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Premier League ‘B’ Teams, Non-English Clubs Ruled Out Of League Revamp

Clubs in the Football League, which runs the three leagues below the Premier League, met on Thursday to consider issues surrounding the revamp of the English game.

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But Telegraph Sport has learnt that also debated was a the prospect of Leagues One and Two, and any new League Three, containing 22 sides.

EFL sides also decided not to allow Celtic, Rangers or Premier League B teams into any new professional structure.

The English Football League has ruled out the possibility of including Premier League B teams or clubs now outside the English system in its proposed restructure.

More than 90 per cent of current member clubs would have to agree to any changes under the EFL’s “Whole Game Solution”, originally broached in May.

“In addition, the feedback has confirmed that clubs in League One, Two and the proposed League Three would want to play through a winter break if introduced”.

The belief is that a winter break at Premier League and Championship level could be beneficial to attendances in what would be the three divisions below.

“At the very outset of this process it was made clear that any decisions in respect of the future direction of the Whole Game Solution would be taken by clubs themselves”, EFL Chief Executive Shaun Harvey said in a statement.

It is likely that clubs will take a vote on the final proposals during the EFL annual general meeting in June 2017.

“We will now continue our consultation with the National League with a little more certainty as to what any change could mean for them”. These conversations will include the FA in their capacity as the governing body not a competition organiser.

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A move to English football would, in time, become much more lucrative for the Glasgow giants – who boast fan bases on par with some of the biggest teams in the Premier League – but the lack of TV revenue available to them in Scotland has seen them struggle to keep up with England’s top teams.

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