Club Statement: Scottish Lowland Football League

[ian1964 10,721]

 

[RANGERRAB 3,654]

All top clubs in Scotland are struggling to produce enough quality young players for their first team squads.Most now recruit journeymen from outside Scotland from lower leagues in other countries instead of developing their own players 

I have to say I was never convinced about the lowland league as I didn’t think the teams in it were of a particularly high standard.

Perhaps the answer is to go to a u23 league for the SPFL premiership clubs with allowances for a quota of overage players in each game. 

 

 

[Rousseau 10,603]

"Rangers has long been a strong advocate for the introduction of B Teams in the professional leagues of Scottish football, with a Conference League being an excellent step in that direction. Nations across Europe operate similar B Team systems with strong evidence of their development of players at club and national level.

 

Indeed, all 10 teams who contributed most to the development of players for last year’s World Cup have B teams operating in national senior leagues. The desire from all at Rangers to have a B Team in the professional leagues remains as strong as ever.

 

Our view on B Teams was also strongly supported by the Scottish FA and its CEO Ian Maxwell, who recognise the clear, beneficial impact B Teams have on top international sides. For 18–21 year-old footballers, our research and the evidence clearly shows the best path for their development is playing professional football in professional leagues. A Conference League would have been a positive move towards that."

[Rousseau 10,603]

The Lowland league is a low level of football, but I always thought that the benefit of playing men would make up for that a bit, alongside playing against the top academy and B-sides in Europe. 

 

I suppose we're just going back to playing those other B-team matches. 

[compo 7,030]

A simple reserve league with say five first team squad players allowed then play the younger players beside them so they can learn it would also help injured players get match fit. .

[Rousseau 10,603]

Or just allow B-teams in the professional leagues like Spain and Germany. 

[JohnMc 2,750]

It feels a little like 'toys out the pram' from us because the Conference League idea was rejected so strongly. If the Lowland League was good enough last season and the season before I'm not sure why it isn't this coming season. Ironically with Linlithgow and Albion Rovers joining the league is arguably stronger than it's ever been, it's certainly on a par with League 2 quality wise. 

 

I'm still not sure the B Teams idea is the answer but young players need to play first team football, or be in squads where first team football is a realistic possibility, I agree with that. Football at that level isn't great and most should be playing aThat requires systemic change and as the clubs won't vote for proper change we're going to continue having the same conversations. When we were stumbling around the fishing villages and market towns of Scotland trying to find our way back to the SPFL Celtic had no real challenge and were able to play youngsters. During that time they developed Tierney, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie and James Forrest into first team and international players. Since our return and sorting ourselves out on the pitch they've not developed a single young player worth mentioning. That's not a coincidence. 

 

The jeopardy of the SPFL, where 2 sides fight for the title, the losing manager almost certainly getting fired, and every other side potentially facing relegation and financial catastrophe creates an environment where experienced journeymen are preferred to mistake prone youngsters. Half the sides in the SPFL changed manager during the last season. A further 3 only appointed their current manager during the season before. Scottish football is doing everything it can to ensure young players get nowhere near first team football. 

[elfideldo 411]

Not the total reason for pulling out in my opinion.

As it stands and without significant recruitment Rangers wouldn't be competitive in the Lowland League. Rangers won't field a team that would finish mid table.

Of the 13 U19/U20 players eligible only two played regularly in the Lowland League last season plus Lovelace who will still be U18. Along with Leon King he should really be playing at a higher level.

[Sutton_blows_goats 5,329]

The stats about the players under 21 playing in the SPFL last season were shocking, barely any of note. 

 

I think we should try and get our youths playing in some kind of hybrid youth league with the English youths.

[lenny3k 660]

41 minutes ago, Sutton_blows_goats said:

The stats about the players under 21 playing in the SPFL last season were shocking, barely any of note. 

 

I think we should try and get our youths playing in some kind of hybrid youth league with the English youths.

I think a hybrid with the English youth leagues is the ony 'viable' way to go