9 May 2014

English FA wants B teams, less overseas players

11:29 am on 9 May 2014

The English FA commission wants to use the blueprint of the Spanish and German football leagues and allow Premier League clubs to enter B teams in lower divisions in a bid to improve the England national side.

The Football Association is proposing a major overhaul of English football with the introduction of a fourth-tier league from 2016-17 for top-flight clubs' B teams and limits on overseas players.

The commission suggested the creation of a new 'League Three' which would initially be made up of 10 Premier League B teams and 10 sides from the cream of minor league football in a bid to give players more competitive matches.

Clubs could be promoted and relegated between League One, Two and Three and the minor league Conference but B teams could not play in the second-tier Championship and must always be at least one division below their A sides.

The commission also wants to overhaul the work permit system and prevent non-EU players from joining any English club outside the Premier League.

There are currently 66 players eligible to represent England playing regularly in the 20 Premier League teams and they've set a target of increasing that number to 90 by 2022.