Colts teams might be playing in the Lowland leagues next year

[cooprfc]

Yeah, Rangers have been using the term B team all season, but in the media it’s been mostly , ‘Colts’ which is perceived by the club to sound weaker. I expect all the language and narrative will be around ‘B’ teams.

I know a few folk close to the action on this one, good chance it will happen

I'm not a fan for reasons I've said further up. I don't think it's right that we parachute in halfway up a pyramid and I don't think it's going to provide a suitable level of challenge for our players. In fact, I think it's miles off it. We need to take players and put them under pressure to see them grow. I don't think this even comes close to achieving that.

But I am interested to see how it all plays out!

 

[Robert California]

I'm not a fan for reasons I've said further up. I don't think it's right that we parachute in halfway up a pyramid and I don't think it's going to provide a suitable level of challenge for our players. In fact, I think it's miles off it. We need to take players and put them under pressure to see them grow. I don't think this even comes close to achieving that.

But I am interested to see how it all plays out!

I think this scenario is the best we can come up with currently and will give it a punt for a year. Like you, I remain sceptical as to how much fruit it can bear.

Certainly more Rangers than Celtic driving it, rumour has it they have bigger issues to address!

 

[cooprfc]

I think this scenario is the best we can come up with currently and will give it a punt for a year. Like you, I remain sceptical as to how much fruit it can bear.

Certainly more Rangers than Celtic driving it, rumour has it they have bigger issues to address!

Now I want to hear even more on that last sentence!

 

[Kowloon72]

From the club perspective, this should br viewed as a long term legacy project.

If the LL offered us a permanent place, with the first three seasons being barred from promotion, I'd take that no problem. 10 years from now we'd have a team in League 1. There would be plenty of bumps in the road, but it would happen.

 

[BoyciesDa]

Yeah, suppose we could have, but it would have meant dropping to an even lower level, which kind of defeats the point of finding challenging matches for our B team.

we have players already playing on loan with championship/league 1 clubs at present
this set up means they are dropping even further down a level

 

[sheddensbear]

This won't be popular, but Colt /B teams are for our benefit, not Scottish football . I understand why SPFL clubs don't want them in the league.

 

[bkerr72]

I'm not a fan for reasons I've said further up. I don't think it's right that we parachute in halfway up a pyramid and I don't think it's going to provide a suitable level of challenge for our players. In fact, I think it's miles off it. We need to take players and put them under pressure to see them grow. I don't think this even comes close to achieving that.

But I am interested to see how it all plays out!

I think it's the younger ones the club plan to use for the league like 16s to 18s but even then I would expect us to skelp the majority of the teams in the Lowland league. Might struggle against the likes of East Kilbride and Bonnyrigg for example but it doesn't serve any real purpose either as you say playing against that level of player isn't going to develop them into a first team player. I would rather the club stuck with the loan system which would be better for them.

 

[Robert California]

This won't be popular, but Colt /B teams are for our benefit, not Scottish football . I understand why SPFL clubs don't want them in the league.

I agree, its for our benefit, very little football benefit to other teams, which is why its essentially a bribe required to get it.

 

[Robert California]

we have players already playing on loan with championship/league 1 clubs at present
this set up means they are dropping even further down a level

Not a huge difference between League 2 and LL now, other than bottom third of LL is defo poorer.

The problem with current loans is that its not always possible to demand game time for players, and the parent club lose a bit of visibility when the young players are scattered across multiple clubs, and have to split their training with Rangers and their loan clubs (some time part time at night) Also wide variances in the levels of coaches at these loan clubs

This is one reason why the club want to keep them together as a B team group, club can decide exactly who plays and for how long, and can still see them every day at the RTC for training without having to give them days off to train at nights etc

 

[perthtruebluetwo]

It works in a lot of other European nations for player development, but the dinasours who run our game can't see this.

 

[Robert California]

It works in a lot of other European nations for player development, but the dinasours who run our game can't see this.

I agree, but there are doubts that it can be replicated in a small country like ours, and due to lack of quality outside Premier League (and inside!)

But I see no reason why it should not be given a chance, at least it is some form of innovation badly lacking in our game.

 

[Southernlion]

Not a huge difference between League 2 and LL now, other than bottom third of LL is defo poorer.

The problem with current loans is that its not always possible to demand game time for players, and the parent club lose a bit of visibility when the young players are scattered across multiple clubs, and have to split their training with Rangers and their loan clubs (some time part time at night) Also wide variances in the levels of coaches at these loan clubs

This is one reason why the club want to keep them together as a B team group, club can decide exactly who plays and for how long, and can still see them every day at the RTC for training without having to give them days off to train at nights etc

A very good response. Only one thing that I think you missed, although you might have alluded to it, is that a team could grow together and eventually the sum of the whole could be greater than the constituent parts.

 

[Bangersbc]

Looks like the Lowland League are inviting the clubs. That seems very promising.

There's a few teams in that league that aren't any worse than teams in League Two.

You just have to look at the performance of Cove and Edinburgh City since they came up to see that there is an argument the lowland/Highland teams are actually a good bit better than league 2. I expect Kelty to be challenging for promotion next year if I'm honest.

 

[Robert California]

A very good response. Only one thing that I think you missed, although you might have alluded to it, is that a team could grow together and eventually the sum of the whole could be greater than the constituent parts.

I totally agree mate.

A full-time B team being coached,drilled and shaped up every day playing in a league of part-time teams will be very competitive, even if it’s 17-20 in average age.

Ive seen a fair bit of LL football and a Rangers B team would certainly compete well

 

[Ter]

I agree, but there are doubts that it can be replicated in a small country like ours, and due to lack of quality outside Premier League (and inside!)

But I see no reason why it should not be given a chance, at least it is some form of innovation badly lacking in our game.

I think the B Teams being shoehorned in to the structure is the wrong way to go about this. And rightly it is causing concern from teams below the Lowland League.

What should be happening is a complete restructuring of the entire pyramid with plenty of movement between larger divisions. 4 tiers for 42 teams is a shambles.

A top league of 14 or 16 with a split to ensure 4 Old Firms (need the TV money) then a second tier of 18 or 20 below that with 3 dropping down to tier 3 should mean plenty of movement and freshness throughout the pyramid and allow well run clubs to work their way up. Especially now all the junior teams are part of the pyramid it could change the face of Scottish football forever. And that is what the teams in Leagues 1 and 2 are terrified of and will never vote for change.

Stick B-Teams in tier 3 and allow them to be promoted to tier 2. Limit the number of B-Teams allowed at each tier

 

[BoyciesDa]

Not a huge difference between League 2 and LL now, other than bottom third of LL is defo poorer.

The problem with current loans is that its not always possible to demand game time for players, and the parent club lose a bit of visibility when the young players are scattered across multiple clubs, and have to split their training with Rangers and their loan clubs (some time part time at night) Also wide variances in the levels of coaches at these loan clubs

This is one reason why the club want to keep them together as a B team group, club can decide exactly who plays and for how long, and can still see them every day at the RTC for training without having to give them days off to train at nights etc

Well that makes sense then

 

[Robert California]

I think the B Teams being shoehorned in to the structure is the wrong way to go about this. And rightly it is causing concern from teams below the Lowland League.

What should be happening is a complete restructuring of the entire pyramid with plenty of movement between larger divisions. 4 tiers for 42 teams is a shambles.

A top league of 14 or 16 with a split to ensure 4 Old Firms (need the TV money) then a second tier of 18 or 20 below that with 3 dropping down to tier 3 should mean plenty of movement and freshness throughout the pyramid and allow well run clubs to work their way up. Especially now all the junior teams are part of the pyramid it could change the face of Scottish football forever. And that is what the teams in Leagues 1 and 2 are terrified of and will never vote for change.

Stick B-Teams in tier 3 and allow them to be promoted to tier 2. Limit the number of B-Teams allowed at each tier

I agree with this.

Scotland as a nation can only realistically support one full-time league of around 16-18 teams.

There should be part-time regionalised leagues underneath, which feed upwards, but which could include B teams.

 

[ForGodForCountryForever]

I think there should be a rule, as part of any club being allowed admittance into our Professional League(s), which says each club must run or have a direct Sporting connection to a Colts team that operates within a Colts League.

How the SFA/SPFL can allow youth football to essentially disintegrate in the country is beyond understanding. Its the lifeblood of clubs, even if they dont always break into first teams.

 

[Southernlion]

How the SFA/SPFL can allow youth football to essentially disintegrate in the country is beyond understanding. Its the lifeblood of clubs, even if they dont always break into first teams.

We, Joe Public, see so many problems and proffer as many solutions but there appears to be no leadership in Scottish football. No great inspirations; no master plans; no hope.

The SFA should be subsidising teachers everywhere to gain coaching qualifications in order to lay a foundation for secondary schools which in turn feed into amateur, youth and professional teams.

 

[ForGodForCountryForever]

We, Joe Public, see so many problems and proffer as many solutions but there appears to be no leadership in Scottish football. No great inspirations; no master plans; no hope.

The SFA should be subsidising teachers everywhere to gain coaching qualifications in order to lay a foundation for secondary schools which in turn feed into amateur, youth and professional teams.

I suspect the people in question simply sit on their huge salaries, anticipating their huge pensions, knowing they dont need to lift a finger.

Its an appalling gravy train which will only end if someone was to get into the setup with real motivation and ideas to change it. Problem is, the lazy bar stewards there are determined to stop that happening.

 

[MDM]

This isn't going down well with the feeder leagues under the lowland league - the vast majority of fans from the clubs are very vocal in their objections to the idea. This could end up causing a fall-out between the Lowland League and the East, South and West of Scotland leagues.

A one-off season which will see the lowland league teams benefit around £3k each plus an increase in attendances, on paper seems harmless enough, but..... And the results of the games against the old firm teams doesn't count towards the points total.