Apparently ‘Reserve’ football returns to Scottish football next season.
In 2009 the SPL Reserve League collapsed when Rangers (IL) opted out with other clubs following their example as a cost cutting exercise.
It proved disastrous for a generation of players, anyone over 19 had no means of regular football with Celtic forced to fix up a series of friendly fixtures against English clubs.
The u-19 league became an u-20 league which evolved into the Development League allowing overage players. Elsewhere in Europe players step up from u-17 to u-19 then onwards into the senior game.
Yesterday the SPFL announced the ‘return’ of Reserve football with an 18 team top division where clubs will play each other ONCE!
In the new season players over 17 can look forward to playing 17 matches plus whatever they conjure up for a League Cup. Sevco have opted out of the Reserve League Cup. Reserve League fixtures will be played on Monday afternoons.
Playing 17 competitive matches over 10 months isn’t going to accelerate the development of any player.
After coming through the academy system all players over 17 will be battling for a place in 17 competitive games.
Being sent out on loan is now a much more attractive option but the lower reaches of the SPFL can be a brutal experience for teenagers.
Celtic’s ‘Reserve’ squad will be hoping more than ever that the first team reach the group phase of the Champions League to provide them with six UEFA Youth League games before Christmas.
In a final twist players will need to be 16 years old to play in the Reserve League- denying Celtic the chance to play Karamoko Dembele in any of these matches until the end of February.
Dembele Junior has already played in two Development League matches including getting 45 minutes against Aberdeen in May.
