THE English Football League’s attempts to rejuvenate the EFL Trophy have been labelled “a total disaster” by the leader of a campaign fighting against the introduction of academy sides into the competition.

Sixteen category one clubs, including Saints, have been invited to join the 48 sides from League One and League Two in an attempt to refresh the competition - formerly known as the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy - for the 2016/17 season.

Recently-relegated Newcastle and 15 Premier League clubs with top-grade academies were approached after the EFL announced the changes to the competition last month, which also included a new group-stage format.

Saints, Everton, Stoke, Sunderland, Swansea and West Brom all look set to compete while it remains unclear where reigning Premier League champions Leicester, as well as Middlesbrough, Newcastle and West Ham, stand on the competition.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are all set to reject the invitation, with Manchester City also expected to refrain from taking part and Liverpool and Manchester United believed to be leaning the same way.

And, with the highest-profile sides shunning the chance to compete, Against League 3 campaign manager James Cave feels the changes - and how they have been announced - have so far been inadequate.

“I think it is a total disaster,” he said. “Obviously the EFL will try and save face but the manner in which the changes were announced and pursued is nothing short of a total farce.

“They only started to consult with the clubs at the back end of the week before last, they had decided on the changes before the clubs had been consulted. That is absolute amateur-hour. Why on earth you would start pursuing these changes before talking to the clubs I don’t understand.

“If nine clubs decline there are not enough category one clubs (to take their place), it shows how hasty and rushed these changes have been, how ill-thought out they have been.

“It totally destroys the EFL’s argument that it is for the benefit of the national set-up when teams with the best English talent in the country don’t want to participate.”

The EFL explained on Monday that any places not filled by the original 16 academies would be offered to other category one sides, meaning the likes of Norwich, Aston Villa, Brighton, Derby, Wolves and Blackburn are expected to be next in line - rather than those Premier League clubs who do not meet the criteria.

And Cave, who started the Against League 3 campaign to originally petition against the proposal to insert B-teams into the football pyramid but has now grown to incorporate fans’ battling against decisions such as the revamped EFL Trophy, does not see any desire from supporters to see these new fixtures.

"To be blunt, no," he said when asked if he saw any positives from the changes.

"The EFL has made the argument that as well as rejuvenating the trophy the changes would help to improve the national team but they have provided no evidence.

"Does it provide any other benefits? The EFL have said they want to reduce fixture congestion but have increased them with these changes. I don't see any benefits.

"These games aren't appealing to supporters. With no disrespect to any club we could throw out, the supporters just don't want to see them.

"The early rounds of these competitions have never been well attended anyway and those fixtures are not enticing to supporters.

"I would say to the EFL it is not too late to revert back to the original structure.

"Our campaign has seen a split between supporters who would rather see it scrapped entirely or revert back.

"They still have some time to make changes that are more appealing to clubs and supporters. It is totally not sustainable for the Football League to pursue."

Despite such calls, the EFL has announced it will extend its invitations further down the league until they have filled all 16 slots available to academy sides.

“The EFL is currently awaiting responses from a number of clubs that have been invited to take part. Already a number of clubs have accepted our invitation to take part,” an EFL spokesman said.

“In any instances where clubs do decline, we will issue invitations to other clubs with category one academies in the order in which they finished in the 2015/16 domestic league tables. We will then confirm the final line-up of competing clubs.”