Reading will take part in the EFL Trophy (Johnstone's Paint Trophy) this season after being invited as one of the 16 Premier League and Championship clubs with a Category 1 status academy. The Royals weren't in the original 16 clubs to be invited to take part, but were called on after several of the countries "biggest" clubs declined the change to be involved. The format of 48 clubs from League One and League Two combined with 16 academy sides from the top two tiers of English football is on trial for this season only.
The competition usually involves just the lower two divisions of the Football League. Reading, and the other academy teams, will be required to field at least 6 under-21 players in their starting eleven in all fixtures. The format will allow Reading to play a mixture of academy and fringe first team squad players as they look to progress in the competition - which finishes at Wembley Stadium on 2nd April 2017.
The Royals have been drawn in Southern Group A, which includes Bristol Rovers, Portsmouth, and Yeovil. As an academy side entry, Reading will play two games away followed by their final fixture at home. The away games are Bristol Rovers on 30 August 2016 and Portsmouth on 4 October 2016. The home fixture is expected to take place at the Madejski Stadium on 8 November 2016 against Yeovil Town. The games take place in the International breaks - the only useable breaks in the fixture lists - which may have put off some of the invited academy sides.
The 16 academy sides include Leicester City, Southampton, West Ham United, Stoke City, Chelsea, Everton, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland, Norwich City, Middlesbrough, Brighton and Hove Albion, Derby County, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, and Reading. Last year saw Barnsley lift the trophy with Wembley victory over Oxford United.
Academy Get Bristol Rovers, Pompey and Yeovil
From the Discussion
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RO Royal1988 6 Jul 2016 · 6:04pm
From the *cough* EFL *cough* website. The EFL has confirmed the format of the EFL Trophy 2016/17 which, for the first time, will include 16 invited teams from clubs with Category One Academies. 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 April 2. The new look competition will also have an enhanced prize fund with an expected £1.95m being up for grabs,…
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TR The Royal Forester 6 Jul 2016 · 6:25pm
It would be interesting to know how many Cat. 1 Academy (and who they are) have not been invited. Has any Premier League Cat 1 Academy been left out? This is another nail in the coffin of the lower Divisions as a chance of going to Wembley and a bit of handy cash disappears. Serves the FA right if the League 1 & 2 clubs tell the FA where to go and all withdraw from the EFL Trophy the following season.
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DE Deadlock 6 Jul 2016 · 7:18pm
If you can find an accurate list of category 1 academies I'd be interested.
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TC The Cube 6 Jul 2016 · 8:01pm
The official line is that Newcastle got the last slot as they had the highest finishing position last season of the 6 clubs who have category 1 academies and are outside the Premier League. Norwich, Derby, Wolves and Reading are 4 of the other 5. Brighton had Category 1 status, but not sure if they have retained it. I expect they have a category of their own being such a massive club.
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LW Lower West 6 Jul 2016 · 9:34pm
Expect attendances to be low and the concept dropped. I'll vote with my wallet for one.
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FD From Despair To Where? 6 Jul 2016 · 9:46pm
So this is a revamp for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy or whatever its called now. To be honest, I couldn't give a toss if our academy isn't involved. It's one thing one or two 19 year olds playing in the first team but a whole team of 19 year olds sent out against a team of hardened lower league professionals? They'll get murdered in the group stage.
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SU Sutekh 7 Jul 2016 · 10:52am
Agreed. The thought of some of our younger players being mullered by established hardened pros from the lower divisions doesn't bear thinking about. Overall this is an utter bellend of an idea and hope it lasts as long as the Anglo-Italian lasted or the Watney Cup or the myriad of other pointless cup ideas the league come up with to try and get money. Just who would pay to see, say Stoke City Academy, take on Crawley Town remains to be seen. My guess is both sets of supporters would baulk at the thought of that. Anyone remember the days of the Football Combination and Central Leagues. Seemed to work perfectly well as a method to…
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NA Nameless 7 Jul 2016 · 4:38pm
So this is a revamp for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy or whatever its called now. To be honest, I couldn't give a toss if our academy isn't involved. It's one thing one or two 19 year olds playing in the first team but a whole team of 19 year olds sent out against a team of hardened lower league professionals? They'll get murdered in the group stage. Although the rules mean these will not be Academy sides. There must be 5 first team players and 6 u21 players in the starting 11