Reading FC not invited to the... erm... party?

[Royal1988]

So what happens if the F.A. can't muster 16 cat 1 teams? This idea is beginning to look dead in the water before it even starts.

Also, are there any teams in League 1 and League 2 with Cat 1? If so, would they then get 2 teams in the cup (and potentially have to play themselves)?

[Forbury Lion]

Can non academy teams in League 1 and 2 decline as well or are they contractually bound to enter?

[Sutekh]

As far as I am aware every club has to apply to enter every FA run competition that they want to be in, each season.

Membership of leagues, on the other hand, is perpetual until you resign or are thrown out. Ergo I would presume that as members of the FL, as in this case, that all clubs are also automatically entered into the League Cup and whatever other affiliated cups there are that are deemed appropriate for that club's level.

If a club does not wish to participate then I believe they are at liberty to withdraw just as they would be at liberty to resign form the league itself.

[royalp-we]

Our invitation must have got lost in the post

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 07081.aspx

Club accepts invitation to enter a Category One team into tournament

Earlier this month, the EFL confirmed the format for this season’s EFL Trophy which, for the first time, will include 16 invited teams from clubs with Category One Academies.

We can now announce that Reading Football Club will be one of the clubs entering the Trophy this season, following an invitation from the EFL.

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 knockout stage that will culminate in a showpiece final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 2nd April.

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

Reading Football Club last entered the Football League Trophy in 2001-2, when as a third tier side led by Alan Pardew we reached the quarter-finals thanks to a Second Round win over Colchester United nearly 15 years ago!

Aptly, our last goal in the tournament was scored by an Academy product - Darius Henderson notching in a defeat to Barnet that year as the then-named LDV Vans Trophy was awarded to Blackpool. A number of our Academy stars will hope to make an impact of their own on the tournament in 2016-17; all Category One clubs are obliged to field a minimum of six U21 players (as at June 30) in their starting 11.

In fact, a large number of our Academy stars will be featuring in a range of different competitions this season; Premier League 2 (U23s league), The Premier League Cup, The Premier League International Cup, the U18s Premier League, the FA Youth Cup and now the EFL Trophy. Not to mention any youngsters who might break into the first team and potentially play in the Sky Bet Championship, the FA Cup or the EFL Cup for Jaap Stam's side this season.

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.”

What you need to know about the EFL Trophy 2016-17

- It will include 48 clubs from League One and League Two as well as 16 invited Category One Academy teams.

- All Category One clubs are obliged to field a minimum of six U21 players (as at June 30) in their starting 11.

- 16 groups of 4 teams will be organised on a regionalised basis. The draw is due to take place on Wednesday 27th July.

- Each group will include one invited Category One club and at least one club from each of Leagues One & Two.

- Clubs will play each other once, either home or away. We are set to play at least one of our home games at Madejski Stadium.

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

- The top two teams will progress to the 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.

- Group Stage dates:
- w/c 29th August 2016
- w/c 3rd October 2016
- w/c 7th November 2016

- Round 2 - w/c 5th December 2016

- Round 3 - w/c 9th January 2017

- Round 4 - w/c 23rd January 2017

- Semi- Final - w/c 20th February 2017

- Final - 2nd April 2017 (Wembley Stadium)

Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... KSd54eA.99

[maffff]

In the spirit of rejuvinating youth football to support the English national team I hope that our side features Long, Hyam, Jules, Andresson, Semedo Kelly, Barrett, Urbancic, Novakovich, Davis and Matzelevich

[Stranded]

About the only thing that could make this interesting is being drawn against Oxford or Wycombe.

A home game v Accrington will undoubtedly be a massive tie

[MoorgateRoyal]

This should toughen up some of the youngsters and will hopefully give them the right kind of experience of first team football. It should also help the first team as more youngsters will have the right kind of experience if they're needed.

We can debate the rights and wrongs of academy teams participating in tournaments like this but I think it's good for the club overall.

[One8Seven1*]

I don't agree with any of this, but it will be great for our academy players, and I bet Stam will be delighted. We keep hearing how our academy set-up is very similat to Ajax, so Stam will have a keen eye on these young boys and this is a great platform for them to perform and show what they can do.

It also gives us a chance to meet Oxford and Swindon in the competition!

[Top Flight]

About the only thing that could make this interesting is being drawn against Oxford or Wycombe.

A home game v Accrington will undoubtedly be a massive tie

I think the tournament will be regionalised. Certainly at the group stage. And also in the next couple of rounds. We could end up being drawn in a group with Swindon, Oxford, Barnet, Millwall, Northampton, Exeter, Plymouth, Charlton.... I'm sure at least one of those teams mentioned will be in our group. Definitely though, we will not be drawn with Accrington.

I'm looking forward to this tournament. It should be fun.

[Stranded]

About the only thing that could make this interesting is being drawn against Oxford or Wycombe.

A home game v Accrington will undoubtedly be a massive tie

I think the tournament will be regionalised. Certainly at the group stage. And also in the next couple of rounds. We could end up being drawn in a group with Swindon, Oxford, Barnet, Millwall, Northampton, Exeter, Plymouth, Charlton.... I'm sure at least one of those teams mentioned will be in our group. Definitely though, we will not be drawn with Accrington.

I'm looking forward to this tournament. It should be fun.

Oh yeah, I was being flippant really.

In many ways I think for a club like us this is a good thing - will offer a further step in the education of the younger players in a competitive environment hopefully allowing them experience to step up to the 1st XI if needed.

[CountryRoyal]

Think we'd get a hammering tbh.

[Royal1988]

Looking at the dates of the first round matches, I see that they are all the Tuesday before international matches. So I am not sure how many of even our U21 players will be there for the matches, as they may be off for U21 internationals.

I still don't like the idea of the new format, but I can see how it would be good for clubs like us I suppose. And, well, it's more football which can't be bad. Most importantly though, this season especially, if we did well in the competition it would be a fantastic tribute to the late great Eamonn Dolan.

[Rea Ding]

Can totally see how lower league teams are annoyed by this as they hardly wanna get knocked out by some youths and could ruin some derby games, but being selfish I think this could be great fun and will give some more lower league away days maybe Swindon/Oxford finally too

[Sutekh]

Looking at the dates of the first round matches, I see that they are all the Tuesday before international matches. So I am not sure how many of even our U21 players will be there for the matches, as they may be off for U21 internationals.

I still don't like the idea of the new format, but I can see how it would be good for clubs like us I suppose. And, well, it's more football which can't be bad. Most importantly though, this season especially, if we did well in the competition it would be a fantastic tribute to the late great Eamonn Dolan.

That's a point, with a number of academy players being internationals at their level I wonder just how useful this actually is for any cat 1 status team if a load of the dates clash with international weeks....

[Kitsondinho]

The draw is minutes away....I'm so excited

The whole thing is a confused mess. We should be nowhere near it, because the whole point is for PL academy players to get game time. Now that (mostly) won't happen, bunging us in there just pisses off the lower league oppositon! When we are in League 1 next year, I'll be furious that we have to play Blackburn U21s in the FLT final....

[Stranded]

So we are in South Section 1 which means we will face 3 of the following teams:

L1
Wimbledon
Bristol Rovers
Coventry
Northampton
Oxford
Swindon

L2
Exeter
Newport
Plymouth
Portsmouth
Wycombe
Yeovil

[riverroyal]

Reading
Bristol Rovers
Portsmouth
Yeovil


This is our group

[maffff]

Reading
Bristol Rovers
Portsmouth
Yeovil


This is our group

Winnable.

[bobby1413]

Would have been good to play Oxford

[maffff]

http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/live-efl- ... story.html

haha