Ter

Would like to think having no game this weekend means Rangers go into this fresh and motivated. Confident with Morelos back and on form then it will be enough for 3 points.

The SPFL, SFA, SJFA and all other bodies need to get their heads together and come up with a solution for the entire structure. At the moment it seems the EOSL are accepting new clubs for the upcoming 2018/19 season which is going to see a lot of the junior teams make the jump at that point. Possibly even a West division? Then the juniors want to join the pyramid from 2019/20 which will mean more upheaval. 2020/21 is when the SPFL want to go ahead with their reconstruction plans. It's about time the SFA sorted this once and for all and present a structure that is open to all and have different requirements for each level to help clubs work their way towards being licensed. More promotion and relegation slots to keep things fresh. Larger divisions so teams aren't playing the same teams 4 times in the league every season. I'd go with Tier 1 - Premier: 18 teams Tier 2 - Championship: 18 teams Tier 3 - National League: 20 teams (2x regional groups of 10 that split after 2 rounds to give a promotion section of 10 and a relegation section of 10) Top finishing teams from existing Highland/Lowland League make up numbers here Tier 4 - Highland/Lowland West/Lowland East (3x leagues of 16) Rest of Highland/Lowland/EOS/SOS/Juniors play in one of ranking competition to determine place in tier 4 or tier 5 Tier 5 - Regional feeders to Tier 4

https://www.annanathleticfc.com/annan-join-south-of-scotland/ Annan are against "colt" teams yet have one in the South of Scotland League. Couldn't make it up.

Yeah, heavily weighted towards the bigger clubs but also applies to clubs scared of relegation. More likely to play more experienced players than give youngsters a chance. They've gone about it the wrong way by trying to shoehorn two teams into the existing structure anyway. Should have been part of an overall restructure of all the leagues. The proposal as it is just looks like trying to bribe the League Two teams with the promise of more cash.

Doesn't that highlight the problem that a lot of players (especially at Rangers and Celtic) aren't developing as they should be due to a lack of competitive first team football? It's not easy to bring through youngsters at clubs who are expected to win every week You have a few exceptions like Barrie McKay and Lewis Macleod who only really got chances in the first team because Rangers were playing in the Third Division. Andrew Shinnie should have been a much better player than he ended up being but he spent years in the Rangers Reserves/U20s not really being challenged. At least now the club are being a bit more proactive in getting players loan moves and a better quality of opposition by playing teams outwith Scotland but it still isn't enough.

I would like to see B-Teams included in the pyramid but they are going about it the wrong way trying to squeeze them in to the existing structure. Teams shouldn't be playing each other in the league 4 times a season and there is a badly needed restructure to sort this out. They should also have their own identity rather than be called B, Colts, Reserves or whatever. Stranraer, Annan and Stirling Uni already have reserve sides competing at level 6 so not an entirely new concept. Just a shame Hibs scrapped their reserve team when they got relegated or the question of B-Teams in level 4 and above would probably have been answered by now.