New u21 competion

[SwindonCanary 455]

The Premier League u21 International Cup.  Just announced on skysportsnews Norwich will be in group ''A'' against Chelsea, Porto and M'' Gladbach  

[nutty nigel 7,509]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2014/10/15/5187694/pl-international-cup-to-go-ahead

 

Fantastic! A great reward for what the club has achieved over the last few seasons. Shows just what an achievement it was for the under 231s to finish where they did last year.

 

 

[The Butler 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2014/10/15/5187694/pl-international-cup-to-go-ahead

 

Fantastic! A great reward for what the club has achieved over the last few seasons. Shows just what an achievement it was for the under 231s to finish where they did last year.

 

 

[/quote]

Did you manage to qualify for that[:D]

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Yes! But Tilly and Lapp both missed the cut :)

[Molly Windley 76]

This has been kept very quiet, whilst supporting the idea myself there do appear to be some anomalies associated with it.# Announced on the day of the first game# No tv coverage# No backing from UEFA which backs its own U19 Champions League competition.# No competition rules available.Is this a slap in the face for UEFA and the testing of the waters for a breakaway by the major european clubs?

[gabba 0]

And why would Man United and Southampton pull out? To take the competition out of UEFA''s jurisdiction they changed the previous format so that all the games are played in England. Looks like the clubs have rushed this through to play this year rather than next in order to prove to UEFA that such a competition could work.

[Bury Green 0]

Some interesting points raised there, it certainly seems as though it''s the Premier League starting to flex its muscles and why not.

It''d be hard to think what the down sides are for our lads, some top rate competition hopefully being played in front of a good gate at FCR.

It''s a well trodden path I know but surely this is just the sort of thing that needs to happen to help bridge the gap between a clubs accademy and It''s first team?

[Molly Windley 76]

Other than the opening game at West Ham on the 15th of this month everything has gone very quiet and cannot find any news or a fixture list on the net.The original announcement said............

Group stage matches will be played between

15 October 2014 and 31 January 2015 with a full fixture programme due

to be published.If these are home and away fixtures (playing each group team twice) its leaving it all a bit late to organise

[? 0]

Molly, my understanding of it was, to avoid a conflict with Uefa, all the games would be played in England. As to the fixtures themselves can''t help you there.