Why Do We Need B-Teams!?

Now in a rare move away from cinema and TV I feel I need to discuss the big football news of the day. In case you've missed it FA Chairmen Gregg Dyke has announced that he feels in order to improve the English national team that a new League 3 will be set up in order to accommodate Premier League teams to field B-Teams. However before I get all negative and angry I will say that not everything Dyke has suggested has made me so angry. His suggestion to limit the amount of foreign players in match day squads is something that is strongly needed. For too long teams in the Premier League teams have been able to pick entire foreign squads (defiantly not looking at you Arsenal) and therefore it makes sense in order to improve the English national team that a limit on foreign players will help to give young English players a chance. This will not be without problems as it will likely lead to a further ridiculous increase in the price of British players but at least it will give the young guns a bit of a chance without compromising what makes English football great. 

Now I must say I understand where Dyke is coming from when he has suggested the introduction of B-Teams to the football league pyramid. It's true that the B-Team policy has been extremely successful in Spain but for me to be introduce it in this country risks the destroying the very foundations of the English game. For such a geographically small country, I honestly find it remarkably how many well supported football clubs that we have in this country, you only have to look at the stats to the right to see how great the attendance figures are here. And Gregg Dyke would have us disrespect these lower league sides by allowing them to simply be cannon fodder for Premier League B-Teams.

I can speak from personal experience about the passion shown at lower league level. While a Middlesbrough supporter while at uni i have had the great pleasure to able to attend York City games, in fact I shall be attending a play-off game on Saturday night. Does Dyke honestly think that fans are going to be able to pay to see both their first team and their B-Team? There is such local passion for football teams that it is a joke to see that threatened so the big teams can see their youngsters get a few games, it this not what the loan system is for? Will there be as much passion on show at play-off say between Manchester United B vs Stoke City B as there will be at Bootham on Saturday night? I think not. While I understand the need/want for a better national team I personally we should not risk the special football league that we have in this country which sets us apart from the rest of the world!? I mean come on more people go to watch League 1 football then they do for the top league in Russia!! Please don't let this happen!!