Celtic’s plans to play in next season’s Lowland League could be kicked into touch because of Hearts.
Last season the two major Glasgow clubs were admitted to the fifth tier of the Professional game for a one season experiment.
Promotion to the SPFL via a play-off wasn’t available with the two clubs also excluded from cup competitions but overall the move was fairly well received although there was no sign of swelling attendances with almost all matches attended by less than 1,000 fans.
Although players upto the age of 20 could be used Tommy McIntyre’s side tended to be made up of u-18 players getting their first taste of football outside of the Academy set up.
Hearts have had an application to join next season’s Lowland League rejected in a vote taken by the other clubs, now it seems that the two Glasgow clubs will withdraw if the Jambos aren’t included in the package for next season’s competition.
In the Daily Mail, Stephen McGowan reports:
Plans for Celtic, Rangers and Hearts to field B teams in an expanded Lowland League next season are on the verge of collapse.
Clubs from Scottish football’s fifth tier recently voted in favour of admitting two guest sides for a second successive season.
Celtic and Rangers Colts were expected to fill the void until Hearts submitted a late application before the deadline.
Asked to change their rules to allow all three to enter a 19-team league, Lowland League sides voted against the proposal by a margin of 13 to three – with chairmen expected to decide which two of the three they wanted to admit by June 6.
In an unexpected ultimatum, however, the three Scottish Premiership clubs have now made it clear that the SLFL either allows all three guest teams to play – or risks receiving none at all.
Lowland League officials have now written to members outlining the current state of play.
And Sportsmail understands clubs are expected to revert to a 16-team league – with no guest teams admitted – when they discuss the matter at an AGM this Monday night.
Under last season’s arrangements both Celtic and Rangers paid £25,000 each as an entry payment for participation, with colts team ineligible for promotion.
With both clubs seeing the benefits to their academy players of playing regular competitive football against semi-professional opposition, Lowland League sides were set to ramp up the cost of entry.
Irked by the apparent conditions attached by Celtic, Hearts and Rangers, the expectation is that members will end the guest club experiment on Monday.
Celtic finished last season in third place, using Airdrie’s Excelsior Stadium for home matches.
I didn’t really see any major benefits of playing at this level aside from regular fixtures. Opposition was with the exception of a handful of clubs, average at best.
No idea why we are siding with other clubs, surely we make our OWN decision to enter or not, not align with others to try and force entry.
We would be better playing friendlies against English / Irish / Welsh or foreign opposition as much as possible or league level Scottish opponents than another season at Lowland league standards.