New EDS Format for this season (U23)

[Wonderwall]

City EDS will compete in a new national Under-23 format for the coming season.

Premier League 2 will replace the U21 Premier League for the 2016/17 campaign and is intended to better prepare young players for the intensity, physicality and technicality of first team football.

The Under-23 age limit is an increase of two years and rules for teams fielding overage outfield players remains the same with three players permitted plus an overage goalkeeper.

The Blues, however, are taking the opportunity to give crucial experience to our upcoming youngsters by fielding an Under-19 team in the new league.

There are 12 teams in Division 1 and 12 in Division 2 with each side playing 22 league games per season with team playing each other home and away.

The team in Division 1 finishing top are champions while the bottom two sides will be relegated to Division 2.

The Division 2 winners will be promoted while the teams in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th will go into a play-off with the final taking place at the home stadium of the team who finished highest after 22 games.

The full line-up of clubs in each league is as follows:

Premier League 2

Teams in Division 1

Arsenal, Chelsea, Derby County, Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Reading, Southampton, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur

Teams in Division 2

Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Swansea City, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Simon Davies’ side will begin their campaign at St George’s Park against Derby County on Monday 15 August before playing host to Arsenal on Friday 19 August.

The season will wrap on 5 May against Southampton.

Fixtures:

15/08/2016 Derby County v Manchester City

19/08/2016 Manchester City v Arsenal

26/08/2016 Reading v Manchester City

09/09/2016 Manchester City v Manchester United

18/09/2016 Sunderland v Manchester City

23/09/2016 Manchester City v Leicester City

14/10/2016 Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

24/10/2016 Southampton v Manchester City

29/10/2016 Manchester City v Liverpool

19/11/2016 Everton v Manchester City

26/11/2016 Manchester City v Chelsea

10/12/2016 Manchester City v Reading

09/01/2017 Manchester United v Manchester City

13/01/2017 Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur

30/01/2017 Leicester City v Manchester City

03/02/2017 Manchester City v Sunderland

17/02/2017 Chelsea v Manchester City

03/03/2017 Manchester City v Everton

13/03/2017 Arsenal v Manchester City

07/04/2017 Manchester City v Derby County

23/04/2017 Liverpool v Manchester City

05/05/2017 Manchester City v Southampton

[CTID Hants]

Interesting format,

I will aim to get to the Reading, Southampton & Chelsea games as long as they are evening KO's that is. Can't check yet as they aren't on the OS yet!

[Justified logic]

I don't quite get this. Maybe I'm being slow, but if our u19s (last season's winning u18s) are playing in this u23s league and our u18s are playing in the u18 Premier League as before, what are those over 19 going to be doing?

[john@staustell]

Rags will win it. They love that age group and they'll all be 22.

Every other age they are utter shite

[john@staustell]

I don't quite get this. Maybe I'm being slow, but if our u19s (last season's winning u18s) are playing in this u23s league and our u18s are playing in the u18 Premier League as before, what are those over 19 going to be doing?

Out on loan. 58 of them

[Justified logic]

I don't quite get this. Maybe I'm being slow, but if our u19s (last season's winning u18s) are playing in this u23s league and our u18s are playing in the u18 Premier League as before, what are those over 19 going to be doing?

Out on loan. 58 of them

Don't know if you're being serious. This did occur to me but there are three problems with it. On loan they are not playing with their City peers. They are not playing in the City system. And they are not available ad hoc to cover for first team injuries and suspensions.