PLANS have been revealed for a new midweek competition involving Premier League clubs – despite fixture complaints.
The top-flight will kick-off on Friday 16 August when Manchester United host Fulham.
The EFL starts the weekend prior as teams from the Championship, League One and League Two start their new campaigns.
Clubs from those three divisions will all have 46 gameweeks to contend with before the final day on May 3, 2025.
While Premier League outfits will have 38 to fit in before they finish up on May 25, 2025.
Teams from the Prem and EFL can already meet in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
While teams in League One and League Two also get the chance to face the top-flight’s academy sides in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, aka the Football League Trophy.
That has been the case since 2016, when Category 1 Premier League academy sides were first given the green light to participate and that has been the case ever since.
However, now another new competition that will give Premier League U21 sides an opportunity to get experience playing senior men’s football has been put together.
Only this time it will be against non-league opposition.
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The move was first mooted back in April after the decision to axe FA Cup replays and was called “ridiculous” by fans.
The Non-League Paper has claimed that sides in the National League are due to take on Premier League Under-21 teams in a new midweek cup competition.
It will see 16 National League teams play 16 Prem academy teams in a similar style to the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.
The matches are also due to be streamed on National League TV.
There are planned to be four regional groups containing eight teams and is set to start in November.
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This report states: “Group games will only be National League v Premier League in the group stages – a total of four games – with the top two from each qualifying for the quarter-finals.
“National League clubs will host the group and knock-out games up until the final, with a date and venue to be confirmed.”
