Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore confirms plans for an EPL 'B' League

Richard Scudamore

Richard Scudamore, chief executive of Premier League has confirmed that there are plans for a ‘B’ league to come into existence.

The new system would see the current Under-21 league format scrapped and see it replaced with a new Under-23 league format, with four over age players allowed.

The league would feature teams classified as category one in the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) i.e. the same teams from the Under-21 league. This includes current Premier League sides Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle, Norwich, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, Tottenham, West Brom and West Ham will be involved along with some clubs from the Football League clubs including Bolton, Blackburn, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Reading and Wolves.

The plan is to broadcast games from the main club stadium, while there is also provision which allows other clubs; who aim to achieve the Category One status soon to participate in the competition, like Crystal Palace.

Richard Scudamore believes that this will be the much-needed component which will aide in the development of youth in English football.

“We understand the challenge of developing English talent good enough to play in the Premier League first team is how do you get them to transition from Under-18s into first-team squads? It is such a huge leap. You have to have the transition phase, the ‘professional development phase’ we call it,” he explained.

“The Under-21 League is technically very good but not where it needs to be in terms of meaningful competition for these youngsters.

“The minute you call it ‘Under-21′ people think it is no use. It needs a better name and a better focus. All clubs recognise that. We need proper kick-off times, using main stadiums, anything to create an experience that is more competitive and more like the first team so it doesn’t come as such a shock. And those players in that group should be interchangeable with the first team.

“They should be Category One clubs and we are happy for them to be in that league with 16 of ours, and six of the Championship. If more Cat One clubs come along you structure it accordingly.

“It should be in all our interests that people have more cat one academies because that’s the best it can be.”

He further insisted that the current structure of the Football League would have no impact due to the new league.

“Having been chief executive of the Football League, I believe in the pyramid. If you set up a club behind the Dog and Duck, make your way up through those 44,000 others, and climb over enough to get to us – brilliant, we’d love to have you,” he continued.