Monday Interview: Jury remains firmly out as revamped Trophy becomes whole new ball game

To say there has been controversy ahead of the competition getting underway is putting it mildly – as English Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey knows all too well.

It remains to be seen what transpires with opponents of the new-look concept having been vociferous in their criticism – with many viewing it as the precursor to the possible introduction of Premier League B teams into the EFL.

Harvey is swift to play down that notion following the decision to invite 15 top-flight sides to enter their academy teams to take part in the competition alongside the existing 48 League One and League Two clubs.

In the event, a number of leading teams, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, passed up the opportunity, but 10 Premier League teams, including champions Leicester, Chelsea and Everton, have accepted the invitation and start out on their journeys this week in the 64-team competition.

As for whether the competition’s new format will be a success, with the changes having hardly engendered much enthusiasm across the land among fans, the proof will be in the pudding come the end of this pilot season.

Harvey is loathe to make predictions. But he is sure of one thing namely that the competition in its previous format had to be changed, with it seeming to be in danger of dying a slow, lingering death unless it was rejuvenated.

Protests are being planned by some clubs, most notably Portsmouth, with some fans intending to boycott EFL Trophy matches due to the decision to invite leading Premier League academy into a competition that had exclusively been the domain of the league’s bottom two divisions.

But Harvey believes that talk of the competition being the catalyst to Premier League B teams playing in the lower leagues is unfairly clouding matters.

The former Leeds United chief operating officer and ex-Bradford City chief executive told The Yorkshire Post: “It is a challenge. We put forward all the proposals for the right reasons.

“I think some supporters are stirring up significant concerns that this is the thin end of the wedge and the first rung on the ladder to seeing non-sovereign clubs or non-independent clubs playing league football.

“They are obviously making the point to use this opportunity to express their objections to B teams. But I did a recent fans’ forum with the chief executive of Southend and think the majority of clubs and fans are in harmony.

“Twelve months ago, our clubs unanimously voted to change the articles to ensure that 90 per cent of any club – and all clubs – had to agree to the issue of new shares in the league. That is to protect against new clubs coming into the league, such as B teams.

“Clubs are very well aware of this and, to be honest, it is supporters who are making the link between the two and using this as the vehicle to let their feelings be known.

“From the EFL’s perspective, they do not need to use this competition to let their feelings be known.

“Their clubs are aware and we are aware that there is a very significant noise against B teams in the competition and it is not an agenda we are wishing to promote. But the clubs are the ones who made the final decision, not the administration.”

While the longer-term future of the competition will only become clearer next April, when EFL clubs will meet to discuss the merits of the pilot scheme in a full debrief meeting, Harvey is crystal clear in his view that the Checkatrade Trophy will be financially beneficial to many more clubs than before.

Holders Barnsley earned around £500,000 from their success in last season’s final at Wembley, but those who exited in the opening rounds generated little.

This year’s refreshed concept, which will see clubs play at least three games in clear parts of the season where the fixture calendar allows, will mean that clubs receive more revenue, which can only be good news, according to Harvey.

“Only five teams out of the 48 netted over £50,000 last year from the competition,” added Harvey. “It was a competition to be out of or in it all of the way.

“The format needed to change and that was part of the rationale. It is not only creating an opportunity for younger players and playing our part in developing them, but also creating the chance for our clubs to gain additional financial benefits.

“Previously, the prize money for this competition was £500,000. The money this year is £1.95m, so it is a very significant increase. In terms of the 48 clubs who competed last season, 29 of them earned less than £10,000. That is the prize money for winning just one game in the group stages now.

“From a financial perspective, primarily because of the additional prize money, there is a real opportunity for our clubs to make a significant contribution to their financial positions.”

On the longer term future for the competition, he added: “We will have a meeting with the clubs in early April and then we will determine what the way forward is.

“There are a number of options. There is a refined version of the pilot format or a reversion back to the 48 clubs.

“I suppose the competition disappearing will (also) be one option if clubs don’t believe it has any value in the current schedule. I would struggle to see why that would happen when there is a Wembley date available for two of the clubs and some could make a lot of money, with the competition suiting them very nicely. I would struggle to see it disappearing completely.

“But it will be an interesting debate when we get there.”

Even accounting for the absence of most of the Premier League big guns, the fact remains that two top-flight sides could play out the final at Wembley without EFL representation.

That represents a bit of a nightmare scenario on paper, but Harvey is quietly confident of it not transpiring.

He added: “There is a feeling that our clubs will be stronger than the invited teams.

“But the beauty of football is that we will wait and see. Personally, if we end up with two invited clubs in the final, it will be interesting to see how well the clubs are supported at Wembley – that is an unknown quantity at this moment.

“If the invited clubs do dominate and take the share of the spoils, that outcome may influence the future format of the competition when we meet next April.”