Scottish Football League chief executive David Longmuir is coming under fire for his proposal to introduce Colt teams into the SFL.
The suggestion has been somewhere on the agenda for over 40 years but has never been championed outside of Glasgow.
With reconstruction talks in the balance floating the idea again has complicated the issue and drawn attention to Longmuir’s skills as a football administrator.
Last summer’s Rangers pantomime saw Longmuir emerge with some credibility but that was mainly based on the fact that he wasn’t Neil Armageddon Doncaster or Stuart Civil Unrest Regan.
Without warning and with many SFL clubs wary of an 18 team bottom division with relegation into a football pyramid Longmuir launched the idea of Colt teams although the current quality of a second string Sevco side must be questionable with half a dozen SPL sides clearly stronger than a possible Murray Park XI.
Yesterday’s email from the SFL chief said: “I know there are many variables to consider but I think the time is now right to add another one- I’d like to put forward a strategic option which could have a positive impact on our game.
“The Colt team issue has been discussed over many years. The basic premise is that the largest clubs have the ability, and fan base, to create a second team which would compete as an independent entity in the lower leagues.
“The Colt team would be unable to be promoted to a division above if its parent team were in that division, nor could they play in any cup competition where the parent club were participating.
“Only two teams in Scotland could, I would argue, at this time be able to support and fund such a Colt team – Celtic and Rangers.
“If Scottish football wishes to move forward as a commercially interesting proposition then we have to look at what European football may be like in the future.
“Already trials are taking place, supported by UEFA, within the ladies game across the Benelux countries whereby top clubs are coming together in a Supra National League. We therefore need to look at our values and continue to promote and foster the concept of ‘freedom to succeed’.
“Celtic and Rangers are our only clubs with global reach and they have said they will explore all cross-border opportunities.
“Scottish football should be thinking longer term and putting in place now a strategy which potentially future-proofs our game to the loss of these global brands.”
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How is it an OG??
It’s a good idea but has never had much support elsewhere and has just complicated delicate reconstruction talks.
If a Euro-league pans out then of course, but Colts were to happen next season under 12-12-18 Sevco would have 2 teams in the bottom division. Is this their leg up to the SPL?
Nah according to Longmuir the colt teams can’t play in the same comps as the parent club,can’t see any of this happening till they get sevco into spl,the only downer for me is that where we go sevco will follow clinging onto our coat-tails
This is the big plan coming into play,get the 2 youth teams into the set up and big sevco need to move up to stop conflict with wee sevco if this happens we need to get to Fuck out a wouldn’t put it past these horrible hand shaking scumbags because that clown greens went very quiet lately. We need to watch this unfold very carefully bhoys. HH
Agree they need watching,would love to see us sever all ties with sevco been reading all day “old firm” this “old firm that” it be good if someone from our club would put that to bed by saying old firm no longer exists,don’t mean to be racist but I hate zombies
Reading between the lines here,sounds like the possibility of celtic and sevco leaving for pastures new is becoming more likely given Longmuirs admittance that they are thinking of a future scottish game wihtout first teams from the celts and sevco is the reason behind the “colt” teams.
Our ticket out of this cheating establishment might come sooner than we think,well heres hoping HH
It is all nonsense, Chuckles sent him out tomuddy the waters.
On what basis does Longmuir suggest a club that had only been in existence a matter of months and currently LOSING £ 1m per month would be considered for any pan-European league setup ??
They have no audited accounts, no full membership and cannot participate in ANY European tourney.
Longmuir you are clearly the weakest link…with such as you, Ogilvie, Reagan, Doncaster, Peat at the helm is it any wonder our game is in such a sorry state.
On the basis that these people think all football fans are as thick as the Neanderthals who follow Sevco.
Is the trick here not contained within the statement “The Colt team would be unable to be promoted to a division above if its parent team were in that division”. Under the current reconstruction proposals Rangers would be in the lowest of the 3 new divisions but if their “colt” team were also to be in that division then one of the two would need to be moved upwards? Thus achieving Longmuir’s goal of promoting Rangers to the top as swifly as possible.
Just read on another celts site that Longmuir has every chance his next employment will be at sevco and this “proposal” could be his last act at sfl,I should’ve known better than to take longmuirs words at face value,their not even trying to hide their motives now they really have no shame
GTF Longmuir you charlatan!
What need would we have of putting a colt team in the SFL? Our “colt” team is already playing against elite youth teams in the next gen series. It would a major backwards step for us. Next “grasping at straws” idea….
This colt thing is just another way to move sevco up the divisions faster.
Longmuir is doing the Establishment mobs bidding, muddying waters and giving Sevco fans some grande delusions of importance. A 4th tier potless tribute act having a colt team? Delusional! Longmuir was being touted by the MSM to be the headan of all of Scottish football for a reason, and it wasn’t because he would be good for the game but because ur would ne another Rangers puppet. The fans were not stupid enough to be manipulated into going along with the corrupt plan so now he is being wheeled out as another puppet mouthpiece. H
Probably the worst proposal I’ve ever come across to improve Scottish football.
We are at least 25 teams too many for size of population and this clown wants to add more!!!!!!
We are so insular that people like Longmuir get away with carrying out self interest schemes to keep themselves in a job.
Fans of all clubs should oppose this and stop the tail from trying to wag the dog.
Hail hail