Changes to National League 24/25 season

[Pingorock]

Substitutions

“A Club at its discretion may use five substitute Players at any time in a match. Substitution can only be made when play is stopped for any reason and the Referee has given permission.

A maximum of (seven) substitutes may be nominated and they must be included on the official Team Sheet handed to the Referee before the match”.

Christmas and Easter fixture schedules

“Historically, the Christmas and New Year schedules are reversed, in that the Boxing Day Fixtures are reversed with New Year Day fixture,therefore playing the same team in a close timeframe.
After surveying all clubs, the Board agreed that the League will reverse next seasons Boxing Day fixtures with Good Friday and New Year with Easter Monday”.

[ninestein]

Like the fact we can name 7 subs, we should always have a GK on the bench! Now we can use 5, this could help ease the workload on players and help reduce injury risk.

The festive fixture idea is good as well. It's quite intense playing the same side twice in a week, although we did ok with it this season.

[wearebees]

Not sure I'm a fan of either change, particularly, though not anti and would be good to understand reasonings.

Means bigger squad needed so will just favour those with more money. Also means more chance for teams to slow the game down with subs. It's a good point about injuries, maybe not so bad.

Didn't the idea of Christmas games come about as meant to be local, to help with travel when no public transport? (Not that this has been the case for a few seasons). Will they still be local? We are lucky to have more local teams than many.

We are probably effected by these changes less than some other clubs though.

Now Wrexham are gone it's all very quiet on 3 up, 3 down.

[jamiefrbees]

Like the fact we can name 7 subs, we should always have a GK on the bench! Now we can use 5, this could help ease the workload on players and help reduce injury risk.

The festive fixture idea is good as well. It's quite intense playing the same side twice in a week, although we did ok with it this season.

Not sure I'm a fan either.

Likely means yet more stoppage time to be added and more slow-the-game-down type subs.

[jerroll]

Like the fact we can name 7 subs, we should always have a GK on the bench! Now we can use 5, this could help ease the workload on players and help reduce injury risk.

The festive fixture idea is good as well. It's quite intense playing the same side twice in a week, although we did ok with it this season.

Not sure I'm a fan either.

Likely means yet more stoppage time to be added and more slow-the-game-down type subs.

be no different to prem and fl where you can only make subs in 3 windows plus half time.

[Tuesds]

Like the fact we can name 7 subs, we should always have a GK on the bench! Now we can use 5, this could help ease the workload on players and help reduce injury risk.

The festive fixture idea is good as well. It's quite intense playing the same side twice in a week, although we did ok with it this season.

Not sure I'm a fan either.

Likely means yet more stoppage time to be added and more slow-the-game-down type subs.

be no different to prem and fl where you can only make subs in 3 windows plus half time.

If that’s the case then it’s all good. Would be ridiculous to allow teams to cause five separate delays. Already missing buses and trains with added time as it is!

[#Beebot]

EFL Trophy style National League and Premier League U21 tournament confirmed. 3 extra home games at a near empty THL next season....

[john dockers shorts]

Not sure I understand why there is a need to move the Christmas double header fixture. What does that mean in terms of opposition, assume still play local teams?

[simples169]

next they will want to have VAR !!

[Tuesds]

EFL Trophy style National League and Premier League U21 tournament confirmed. 3 extra home games at a near empty THL next season....

Awful awful awful. Making National League teams training fodder for Premier League clubs’ kids. Embarrassing.

[PBBee]

EFL Trophy style National League and Premier League U21 tournament confirmed. 3 extra home games at a near empty THL next season....

Awful awful awful. Making National League teams training fodder for Premier League clubs’ kids. Embarrassing.

Yeah it’s rubbish although does it help us finally get some of reserve team - going to have to have a larger squad with 7 subs as it is.

[DerekRocholl]

EFL Trophy style National League and Premier League U21 tournament confirmed. 3 extra home games at a near empty THL next season....

On the other hand it presumably guarantees a bigger chunk of cash coming to the NL from the Premiership and will encourage Premiership club supporters and the media to take more notice of the National League.

[Ajtheone04]

Has anyone found an official source for all of this news? I've seen it reported everywhere but I have not seen anything from the NL themselves.

I wonder if this new NL vs PLU21 tournament will have requirements to ensure that clubs put out full-strength teams like the EFL Trophy currently has.

[ninestein]

Does this mean the PL u21 sides will compete in two trophy competitions?

As much as I'm not a fan of extra games, there could also be an opportunity to market our club to PL fans. A lot of kids never get to actually see their PL club play. The attraction of a parent taking their kid to watch Spurs or Arsenal U21's play a more affordable game could bring new fans in and showcase our facilities.

I just hope these fixtures are front loaded to the earlier part of the season, otherwise they will clash with the other cups and re-arranged league games. If extra funding has been secured by doing this, so be it.

Wasn't there something similar years ago... the Setanta Shield? When Setanta Sports was covering this level?

[Anthony]

Does this mean the PL u21 sides will compete in two trophy competitions?

As much as I'm not a fan of extra games, there could also be an opportunity to market our club to PL fans. A lot of kids never get to actually see their PL club play. The attraction of a parent taking their kid to watch Spurs or Arsenal U21's play a more affordable game could bring new fans in and showcase our facilities.

I just hope these fixtures are front loaded to the earlier part of the season, otherwise they will clash with the other cups and re-arranged league games. If extra funding has been secured by doing this, so be it.

Wasn't there something similar years ago... the Setanta Shield? When Setanta Sports was covering this level?

The Setanta Shield was just a relaunch an rebrand of the Conference League Cup, so yes it was an extra tournament - although one that already existed a few years previously, and, if memory serves it was a straight knockout, rather than a group based cup, which this one appears to be. Whatever happens, the NL seriously needs to think about how it structures the fixtures. They way how they were structured this season barely allowed for the league fixtures let alone these extra games!