SPFL 3 on the way

[Neilly]

44 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

Kennedy is also a total balloon. 

Absolutely this. 

[Andy groundhopper]

The wildest opportunity would be the OF disappear into an Atlantic League, or anyone that would have them, leaving their B team to take their place. Being an outsider I find this B team shit the most annoying and never ending story I've ever read. As with (loads of money ) clubs down south, run your bloody academies correctly and put youngsters into the 1st team. OR shut the f**k up

[theoriginalhedge]

On 11/01/2023 at 22:17, tamthebam said:

Spartans (currently top of the LL) have a bronze licence. Would the ex Scottish League clubs Cowden, Berwick and Brechin have one?

Brechin do

[O'Kelly Isley III]

2 hours ago, Andy groundhopper said:

The wildest opportunity would be the OF disappear into an Atlantic League, or anyone that would have them, leaving their B team to take their place. Being an outsider I find this B team shit the most annoying and never ending story I've ever read. As with (loads of money ) clubs down south, run your bloody academies correctly and put youngsters into the 1st team. OR shut the f**k up

There's a very good article in the current issue of Nutmeg magazine in which the writer Greg Gordon skilfully and politely lets Craig Mulholland and Darren O'Dea, the 'B' Team coaches of Rangers and Celtic respectively, put the case for embedding these teams into Scottish football before he comprehensively rips their argument apart.

As has been seen only this week, the OF concentrate primarily on bought-in imports to fill their top squads, with the rearing of young talent part branding exercise and part revenue-raiser by simply selling them on, eg Ben Doak and now Charlie McCann.  There's also a disgraceful IMO quote from SFA chief Ian Maxwell in the article - he is obviously a stranger to the principle of one club, one team. 

[BallochSonsFan]

Its ironic that some fans are arguing for B teams as a way of improving our game for the better. Those same fans will be only too eager to tell you that they can't wait for the day that they can abandon our league and can chase the money in whatever league will have them.

I don't buy the argument that B teams improve football. The case for B teams usually offered by old firm fans is to point at Spain and Holland and to say that the existence of Barcelona B and Jong Ajax is proof that B teams deliver a regular comveyor belt of talent. But that  ignores countries where B teams aren't a feature in league football but where youth development is streets ahead of Scotland. It ignores countries like Germany. The 2nd string teams from Dortmund, Munich and other big German sides are usually found struggling in 3.liga or playing regional tier 4 league football. The Italians don't have B teams littered throughout Serie B and Serie C. It's almost as if the existence of B teams isnt the determining factor in whether or not a country produces quality footballers and that its instead due to everything that happens from the moment that kids first play football right through to a league club being willing to take the chance on giving them first team involvement.

B Teams work in some countries because they're the last stage of years of excellent youth development. In other countries you see youngsters getting meaningful first  team action. At Rangers and Celtic you see a succession of kids who can't be trusted by OF managers to play in league or cup competitions ahead of perma-crocked bench fillers who still draw thousands of pounds per week in wages. How many young footballers leave Rangers or Celtic at the end of their youth careers and go on to make a meaningful impact in the game? Where are the young players making meaningful contributions at top flight clubs outside of the old firm?

If we want to talk about improving Scottish football then lets talk properly about league reconstruction and about a better distribution of finances. Lets talk about the madness that is playing the same team 4 times a year on league duty and potentially another 3 times in cup competitions. Lets talk about clubs making sustainable investment in facilities. Or about teams that are committed to keeping football accessible as a sport to be played and as a spectacle to be followed in person on a Saturday afternoon. Would Rangers and Celtic be willing to give up the lions share of their domestic SPFL and SFA prize money if it meant that  other sides could afford to run youth development systems? Would top flight chairmen be willing to surrender a capacity crowd game against the old firm to expand the size of our leagues and to give fans more variety across the course of a season?

I won't be holding my breath waiting for any of that to happen.

[The Moonster]

9 hours ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

There's a very good article in the current issue of Nutmeg magazine in which the writer Greg Gordon skilfully and politely lets Craig Mulholland and Darren O'Dea, the 'B' Team coaches of Rangers and Celtic respectively, put the case for embedding these teams into Scottish football before he comprehensively rips their argument apart.

As has been seen only this week, the OF concentrate primarily on bought-in imports to fill their top squads, with the rearing of young talent part branding exercise and part revenue-raiser by simply selling them on, eg Ben Doak and now Charlie McCann.  There's also a disgraceful IMO quote from SFA chief Ian Maxwell in the article - he is obviously a stranger to the principle of one club, one team. 

Any link to this article?

[O'Kelly Isley III]

47 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Any link to this article?

I've checked the website and it seems that articles only go online once the print version has sold out - this article entitled 'Old Firm Playing Fast And Loose With The Youth' is in current issue 26.

[Mattmc]

Put the B teams in the woman’s league.