• Football

Scudamore: B team league would 'wreck' pyramid

ESPN staff
May 9, 2014
Richard Scudamore believes the Football League and Football Conference need protecting at all costs © Getty Images
Enlarge

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore believes an FA commission's plans to introduce a new league containing top-flight B teams could "wreck" the English football pyramid.

FA Chairman Greg Dyke presented a report on Thursday which highlighted English football's governing body's strategy to increase the amount of homegrown players in the Premier League.

One of the proposals is the creation of a new league between League Two and the Football Conference, which would feature a mixture of Premier League B teams and Conference teams.

Despite drawing support from Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers and Everton boss Roberto Martinez, the idea has attracted widespread criticism throughout the country's lower leagues.

While Scudamore highlighted the need to increase English talent, he does not believe the introduction of a B team league would be the right way to go about it.

"I don't believe we should be wrecking the pyramid of English football to achieve that," Scudamore said.

"We all understand the issue. How do you take all this investment and progress in youth development and, from 18 onwards, convert them into players who are capable of holding their own in the Premier League and becoming England-qualified talent? That is the challenge we all have.

"I can't contradict what I have said before many times before and truly believe. We must see if there is a credible alternative before we go decimating the Football Conference and the Football League. That is something we need to try and protect almost at all costs."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
ESPN staff Close