Old Firm 'B' Teams to join SPFL2?

[HibeeJibee]

Reports today that, in the wake of their Challenge Cup participation, Celtic and Rangers are lobbying to have their 'B' teams added to SPFL2. Possibly to start next season. They would "initially be happy to forego promotion".

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/7232732/A-league-of-their-own-Celtic-and-Rangers-want-Colts-teams-in-SPFL.html?CMP=spklr-_-Editorial-_-TWITTER-_-scotsunsport-_-20160906-_-Football-_-574821252
 

Quote

 

CELTIC and Rangers are lobbying for entry for their Colts teams into SPFL League Two — possibly as early as next season.

SunSport can reveal that Celts chief executive Peter Lawwell and Gers supremos want to ensure they get the benefit of their revolutionary Irn-Bru Cup experience on a WEEKLY basis for the immediate future.

And it’s believed the feeling of the majority of SPFL clubs has been positive on their involvement.

Now there are discreet moves behind the scenes to prepare a formal proposal for League Two to be extended by the addition of Celtic and Rangers’ development teams.

Premiership chiefs met last week and SunSport understands Lawwell made clear how keen they are to set the ball rolling on it.

There are a number of lower league clubs concerned about the idea — but the Old Firm, buoyed by general feedback from other teams, reckon they can be persuaded to agree to it.

The SPFL would also have to consider what would happen if either of the kids’ sides were to win the league.

But SunSport’s information is that both Celtic and Rangers would initially be happy to forego promotion.

It has also been suggested they would consider playing every game away from home, although it’s unclear if that could be practical.

Respective first-team bosses Brendan Rodgers and Mark Warburton — who go head-to-head for the first time at Parkhead on Saturday — are supportive of the concept, anxious to provide a better platform for their up-and-coming starlets.

An SPFL insider said last night: “There’s an appetite, certainly among the bigger clubs, about the idea of colts and Under-20 teams in League Two.

“Even though both clubs lost games in the Irn-Bru Cup there’s a feeling at the top level of clubs that the experience has helped the young players.

“There would be some challenges regarding making it happen but the feeling is there’s a will for it. It’s something the League itself would also appear willing to consider.”

Thoughts on this ?

[Meth Damon]

Get that tae f**k. 

[CowdenConvert]

How will we fit 8 more games into the season?

in time they'd want promotion and possibly ditch 2 more teams down into the highland or lowland to accomodate them without a fixture overload.  How long before the other Premier clubs want in on this to negate the advantage the OF youth would be getting.

On the surface this will benefit Rangers and Celtic and no-one else in Scottish football.  Any benefit will be limited though as the OF prefer to buy foreign imports rather than promote youth.

Dead against this.  FTOF.

[Clayhole Blue]

Seems to have been written by an idiot who supports Rangers or Celtic, and who knows/cares little about any other football. (It is The Sun)

Who are all these clubs who think this has been positive and would be beneficial? Let's have names (as The Rangers might say)

In what way would this benefit SPFL2?

Would SPFL2 just be expanded to 12 teams to accommodate this - 44 fixtures instead of 36? 

Would this prevent promotion and relegation between SPFL2 and LL/HL, or even between SPFL2 and SPFL 1 if the bottom league is won by a team who can't be promoted?

In what way are these moves 'discreet' if The Sun is reporting them? Does this just mean Doncaster tipped them off?

There was a meeting of 'premiership chiefs' but this is only about two clubs? They are prepared to forego promotion 'initially' - how magnanimous of them, and how initially is initially?

 

[Jack Burton]

It's a horrible idea and would make a mockery of the league. The challenge cup showed that there is no appetite to watch your team play against a colt side.

I also fail to see why Rangers should be given a colt team considering they were only in this league a few seasons back.

[the_bully_wee]

But Barcelona and Real Madrid do it, and look how good the Spanish internationals they bring through are! Suffering f**k. Get Neil Doncaster in the sea, please.

[sjc]

Anyone else think this is the OF "hedging their bets" incase they get their dream move to the English/Atlantic League and it turns sour? i.e: They're out of their depth and can't handle getting pumped every other week.

[LongTimeLurker]

5 minutes ago, sjc said:

Anyone else think this is the OF "hedging their bets" incase they get their dream move to the English/Atlantic League and it turns sour? i.e: They're out of their depth and can't handle getting pumped every other week.

There were twelve U-20 teams in the Challenge Cup not just two and the article contains the following:

An SPFL insider said last night: “There’s an appetite, certainly among the bigger clubs, about the idea of colts and Under-20 teams in League Two.

This is primarily about what is seen as being best for player development.

[honestly united]

Why should they get in SPFL2? Surely they should start at the bottom of the pyramid, ie SoS or EoS?

And why should the OF be the only ones to get B teams?

[LongTimeLurker]

I suspect they will have to start at the bottom of the senior grade's pyramid and that it won't just be the Old Firm that will be involved in this. The Old Firm angle is all about The Sun getting the headline it wants.

[sjc]

1 minute ago, LongTimeLurker said:

There were twelve U-20 teams in the Challenge Cup not just two and the article contains the following:

An SPFL insider said last night: “There’s an appetite, certainly among the bigger clubs, about the idea of colts and Under-20 teams in League Two.

This is primarily about what is seen as being best for player development.

If this is the case why does the article only mention the OF? Besides........Rangers/Sevco had the opportunity to bring an entire youth team through the divisions but chose to buy in ready made "talent" (if you can call it that!).it's f**k all to do with player deevelopment.

[Miguel Sanchez]

Celts chief executive Peter Lawwell and Gers supremos want to ensure they get the benefit of their revolutionary Irn-Bru Cup experience on a WEEKLY basis for the immediate future.

The SPFL would also have to consider what would happen if either of the kids’ sides were to win the league.

Didn't Celtic's U20 team get dicked 5-1 by League One Livingston the other week?

[endieinreekie]

Get this pish tae f**k. The Sun and the Old Firm can go f**k themselves.

[The Minertaur]

Well nobody saw this coming!  Absolute joke.  Not interested in the slightest. Scottish football won't suddenly become amazing because the youngsters at the Old Firm are facing Montrose and Clyde etc. Utter shite.

 

SHITE.

[Dr Koop]

Quote

And it’s believed the feeling of the majority of SPFL clubs has been positive on their involvement.

Hmm, yes, the product of long hours of inquiry by hard-working journalists and not the Traynor school of making shit up.

My thought would be that if this goes ahead there's no promotion for colt teams. Better still, instead of warming over this crap because it's 'business as usual' again in the 'top flight', put a structure together that lets teams develop younger players. More marketing crap for another Celtic/Rangers bandwagon can get tae f**k.

[haufdaft]

There were twelve U-20 teams in the Challenge Cup not just two and the article contains the following:

An SPFL insider said last night: “There’s an appetite, certainly among the bigger clubs, about the idea of colts and Under-20 teams in League Two.

This is primarily about what is seen as being best for player development.

Surely they will not have the opportunity to be promoted.

So will be stuck in the 2nd division.

Teams would have to suffer watching 8 games a season against old firm colts.

No thanks!

Thank God Clyde are being promoted this year. [emoji2]

[Gene Wilder]

We should have let the 2 of them die when we had the chance !

[Marshmallo]

Doncaster has confirmed that talks took place at a Premiership meeting.

[maccanee]

Putting aside the argument of whether or not they should be allowed in to senior football, I fail to see how this would benefit them at all. Contrary to popular opinion, playing against part time hoofers and "experienced" players is not the best way to develop their abilities. They should be pitched against the very best of their peers and learn how to be successful against their future competitors. The route they should be going down is getting their teams into the English Development League, that would provide them with healthy, meaningful competition and I would think the English teams would be keen to see the best that Scotland has to offer also.

[SimonLichtie]

If/ when this actually happens, the state of me would re-define what it is to be a 'seething mess'.

I think people need to remember one main thing here; the SPFL do not give a f**k what the diddy part time teams in Scotland want. It is fact (although laughably there is a Cowden fan who continues to disagree with it) that the Challenge Cup change was voted through by the Competitions Working Board and the SPFL Board. It was not voted through by the individual clubs representing the SPFL.

Next time you see/ hear someone rambling on about how it wouldn't pass a vote by the clubs - remind them it doesn't need too. The SPFL board is made up of 6 members - 5 members to represent the top two tiers and 1 member to represent the bottom two tiers.

I'm unsure of what comprises the 'Competitions Working Board' because there isn't any information available to tell us, which I find extremely odd.....