By John Lyons
THE EFL have confirmed that it is more than likely they will seek clubs from the National League if their controversial expansion plans get the go-ahead.
Back in May, the Football League announced their idea to create a new League Three in 2019-20, expanding from 72 to 80 teams with four divisions of 20 sides.
It could mean the National League being raided for eight clubs, though the EFL are planning greater consultation with their member clubs and other organisations in the next month over their ‘Whole Game Solution’.
The EFL clubs are due to decide on the issue at their annual meeting next year – with 90 per cent required to vote in favour for the changes to take place.
Speaking at the EFL season launch at Fulham in midweek, chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “There’s no absolute fixed view as to where the eight additional teams would come from.
“We’ve always said the natural thing would be to take them from inside the Pyramid, which means the National League, but it does give a number of concerns to the National League
“That’s why they are part of this consultation because if we’re going to bring about change or improvement then everyone is going to have to be involved at some stage in the detail.
“That full process is now about to start whereas before when the idea was in creation you could only engage with a limited number of people.”
One other option could be to target Premier League B teams, but Harvey doesn’t believe that is likely to prove a viable option.
“The view that came forward from our clubs is that they don’t want to see B teams inside the EFL,” he added. “We never discounted it as a possibility but clubs have spoken previously that that is not what they want to see happen. With a 90 per cent threshold, if they don’t want to see it happen, then it will not happen.
“We’ve heard comments from (Premier League executive chairman) Richard Scudamore that he doesn’t believe B teams are the way forward either.
“The process will run its full course and I believe the Pyramid is probably the most likely source for the additional teams in the event that that’s where we end up.”
National League chief executive Michael Tattersall expressed his concerns about the ideas to The NLP earlier this summer.
“If the Football League plans were to go ahead, it would change the nature of the Pyramid,” he said. “We weren’t consulted and we weren’t able to influence the proposals before they went out. It’s not just a matter of a vote for Football League clubs (next year). It’s a debate for the rest of the game. It’s a debate that would have to be had by the FA as well.
“It’s not just an internal Football League matter, it’s external. If it’s going to be a ‘Whole Game Solution’ it needs to be a whole game debate because there are big implications for the whole game.”
