Old Firm Colts in L2

[NorthernLights]

All 42 SPFL clubs asked to consider expansion to 48 member clubs

This just will never die until the Old Firm get their way.

[jamamafegan]

I’d say it’s unbelievable but it’s not, they are never going to let this lie until they get their way. A bunch of absolute c***s. This proposal is dreadful beyond words.

[jamamafegan]

They’ve managed to bribe their way into the Lowland League and now they are gunning for more. It remains absolutely crucial that absolutely nobody goes to watch games involving the colt teams - and people HAVE to keep voicing their opposition towards this. There is no space for complacency here as the what has happened to the Lowland League has shown us.

[Blue Brazil Forever]

10 minutes ago, NorthernLights said:

All 42 SPFL clubs asked to consider expansion to 48 member clubs

This just will never die until the Old Firm get their way.

More sloppy journalism.  Accepted an invitation to play in the LL is a very inaccurate description of the Old Firm demarche.

[Thistle Scotland Europe]

I SUPPORT COLT TEAMS IN THE LOWER LEAGUES 

This is about putting Scottish football first, 

My priorities as a Scottish football fan.

1) Scotland has a strong national team. 

2) Scotland produces club teams who do well in Europe. 

This would allow both things to happen. 

I think Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell and Dundee United should all have colt teams in the SPFL. 

This is about maximising the chances for young players to develop. 

This is about ensuring that all the most talented Scottish players can develop,. 

And some clown will say well why don't Celtic and Rangers put all their first teams as a team of young Scottish players,. Bu they would get slaughtered in Europe then. Not even part time teams fill their first teams with under 21 players. 

This is about ensuring that young players develop without damaging the first teams of Scottish club in Europe. 

Why do some clowns think their part time football team finishing 4 or 5 places higher in League One, is more important than Scotland producing top players? No wonder Scottish soccer fails with that divisive tribalistic attitude. 

 

I WANT SCOTLAND TO PRODUCE TOP PLAYERS., END OF STORY, 

And yet if Celtic, Rangers or a big English club sent a youth team to play these sides in a friendly no one would bat an eyelid, 

And the loan system is not enough, because someone the players might not be wanted by the smaller clubs at their stage of development. 

[onecowden]

I SUPPORT COLT TEAMS IN THE LOWER LEAGUES 
This is about putting Scottish football first, 
My priorities as a Scottish football fan.
1) Scotland has a strong national team. 
2) Scotland produces club teams who do well in Europe. 
This would allow both things to happen. 
I think Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell and Dundee United should all have colt teams in the SPFL. 
This is about maximising the chances for young players to develop. 
This is about ensuring that all the most talented Scottish players can develop,. 
And some clown will say well why don't Celtic and Rangers put all their first teams as a team of young Scottish players,. Bu they would get slaughtered in Europe then. Not even part time teams fill their first teams with under 21 players. 
This is about ensuring that young players develop without damaging the first teams of Scottish club in Europe. 
Why do some clowns think their part time football team finishing 4 or 5 places higher in League One, is more important than Scotland producing top players? No wonder Scottish soccer fails with that divisive tribalistic attitude. 
 
I WANT SCOTLAND TO PRODUCE TOP PLAYERS., END OF STORY, 
And yet if Celtic, Rangers or a big English club sent a youth team to play these sides in a friendly no one would bat an eyelid, 
And the loan system is not enough, because someone the players might not be wanted by the smaller clubs at their stage of development. 

Lol.

[The Minertaur]

7 minutes ago, Thistle Scotland Europe said:

I SUPPORT COLT TEAMS IN THE LOWER LEAGUES 

This is about putting Scottish football first, 

My priorities as a Scottish football fan.

1) Scotland has a strong national team. 

2) Scotland produces club teams who do well in Europe. 

This would allow both things to happen. 

I think Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell and Dundee United should all have colt teams in the SPFL. 

This is about maximising the chances for young players to develop. 

This is about ensuring that all the most talented Scottish players can develop,. 

3 - And some clown will say well why don't Celtic and Rangers put all their first teams as a team of young Scottish players,. Bu they would get slaughtered in Europe then. Not even part time teams fill their first teams with under 21 players. 

This is about ensuring that young players develop without damaging the first teams of Scottish club in Europe. 

4 - Why do some clowns think their part time football team finishing 4 or 5 places higher in League One, is more important than Scotland producing top players? No wonder Scottish soccer fails with that divisive tribalistic attitude. 

I WANT SCOTLAND TO PRODUCE TOP PLAYERS., END OF STORY, 

And yet if Celtic, Rangers or a big English club sent a youth team to play these sides in a friendly no one would bat an eyelid, 

And the loan system is not enough,5 - because someone the players might not be wanted by the smaller clubs at their stage of development. 

1 - Ah is this because Andy Robertson started off playing against League 2 clubs?  All makes sense now.  We're just trying to replicate that one example.

2 - why do lower league clubs care if Celtic/Rangers do well in Europe?  Why does a colt player playing Cowdenbeath mean in the future they'll be able to compete in Europe?

3 - why can't they play their best Scottish players in the league and then leave their star foreign players fighting fit for the European games?

4 - I don't really care that much about the national team.  I'm obsessed with my club team.  If Scotland win I smile but I'm not going to lose sleep over defeats.   

5 - ah so the clubs in League 2 don't want them as they aren't ready for this level of football.  Stop and have a think about that for a minute. 

 

You're clearly an utter moron (or a supporter of one of the Old Firm).

[Guest]

This is genuinely getting f*****g embarrassing and I don't know where to start with this latest pile of utter drivel. Clearly the Old Firm are desperate for this but it seems the authorities are trying to help them despite the strongest resistance from the fans of all other clubs.

I contacted Edinburgh City when this garbage came up last time and stated flat out I won't be watching the club if they consider this nonsense now or in future, and was a bit disappointed they didn't bother to reply, but I meant it.

If this goes through, Scottish Football can get in the sea...

[big al]

34 minutes ago, Thistle Scotland Europe said:

I SUPPORT COLT TEAMS IN THE LOWER LEAGUES 

This is about putting Scottish football first, 

My priorities as a Scottish football fan.

1) Scotland has a strong national team. 

2) Scotland produces club teams who do well in Europe. 

This would allow both things to happen. 

I think Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell and Dundee United should all have colt teams in the SPFL. 

This is about maximising the chances for young players to develop. 

This is about ensuring that all the most talented Scottish players can develop,. 

And some clown will say well why don't Celtic and Rangers put all their first teams as a team of young Scottish players,. Bu they would get slaughtered in Europe then. Not even part time teams fill their first teams with under 21 players. 

This is about ensuring that young players develop without damaging the first teams of Scottish club in Europe. 

Why do some clowns think their part time football team finishing 4 or 5 places higher in League One, is more important than Scotland producing top players? No wonder Scottish soccer fails with that divisive tribalistic attitude. 

 

I WANT SCOTLAND TO PRODUCE TOP PLAYERS., END OF STORY, 

And yet if Celtic, Rangers or a big English club sent a youth team to play these sides in a friendly no one would bat an eyelid, 

And the loan system is not enough, because someone the players might not be wanted by the smaller clubs at their stage of development. 

Even if you are trolling, you still forgot to take your medication.

[Eddie Hitler]

46 minutes ago, Thistle Scotland Europe said:

I SUPPORT COLT TEAMS IN THE LOWER LEAGUES 

This is about putting Scottish football first, 

My priorities as a Scottish football fan.

1) Scotland has a strong national team. 

2) Scotland produces club teams who do well in Europe. 

This would allow both things to happen. 

I think Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell and Dundee United should all have colt teams in the SPFL. 

This is about maximising the chances for young players to develop. 

This is about ensuring that all the most talented Scottish players can develop,. 

And some clown will say well why don't Celtic and Rangers put all their first teams as a team of young Scottish players,. Bu they would get slaughtered in Europe then. Not even part time teams fill their first teams with under 21 players. 

This is about ensuring that young players develop without damaging the first teams of Scottish club in Europe. 

Why do some clowns think their part time football team finishing 4 or 5 places higher in League One, is more important than Scotland producing top players? No wonder Scottish soccer fails with that divisive tribalistic attitude. 

 

I WANT SCOTLAND TO PRODUCE TOP PLAYERS., END OF STORY, 

And yet if Celtic, Rangers or a big English club sent a youth team to play these sides in a friendly no one would bat an eyelid, 

And the loan system is not enough, because someone the players might not be wanted by the smaller clubs at their stage of development. 

We didn't have Colt teams when we regularly qualified for things.

Top players will never be sent to play against Dalbeattie Star with a reserve team fgs - the odd decent honest pro who develops late might be and might have a very outside chance of one day being an internationalist but the sort of talent you are bumming about, the kind of player who will shine at a World Cup ffs will never have to play such teams unless the first team draws them in the Scottish Cup.

Players who have  not made it into the first teams at Rangers or Celtic (or frankly any top flight team) by the time they are 22 or 23 should be released to find their level at another club. The chances that  any such player will end up being 'world class' is vanishingly small - and certainly so small that we should not overturn our entire league system to accommodate two lying clubs pretending about the likelihood of it.

It's you who is a clown.

[Jack Burton]

He's a troll, been copying and pasting the same post in every Colt thread.

Even if you are trolling, you still forgot to take your medication.

[Forest_Fifer]

I SUPPORT COLT TEAMS IN THE LOWER LEAGUES 
This is about putting Scottish football first, 
My priorities as a Scottish football fan.
1) Scotland has a strong national team. 
2) Scotland produces club teams who do well in Europe. 
This would allow both things to happen. 
I think Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell and Dundee United should all have colt teams in the SPFL. 
This is about maximising the chances for young players to develop. 
This is about ensuring that all the most talented Scottish players can develop,. 
And some clown will say well why don't Celtic and Rangers put all their first teams as a team of young Scottish players,. Bu they would get slaughtered in Europe then. Not even part time teams fill their first teams with under 21 players. 
This is about ensuring that young players develop without damaging the first teams of Scottish club in Europe. 
Why do some clowns think their part time football team finishing 4 or 5 places higher in League One, is more important than Scotland producing top players? No wonder Scottish soccer fails with that divisive tribalistic attitude. 
 
I WANT SCOTLAND TO PRODUCE TOP PLAYERS., END OF STORY, 
And yet if Celtic, Rangers or a big English club sent a youth team to play these sides in a friendly no one would bat an eyelid, 
And the loan system is not enough, because someone the players might not be wanted by the smaller clubs at their stage of development. 

At least you've done a search and replace for soccer, changing it to football in your copypasta. You're still a fucking roaster though

[KirkieRR]

Why don't the Old Firm just fess up and admit they'd like all other teams to disappear and all leagues stocked  with Rangersceltic A and B and C teams , colts and fillies and, er, geldings teams and many more besides.

 

They so clearly have the head people of the SPFL and SFA in their pockets (whatever their fans think) that, with Scottish football 'writers' cheering them on, they will end up getting everything they want.

 

Two Old Squirm teams are two too many for any country. How many will we end up with?

[7 Eleven]

Lower league club owners need to start getting tough with this continuous nonsense and call Rangers bluff. I say Rangers because they seem to be the main protagonists of this. If this is genuinely about improving the national team then there needs to be a clear pathway into the first team once they are too old for the B team. For that to happen Rangers and Celtic need to make some concessions at first team level (or these concessions should be Premiership wide). This could include all or a combination of the following:

• Nationality rules (e.g., can’t have more than x foreign players in squad or on the pitch at any time).
• locally/club-trained player rule (similar to above)
• Squad size limits (e.g., 18 or 20 first team players over the age of 21)
• Loan limits  & removal intra-league loans (which is basically a form of league doping when the player can play against every other team except their parent club)

I am 100% certain that each and every one of the proposals would be rejected by Rangers and Celtic based on the belief that it would limit their ability to compete at European level. However, I’d cite Athletic Bilbao’ s (Europa League finalists 2012)  self-imposed Basque policy or Celtic’s very own Lisbon Lions as counter arguments to that.

The cynic in me can’t help but think that Rangers are pushing this as a way of stockpiling players and creating an additional revenue stream by selling players to the English Championship, and/or a way of Rangers having a ready-made  SFA/SPFL licence/membership if they were ever to go into liquidation again. Also, they would likely want to replace the B team in whatever league they were occupying at that time, opposed to starting at the bottom of the pyramid.

Finally, I believe that SPFL should be investing all of their time and effort into trying to make the Premier League more competitive rather than turning three engaging already competitive leagues into glorified development leagues. To further help two teams who have dominated the top tier for the last  36 years is nonsensical. Maybe focus on Premiership reconstruction and a redistribution of playing talent. This would require an increase in the number of clubs in the top division and a more balanced sharing of prize money, which are another two suggestions that I believe would be immediately shot down.  This all starts to ask the question as to who are the ones actually holding the Scottish game back?

Edited June 30, 2021 by 7 Eleven

[jaggyness]

Something just occurred to me what with the b sides being in the lowland league. This is a massive girfuy to the likes of Brechin who seem to be spending a bit of cash to get back into the league first time of asking and now won't get a vote on it.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, 7 Eleven said:

Finally, I believe that SPFL should be investing all of their time and effort into trying to make the Premier League more competitive rather than turning three engaging already competitive leagues into glorified development leagues. To further help two teams who have dominated the top tier for the last  36 years is nonsensical. Maybe focus on Premiership reconstruction and a redistribution of playing talent. This would require an increase in the number of clubs in the top division and a more balanced sharing of prize money, which are another two suggestions that I believe would be immediately shot down.  This all starts to ask the question as to who are the ones actually holding the Scottish game back?

THIS - Nailed on. They have contributed hugely to my disinterest of the top flight the past 3 decades, I could do with them NOT getting their way and devaluing the competitive lower leagues that some of us fans enjoy. It's even more infuriating to insult fans intelligence about the Scottish National Team when one set of fans sing the English National anthem and the other Irish rebel songs.

[7 Eleven]

Below is an excellent long read article that tries to provide some objectivity to the debate about B teams. For what it is worth, I do believe that there should be a publicly available feasibility study done on this topic by an independent organisation (e.g., Twenty First Group - formally 21st Club) before it is ever brought back to the table. For example, how easy is it to answer the question 'what are the benefits of B teams - to national football, to the leagues they will impact & those surrounding them, to the clubs who have B teams and to the clubs who do not?'  The article linked below tries to answer the question 'does B team football significantly benefit young players more than joining a club on loan?'  From the small sample size presented the answer would be no. If Rangers Innovation paper has alternative data then they should be sharing it with everyone. 

http://argyle.life/analysis/b-team-myth/

Also, I think the SPFL and clubs should also be aware of fans feeling about this topic. I cannot find any full report, but Supporters Direct Scotland surveyed fans:

http://www.scottishsupporters.net/b-teams-in-spfl-league-two/

[Honestman1954]

2 hours ago, Pete83 said:

THIS - Nailed on. They have contributed hugely to my disinterest of the top flight the past 3 decades, I could do with them NOT getting their way and devaluing the competitive lower leagues that some of us fans enjoy. It's even more infuriating to insult fans intelligence about the Scottish National Team when one set of fans sing the English National anthem and the other Irish rebel songs.

You mean the English National Anthem which is an anti-Scottish song?

[DiegoDiego]

Something just occurred to me what with the b sides being in the lowland league. This is a massive girfuy to the likes of Brechin who seem to be spending a bit of cash to get back into the league first time of asking and now won't get a vote on it.

As Brechin have encouraged this Colts nonsense they can absolutely girfut. The only Lowland teams I have sympathy for are those who voted against the inclusion of B teams.

[peternapper]

23 hours ago, onecowden said:

Lol.

Think he should go back to watch his team in the Camanachd Cup at the shinty