The SPL are taking a look at restoring the Reserve League or providing some sort of league to bridge the gap between u-19 and first team football.
At a get together for managers on Thursday the issue was raised as clubs discussed the best way to bring through and develop players from the youth ranks.
It really was shameful how the Reserve League was abondoned at the end of last season as club’s took the short sighted view of saving cash with the demise of Setanta a convenient excuse.
Any club that can’t field a team for 22 Reserve fixtures over the course of a ten month season really is kidding themselves on.
Youth players need to develop and whilst the Reserve League was far from ideal it was better than the current arrangement of very little.
Addressing the current void Hibs boss John Hughes said: “Any walk of life should have a four or five-year apprenticeship. I didn’t turn pro until I was 23. If we don’t have a reserve league we’ll lose too many good players.”
Celtic of course have set about creating and finding fixtures wherever they can with Drogheda Utd, Queen of the South and Kilmarnock all played within the last ten days and another match lined up against Shamrock Rovers on February 23.
Those type of fixtures could continue to be played alongside a revised Reserve League, while 22 games might be a stretch for some SPL clubs Celtic would probably prefer to play close to 40 games over the course of the season for their reserve/development squad.
Players need to be pushed and tested outwith their comfort zone, putting the best 17 and 18-year-old’s into the reserve side benefits them more than playing at u-19 level.
After one season in the reserve side any player showing the potential to make it into the Celtic first team should be loaned out for a season to see how they shape up. This season’s loan deals have brought mixed results but have confirmed that Simon Ferry is up to the rigours of regular football playing on average more than one game a week for Swindon Town.
Bringing back some sort of Reserve League also requires an overall look at the u-21 rule which requires all SPL teams to have three u-21 players in their 19 man squads.
Gordon Strachan and Tony Mowbray have both complained about the restrictions of that rule which sees young players sitting on the bench when they could be out on loan playing whilst others like Paddy McCourt can’t get a place on the bench because younger players must be listed.
If a club has got five or more u-21 players out on loan they shouldn’t be forced to list three u-21 players in their first team squads.
Clearly that club has a commitment to playing and developing their young players, forcing them to fill the bench does no-one any good.
Strangely enough in the opening seasons of the SPL there was no reserve league, an u-21 league allowing five overage players was in operation between the u-18 league and first teams, with the u-18 league now replaced by an u-19 league things could turn full circle with the Reserve League returning as an u-21 league allowing five overage players to be fielded!
I've asked this question before….
Who decided to scrap the Reserve League ?? Did the clubs vote for this or was it the SPL hierarchy who decided??
Was it done to help "you know who "…..in their hour of financial need??
At a time when football needs all the help it can get to keep youngsters interested in playing the game….surely this was a stupid and ill-thought out decision??
Something has to be brought back to keep "fringe " and younger players involved…and the sooner the better.
Short sighted directors and under pressure managers axed the Reserve League to save pennies.
Now with the season two thirds the way finished clubs find themselves paying wages to players for training sessions and unable to even put them on the bench due to the u-21 rule.
Short sightedness is forever the way.
Thanks Joe…..