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Talks underway for ‘North Atlantic’ style Reserve League

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Talks are underway to set up a ‘North Atlantic Reserve League’.

Only 10 of the current SPFL Reserve League clubs have applied to take part in next season’s competition with Chris McCart voicing his unhappiness with the current 17 match set up.

The return of Reserve League football was greeted as a massive breakthrough for young players but the reality has did nothing to bridge the gap between youth and first team football.

Sending players out on loan is a haphazard means of development with talks underway with clubs in several countries to find a platform to allow players to kick on.

Former Celtic chief executive Allan MacDonald first discussed an Atlantic League in 1999, now two decades on the first steps could be taken towards making that prospect a reality.

The Daily Mail reports:

Rangers and Celtic are at the forefront of plans to revolutionise reserve team football via a trans-European league featuring sides from Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark.

Glasgow’s big two are poised to join St Johnstone in an exodus of teams from the Scottish Reserve League next season amidst growing concerns the current set-up fails to prepare young players for first team action.

And Sportsmail understands preliminary discussions are underway with overseas leagues over the creation of a cross border competition which could see the best young prospects from the SPFL pit their wits against Anderlecht, RB Salzburg, Basle or Copenhagen in a televised competition geared up to attract commercial sponsors.

Any new set up would require UEFA approval.

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