Celtic’s best Academy players could be sent out on loan to one SPFL lower division club from next season under a new plan being discussed by the SFA.
Lower division clubs have made it clear that they don’t want to see Colt teams playing in the SPFL which has resulted in Celtic playing in the Lowland League since the 2021/22 season.
That option has failed to provide any pathway for younger players with matches in the 5th/6th tier of the Scottish game of very limited value in producing first team ready players.
Loans are currently restricted to just two players from the same club going down the divisions with Dane Murray playing regularly for Queens Park.
Getting a soft link up with a League One club taking five or six players seems to be the target of the latest scheme, writing in the Daily Mail Stephen McGowan reports:
Next week the SPFL’s Competitions Working Group will meet the authors of an SFA report recommending the adoption of club co-operation agreements similar to those modelled in Hungary and Croatia.
The plan is to make it easier for young academy players to move between their parent club and a lower league feeder team outwith transfer windows. Requiring a change of league rules, a resolution could be put before the 42 senior clubs by May.
It looks like an awkward sell to put to the lower division clubs, any club looking to get promotion to The Championship is going to be concerned that a rival could have an endless supply of emerging full-time players boosting their squad.
Celtic recently sent Matthew Anderson and Ben Summers out on loan to Admira Wacker in the Austrian Second Division as they attempt to find a solution to the problem of finding a route to create first team players.
Since Kieran Tierney made the breakthrough in season 2015/16 no-one has came through to become a first team regular.
During the summer transfer window Daniel Kelly was sold to Millwall with midfielder Luke McCowan arriving at Celtic via Ayr United and Dundee.
It doesn’t sound that fair linking loanees to one club…
But if it goes ahead I hope Celtic pick Dumbarton FC…
Because I had two girlfriends there (at separate times of course) !
And there were loads and loads of Celtic supporters in Dumbarton…
And I used to watch Dumbarton FC play at Boghead when Celtic were away outta Glasgow…
Hope they don’t use Ayr United with The Brooney link though –
As Ayrshire ain’t such a good place as Dumbarton to be a Celtic supporter !
Bring back the fckn reserve league.