It’s important to get the details right

DURING the course of the week, we receive plenty of Press releases and circulars from clubs and organisations. The EFL have certainly gone into overdrive in terms of sending out material over the last few weeks and that is to be welcomed. It is a plus that they are trying to be proactive.

For example, their launch of EFL Futures is a positive move – a £2.25m financial incentive for the 72 clubs to use homegrown players under the age of 21.

Okay, in the overall scheme of things it’s not a big amount of money, but it’s certainly better than a kick in the teeth.

Likewise, the EFL have been keen to send out missives about the Checkatrade Trophy. In this case you get the feeling it is more of a damage limitation exercise.

We’ve said before that the league should have promoted the positive aspects of the competition, such as increased prize money, much more heavily and more quicky than they did.

And in a Q&A last week, EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey admitted there had been confusion in the media over the makeup of the invited academy sides.

They are still being referred to as Under-23 sides in some sections of the Press when they have to field six players under the age of 21.

Last week, the EFL said the invited clubs should be known by their usual name eg: Chelsea, and not Chelsea Reserves, B or U23.

But is that really right? If you’re told that Chelsea are playing, you would be expecting to see John Terry, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa.

We’ve decided to label the academy teams as U21 sides to avoid any confusion and make it clear it is not the first team.

It might only be a small thing, but the EFL should have got those details right straight from the off.

If you don’t, it’s difficult to recover the ground – as they’re now finding out...