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Old Firm Colts in L2


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Project Brave (in so far as it deals at all with lower league football) pretty obviously has calculated that the 5-6000 of us who regularly watch football in the bottom two divisions every weekend, can basically be thrown under a bus.

 

With Raith and Ayr in the leagues it'll be a lot more than that now. Lower league football is great. Just look at how dramatic it's been over the years....

 

Why spoil it? If there are players that are 20 year old and still playing under 20 football they're never making it at international level anyway. We've had two Rangers under 20 guys at us the past few seasons. One ended up at Annan and a guy we had on trial was fucking hopeless against Turriff. Away back to Nigeria. Wtf are these clowns hoping to achieve.

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Rangers Under 20s v Annan at Forthbank Celtic Under 20s v Montrose at Cappielow. sure fire sellout crowds and HUGE tv ratings.

In the Sunday Mail today they were not only expecting the colt teams stuff to be approved, they were expecting it within 2 years IIRC!

Crowds were horrendous in the Challenge Cup last year, despite the clear novelty of it and rock bottom admission prices. The supposed cream in Celtic were embarrassed by Livingston and the rest were sent packing early doors. 

Is it really all about Premier Sports paying 5 grand a match to show Rangers U20s v Celtic Under 20s at Broadwood?

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3 minutes ago, Snakebite said:

...Is it really all about Premier Sports paying 5 grand a match to show Rangers U20s v Celtic Under 20s at Broadwood?

Think it's mainly about player development as the U-20 league format isn't getting the job done. If the colt teams start off in a division with the top LL and HL clubs (probably mainly the former) as appears to be the plan there's no guarantee they will ever actually get into League One and League Two. Most of these players don't wind up making it and the colt teams didn't exactly set the heather on fire in last season's Challenge Cup when weakened lineups were often being fielded against them. It's arguably more likely to ease the path of the likes of Spartans, Cove Rangers and East Kilbride into League Two and lessens the danger of smaller SPFL clubs tumbling into a regional league format, if there are now ten plus more teams playing at a national level.

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Contact your clubs, people. Complaining to the SPFL will result in zero fucks being given, as they already know the idea's as popular with lower-league fans as dugshite in the pies. Your club, however, may have cause to think twice if they calculate that the bribes from the SPFL may not meet the money lost from ticket sales.

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I'd imagine over the course of a season all Colt teams would struggle badly, bar maybe Celtic. The quality just isn't there. Look at Dundee for example, my pal plays for their 20s so I keep up to date with their results etc. There might be 3/4 players who are up to league 2 level (Skelly and Smyth who were at us, Curran at EF, Gourlay and Waddell at Clyde) but the rest are bang average. See them getting released and signing for Dundee Violet, North End etc which really isn't a good standard of football.

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I really don't understand the faux outrage to this. The colts teams will be joining either the LL or HL. In fact it will probably be the East of Scotland or South of Scotland as the LL is currently full.

What the majority of people seem to be missing is at this level we already have Reserve/Colts sides namely Annan Athletic, Stranraer and Stirling Uni Reserves! In the past also had Spartans and Hibs reserves. I dont recall anyone getting worked up over these teams!

Old firm and other Premiership colt teams certainly make far more sense than Stirling Uni or Annan!

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1 minute ago, edinabear said:

I really don't understand the faux outrage to this. The colts teams will be joining either the LL or HL. In fact it will probably be the East of Scotland or South of Scotland as the LL is currently full.

What the majority of people seem to be missing is at this level we already have Reserve/Colts sides namely Annan Athletic, Stranraer and Stirling Uni Reserves! In the past also had Spartans and Hibs reserves. I dont recall anyone getting worked up over these teams!

Old firm and other Premiership colt teams certainly make far more sense than Stirling Uni or Annan!

The likes of Stranraer and Annan's reserves are essentially playing at a level no better than amateur where fan interest is none and its really about participation, so by degrading the product what do clubs at the level stand to lose by allowing in SPFL second string clubs? Additionally, geographically and financially, it is more suitable for them to play local teams as opposed to travelling nationally. Unlike their first teams who have many central belt based players, their younger squads are largely reliant on players in the more immediate area. Also, whats the ambition of SOS clubs? For those clubs who want to progress, how much of a threat should Stranraer's second string be say compared to Celtic with comparatively unlimited resources?

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1 hour ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Think it's mainly about player development as the U-20 league format isn't getting the job done. If the colt teams start off in a division with the top LL and HL clubs (probably mainly the former) as appears to be the plan there's no guarantee they will ever actually get into League One and League Two. Most of these players don't wind up making it and the colt teams didn't exactly set the heather on fire in last season's Challenge Cup when weakened lineups were often being fielded against them. It's arguably more likely to ease the path of the likes of Spartans, Cove Rangers and East Kilbride into League Two and lessens the danger of smaller SPFL clubs tumbling into a regional league format, if there are now ten plus more teams playing at a national level.

I think this is the more likely outcome.

As you say guys in the LL and HL are no mugs and won't roll over easily to under 20 sides so it maybe wouldn't be as easy as some would think for them to get into League 2.

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5 minutes ago, GordonD said:

Why do you refer to the OF separately? Are they worthy of special treatment?

Nope, its just that most people seem to be referring to the Old firm in this context. I think every Premiership club should be given the opportunity to operate Colt teams if they want, Im not sure how many would take it up though

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1 minute ago, edinabear said:

Nope, its just that most people seem to be referring to the Old firm in this context. I think every Premiership club should be given the opportunity to operate Colt teams if they want, Im not sure how many would take it up though

So Dundee United and ICT can piss off then?

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2 hours ago, edinabear said:

I really don't understand the faux outrage to this. The colts teams will be joining either the LL or HL. In fact it will probably be the East of Scotland or South of Scotland as the LL is currently full.

What the majority of people seem to be missing is at this level we already have Reserve/Colts sides namely Annan Athletic, Stranraer and Stirling Uni Reserves! In the past also had Spartans and Hibs reserves. I dont recall anyone getting worked up over these teams!

Old firm and other Premiership colt teams certainly make far more sense than Stirling Uni or Annan!

You're missing the key point with the reserve sides in Tier 6 - promotion from that level is forbidden for them, and the level is amateur generally played to sub-100 crowds.

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I suggested using the proposal as a bargaining chip to introduce a West region feeder division, on another thread. I am uncomfortable with them being admitted, but thought that might be a compromise. I would choose not to watch the reserve teams. (I refuse to use the c word)

Edited by Sergeant Wilson
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