Newcastle United team set for new elite competition following Premier League vote

Newcastle United's Under-21 side will play in a new one-tier set-up next season.

The club has competed in the second tier of Premier League 2 for the past nine seasons.

However, Youthhawk report that top-flight clubs have voted to bring in a single-tier format for Under-21 football for the start of next season. The change will mean an end to promotion and relegation between the two divisions.

Clubs with Category One academies will compete in a 25-team league, and the top 16 will qualify for a knockout play-off competition.

There was a review last season into the effectiveness of the two-tier system in preparing players for first-team football.

Newcastle finished eighth in Premier League 2's second division last season.

Lead coach

Newcastle confirmed in January that Ben Dawson would again lead the club's Under-21 coaching team following a spell working closely with the first-team squad.

Speaking at the time, Dawson said: "I'm delighted to be given the opportunity and responsibility of leading the Under-21s once again, and hope that my recent experiences with the first team can help align the professional development phase to the first team."