confirmed, and non-league clubs would apparently receive all gate receipts.

Premier League B teams already take part in the EFL Trophy, known as the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, and that was seen as controversial by some when it was first brought in. Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United were in the final this year, with the latter winning.

The news of a potential fresh competition comes after the FA’s decision to scrap FA Cup replays in a move that didn’t go down well with a lot of EFL and non-league outfits. League Two Tranmere Rovers, in particular, publicly expressed their anger at the move and published a statement on their official clu website: “The decision, and the way it was taken, demonstrate a total lack of respect for the football pyramid and its fans.

“Football belongs to all of us and decisions should not be taken in back room deals in which only the very wealthiest clubs are allowed to participate. It is yet another eloquent example of the 19th-century governance that means that football simply cannot regulate itself and needs the Independent Football Regulator to have real teeth.

“We condemn the changes wholeheartedly and urge The FA to suspend them immediately until all stakeholders in the game are properly consulted.”

The proposed new cup concept would help the development of young players in the Premier League and would boost the finances of clubs in the National League. However, like most changes in football, the reception to it may be sketchy.