Rangers look unlikely to have a B team in the Lowland League next season after clubs rejected proposals to allow a third ‘guest club’ – and the move is a huge step backwards for Scottish football.
A report in the Daily Mail has claimed that talks over allowing Hearts to join Rangers and Celtic B in the fifth tier has led to an ultimatum from the Old Firm sides, with the Lowland League set to go without any guest clubs at all next season.
That means promising Rangers youngsters will have no virtually no competitive football next season, and threatens to hinder the progress of some of the country’s best young talents.
The likes of Leon King and Alex Lowry have gone from playing in the Lowland League to a Europa League final in a matter of months and coming up against experienced players have been a huge help to their development.
Colts shouldn’t just be open to Rangers and Celtic
While there are some who have the impression allowing Colts into the league was all about Rangers and Celtic, it should, like in other countries, be about player development.
Allowing Hearts – and whoever else is interested – to field a Colt team in the league should be something that clubs embrace and look at as a positive.
Rangers and Celtic being in the Lowland League attracted far more attention to the division that it would have got without the Old Firm youngsters being involved, as well as pulling a substantial amount of new money into the lower reaches of the game.
Rangers must push for long-term solution after pilot success
Despite it appearing that the plug will now be pulled on the involvement of B teams in the Lowland League, Rangers need to find a long-term solution.
The club simply can’t allow the players’ oldest’ Academy talent to stagnate with no SPFL reserve league in place and nowhere for players over the age of 18 to play.
For a country that makes such a noise about trying to find out where we go wrong in developing young talent, we do ourselves no favours at all.
Meanwhile, a former Rangers star claims that a seemingly exit-bound Ibrox star actually wants to stay.