How Long before "B" teams are in The Championship?

[Dev]

With lots of noise about the OF, Hearts and Aberdeen joining a new Conference League beneath Division Two how long will it be before these "B" teams are allowed into the League itself?

Once they get into the League won't other clubs be relegated from the SPFL Championship and Divisions One and Two as the "B" teams progress up the League? They are the clubs which have the most financial backing and, it seems, the most influence with the SFA.

[PossilYM]

Within the next 5 years.

[AUcal]

Don't see it happening. 

If they were to get into the leagues proper at some point, I don't think I'd be back in Scottish football grounds much. Despite it having no bearing on my club, I'm fuming that they are in the Lowland League.

Edited April 30, 2023 by AuAl

[Highlandmagar]

We all know Scottish football is a totally busted flush. It is just an extremely slow death.

[Bring Your Own Socks]

In the curious way that only the SFA behaves, the B teams are referred to as Guests. Only Member clubs can be put forward for the position of Champions and consequent play-offs. So, currently, they can’t enter the SPFL at any level. I haven’t checked the Highland league but it will be the same for Aberdeen. I know there’s plenty of mistrust of the big clubs but for now they seem content with having their laddies getting competitive football and developing their game. Turning them into income streams is more important than winning a trophy. At least this route recycles some of these kids into the lower leagues rather than burning them out and useful players chucking it at 19/20. 

[TxRover]

23 minutes ago, Bring Your Own Socks said:

In the curious way that only the SFA behaves, the B teams are referred to as Guests. Only Member clubs can be put forward for the position of Champions and consequent play-offs. So, currently, they can’t enter the SPFL at any level. I haven’t checked the Highland league but it will be the same for Aberdeen. I know there’s plenty of mistrust of the big clubs but for now they seem content with having their laddies getting competitive football and developing their game. Turning them into income streams is more important than winning a trophy. At least this route recycles some of these kids into the lower leagues rather than burning them out and useful players chucking it at 19/20. 

If they were truly only about playing time, the “Guest Club” results wouldn’t count for anything ever, and to then make up for the horrible attendance that would cause, the Guest Club would have to pay to play the Member Clubs.

[AyrExile]

24 minutes ago, Bring Your Own Socks said:

In the curious way that only the SFA behaves, the B teams are referred to as Guests. Only Member clubs can be put forward for the position of Champions and consequent play-offs. So, currently, they can’t enter the SPFL at any level. I haven’t checked the Highland league but it will be the same for Aberdeen. I know there’s plenty of mistrust of the big clubs but for now they seem content with having their laddies getting competitive football and developing their game. Turning them into income streams is more important than winning a trophy. At least this route recycles some of these kids into the lower leagues rather than burning them out and useful players chucking it at 19/20. 

Yeah the colt teams going into the diddy cup was supposed to be the backdoor route for b teams sneaking into the league. So far it hasn't happened and doesn't look likely to at this stage either.  

[BukyOHare]

If the majority stick together and are consistent in knocking back any requests then hopefully the novelty will wear off.

 

[Richey Edwards]

They can all f**k off.

[Bring Your Own Socks]

1 hour ago, TxRover said:

If they were truly only about playing time, the “Guest Club” results wouldn’t count for anything ever, and to then make up for the horrible attendance that would cause, the Guest Club would have to pay to play the Member Clubs.

My guess is, based on a few interviews I’ve heard, that certainly the Lowland league are tolerating it because there’s so many EoS and WoS sides settling themselves in. If anything, in a few years time there’s likely to be more stronger and louder voices against it.

Just like to mention Pep Guardiola’s first management role was Barca B so it's not all bad.

[Meeniedee]

i think colts/reserves or B teams(whatever one they are)should play in that regions junior league...all games are local thus sparing clubs the cost of travelling all over the country just to have a glorified kick about.

[keyser_soze]

Hopefully never, it's bad enough with 2 arse cheeks in Scottish football, just imagine how bad it would be with 4 of the fuckers.

[Jamie_M]

3 hours ago, Bring Your Own Socks said:

In the curious way that only the SFA behaves, the B teams are referred to as Guests. Only Member clubs can be put forward for the position of Champions and consequent play-offs. So, currently, they can’t enter the SPFL at any level. I haven’t checked the Highland league but it will be the same for Aberdeen. I know there’s plenty of mistrust of the big clubs but for now they seem content with having their laddies getting competitive football and developing their game. Turning them into income streams is more important than winning a trophy. At least this route recycles some of these kids into the lower leagues rather than burning them out and useful players chucking it at 19/20. 

The most important word in your post was 'currently'.

The whole point of the initial post is because there are plans being ushered in to rip up the current guest club status, create a new tier shoehorning the B teams in and relegating 200 clubs in the process.

[an86]

From the moment they were allowed into the Challenge Cup, the destination was inevitable. They’ll find a way in. 

[mugen_power]

12 minutes ago, keyser_soze said:

Hopefully never, it's bad enough with 2 arse cheeks in Scottish football, just imagine how bad it would be with 4 of the fuckers.

 

[BFTD]

They've been unable/unwilling to come up with good enough bribes for the SPFL clubs - the boards of which would, if we're being honest, absolutely take a bung if it was big enough to dwarf losing more of their home support - so it'll be interesting to see if they're eventually able to threaten an SPL-style breakaway second tier between the Premiership and Championship (or similar).

They'll have the SFA's full support regardless, along with a handful of scab Premier League clubs still deluded enough to believe it matters if they can finish third in perpetuity.

[Dev]

FWIW. This is how, using current teams, The Championship Division could have looked if the B teams were to work their way up the Divisions. No Raith Rovers, Arbroath, Cove Rangers and Hamilton Academical. Greenock Morton and maybe also Inverness Caledonian Thistle headed down to Division One.

Scottish Championship

Dundee

Queen's Park

Partick Thistle

Ayr United

Aberdeen B

Celtic B

Hearts B

Rangers B

Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Greenock Morton

Edited May 1, 2023 by Dev
.

[Bring Your Own Socks]

16 hours ago, Jamie_M said:

The most important word in your post was 'currently'.

The whole point of the initial post is because there are plans being ushered in to rip up the current guest club status, create a new tier shoehorning the B teams in and relegating 200 clubs in the process.

Thanks for the correction. Hadn’t involved myself with this before but I can now see what you’re saying.

According to this impartial source, it won’t be part of the SPFL and needs to raise its own funds. Senior clubs need to donate £100k to get their B team in. Colts teams will not be allowed into league two or any promotion play-offs. So nothing to bother the clubs above conference but now a longer journey for the new tier 6 downward. Voters are all SFA member clubs of which 42 play in the SPFL and 80 below that. To get a majority, assuming all 42 senior clubs say yes, at least 20 of the lower clubs need to say yes. I guess the £400k is a big motivator. 

https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/conference-league-voted-spfl-clubs-26788594

[San Starko Rover]

21 hours ago, Bring Your Own Socks said:

In the curious way that only the SFA behaves, the B teams are referred to as Guests. Only Member clubs can be put forward for the position of Champions and consequent play-offs. So, currently, they can’t enter the SPFL at any level. I haven’t checked the Highland league but it will be the same for Aberdeen. I know there’s plenty of mistrust of the big clubs but for now they seem content with having their laddies getting competitive football and developing their game. Turning them into income streams is more important than winning a trophy. At least this route recycles some of these kids into the lower leagues rather than burning them out and useful players chucking it at 19/20. 

The aim has always been SPFL football for Rangers B and Celtic B, Hearts and Aberdeen are just along for the ride, they’ve zero desire to play at tier 5 it’s just a way to get their foot in the door and sadly the useful idiots of the Lowland League let them in for “just one season” two seasons ago.  Rangers and Celtic want their B teams in the Championship so they can hoard players and if they ever get an exit to a “Super League” they can continue to win everything here through their B teams.  The SFA and SPFL will happily push this shit show through so it’s up to the fans and clubs to block it every time it’s raised. Let this happen and in the future we’ll be watching the Old Firm hoover up the Premier Division, the Scottish Cup, the League Cup, the Championship and the Challenge Cup with Big Old Firm games on SKY and diddy Old Firm games on BBC Scotland.  

[Offshore Rover]

I think some league one and two clubs will accept this conference league as it may be easier to get promoted back into league two if they were to be relegated. Currently someone has to win the HL/LL then a playoff then another play off. With the conference league it is winning one league and either straight promotion or one play off only. There is also the bonus of the new conference league being 10/12 teams with 4 essentially being deleted once the season finishes so actually the you are competing against 5 or 7 clubs rather than 15 odd. 
 

the guest clubs have to be voted in every season. That is a rule and I assume that will continue (very dubious, I know). 
 

there is a good podcast called “official catch-up” which is all about the HL/LL and downwards. Very knowledgeable guys on there and a very recent one where they interview the LL chairperson and he runs through the conference league etc. Definitely worth a listen too btw. 
 

I am also not sure any of the B teams would make it to the championship. Hearts done meh, Celtic and rangers finished 2nd and 3rd. They didn’t exactly run away with it. I think if they would end up bouncing around league one, I doubt any higher. 
 

The B teams are also limited on age of players and they need to have so many players eligible for Scotland playing at any one time. There is also the rule of if a player has played 5 games for the first team they are then not allowed to play for the B team, although does reset at each transfer window. 
 

I personally think they will end up in professional set up on time but certainly not within 3/4 years. I reckon 5 years onwards and they’ll start to throw around some extra cash to get in. 
 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Offshore Rover