Is there a reserve league this year?

[AJ 1,218]

Or has it been completely replaced by the u21 structure?

If this is the case, will games still be played at Carrow Road with the ability for fans to watch like last season?

Thanks

[e10_yellow 0]

Don''t think there''s a reserve league any more. U21 fixtures are at http://www.canaries.co.uk/news/article/fixture-details-281871.aspx

The Everton and Arsenal games are Carrow Road evening kick-offs, assume the rest are at Colney.

[I am a Banana 0]

It is a much better idea. Having only a maximum of 3 over 21s in the team will help our academy to bring in more players as they will get more game time than if it was just reserves!!

[AJ 1,218]

And with the 25 man squad rules, it stops teams having loads of players sat in the reserves. Makes sense!

Just wish more games were at Carra Rud so I could pop down and watch!

[shiplee15 0]

I believe the idea is in time to have the league running alongside Premier League Fixtures. I read somewhere the thinking was to have these games after a PL fixture so that a young player sat on the bench for the first team can go and get a game afterwards and allow fans to watch these games at the same time.

I may have read it slightly wrong but the overall aim is for this league to be watched more than the reserve league was and much more in line with the PL and with a much greater influence (obviously) on youth development and progression.

[Matt Juler 148]

One of the eventual goals I believe is for the fixtures to be the same as the first 11, but at the reverse location.  Big games can then be played at Carrow Road, so for example when the first 11 are at Old Trafford, the U21s will be playing United U21s at Carrow Road.  It''s all part of a plan to give everyone Saturday (or weekend) football.

[TIL 1010 4,722]

[quote user="Matt Juler"]One of the eventual goals I believe is for the fixtures to be the same as the first 11, but at the reverse location.  Big games can then be played at Carrow Road, so for example when the first 11 are at Old Trafford, the U21s will be playing United U21s at Carrow Road.  It''s all part of a plan to give everyone Saturday (or weekend) football.


[/quote]

This is a great idea but if Sky get their hands on it i wonder what will happen ?[:-*]

 

[AJ 1,218]

That is a fantastic concept but I''m concerned about the two clashing. Surely fans would want to be watching the first team if they could? So maybe the first team games could be screened live in the ground first, and then the U21''s played after the match finished - that''d work. Bet we''d still get a decent crowd every week

[spudgfsh 0]

That may be the ultimate aim but the U21 leagues are based on the status the academies have according to the EPPP. Currently there are 22 teams involved in the top tier but this does not include Swansea and Wigan. There is also a complicated double league system and playoff style knockout round.

Expect the fixtures (for the short and medium term) not to match the PL fixtures

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_Professional_Development_League_1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Development_League_1