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English Football League CEO Confident Revamped EFL Trophy Will Win Over Critics

English Football League CEO Shaun Harvey has blamed a "perfect storm'' for the poor start to the revamped EFL Trophy but "remains convinced it can win over its critics," according to the PA. Open to clubs from Leagues One and Two, the competition was "overhauled this summer" to include a group stage featuring 16 reserve teams from clubs with "category one'' academies, with these invited Premier League and Championship clubs required to field six U21 players. With the final round of group games taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, Harvey is "hoping the negative headlines that dogged the start of the competition" are left behind. The 64 games played so far attracted an average gate of 1,328 fans, "with several clubs breaking records for low attendances." Harvey said, "It's fair to say the trophy didn't get off on the right foot. I think that's because of the speed it was brought in, confusion in the media about the competition's criteria and objectives, and the fact that we have been, and still are, considering major changes to the league pyramid. These things came together to create a perfect storm for different people to look beyond what we were trying to achieve and to judge the competition against what they think our real motives were." His last point refers to what many fans believe is "an attempt to introduce Premier League B teams into the EFL via the back door, leading to a boycott that has clearly affected attendances" (PA, 11/7).

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