WHO better to get a view from the terraces about the involvement of B teams in Scottish football’s senior leagues than the man from A View From The Terrace?
Craig Telfer is well known to lovers of the beautiful game in this country as the host of the irreverent and offbeat BBC television show.
Yet, for Telfer, a lifelong Stenhousemuir supporter who spends his Saturdays cheering on his beloved Warriors at Ochilview, moves to embed Premiership second string sides in the pyramid set-up are no laughing matter.
He was, like so many chairmen, directors, managers and fans, appalled at the new fifth tier Conference League proposal which the SFA put forward at their AGM last month.
He was pleased when the motion was withdrawn before it got put to the vote due to overwhelming opposition.
But the presence of Celtic, Hearts and Rangers B teams in the Lowland League in the past two seasons has troubled him for a number of different reasons as well.
His Twitter posts on the divisive subject have been scathing – he described the Conference League scheme as “back-of-a-fag-packet stuff” and the new look Lowland League as “deeply stupid”.
Proponents of colt sides playing against senior opposition – something which a number of leading European football nations have done for years now – argue it will increase the number of promising academy players who make the successful transition from the youth ranks to the professional game.
Telfer is far from convinced. He believes there are much more productive ways to bring through the stars of tomorrow. He agrees with those supporters who feel the involvement of B teams who are unable to win promotion or be relegated is detrimental to the league they are in. He is also sceptical about the reasons behind it.
“The Conference League proposal was so badly put together that even if you were a fan of bringing B teams into the SPFL you couldn’t have supported it,” he said. “It was a complete non-starter.
“Mick Kennedy, the East Kilbride manager, said the Conference League was effectively relegating 200 clubs en masse. Clubs are working really hard and spending a lot of money so they can compete in the Lowland League and kick on further. I didn’t think it was fair that they would be disadvantaged.
“My own club Stenhousemuir had a meeting about the Conference League proposal. They invited all the fans along, went through the documents the SFA had sent over to them about the new league and talked things through.
“It was so unappealing. Having four B teams who could not get promoted or relegated in a 10 team division? A team could finish sixth and get relegated! It was so bad. The motion being withdrawn is a good example of clubs listening to supporters and acting on their wishes.”
Telfer added: “But I have problems with B teams in general. I am a fan of one club, one membership. The idea of watching my team play a side who are only interested in development doesn’t appeal to me. There is maybe a competitive element to it, but you don’t get the same competitiveness that you do against a proper side.
“I have no interest in watching my side play development teams – and not many other people have the appetite for it judging by the attendance figures since Celtic, Hearts and Rangers have been in the Lowland League. The only time you get big crowds is when Celtic and Rangers play each other and it is at Ibrox or Parkhead.
“The Celtic, Hearts and Rangers B teams had completely different aims from Spartans in the Lowland League last season. Sorry, but that is not good for the competition. Yes, youth development is important. But so is watching your team in competitive action if you are a supporter.”
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell stated after the Conference League plan was pulled last month that the governing body will endeavour to address the concerns which many of their member clubs had and attempt to come up with an alternative proposal that is more to their liking.
However, Telfer thinks the traditional method of bringing through young players in this country is far superior to playing B teams in the senior leagues - and questions the motivations of Celtic, Hearts and Rangers.
“If these clubs really want to develop young players they should set up strategic partnerships with smaller clubs,” he said, “Hibernian used to have one with Stenhousemuir. The clubs would work together. Hibernian would send good young players over to Stenhousemuir and they would be in constant dialogue with each other.
“That is a far better way of bringing through players than hothousing them in these development sides. Get the kids out of their comfort zone playing matches at senior level where there is money, points and trophies at stake.
“I don’t think testing these players out against the University of Edinburgh or Gretna 2008 is particularly good for development. Get them involved in a promotion push or a relegation battle. What is at stake in the Lowland League? There would be a greater degree of interest if there was an element of jeopardy.
“I am going back a few years now, but Kenny Miller spent time on loan at Stenhousemuir from Hibernian. He went on to become a Scotland internationalist. If big clubs loan kids out to the right club they will be looked after, get game time, receive good coaching.
“Kane Ritchie-Hosler spent the second half of last season on loan from Rangers at Dunfermline Athletic. When he signed for Dunfermline permanently this month he said he learned so much more playing for them than he did playing for Rangers B in the Lowland League.”
Telfer continued: “If Celtic and Rangers are so concerned about developing young players why didn’t they give more of them game time at the tail end of last season? Celtic won the league with four games to spare. How many young players featured in those matches? They had a great opportunity and didn’t take it
“When Celtic, Hearts and Rangers first gained entry to the Lowland League in 2021 there was a lot of talk about how they were going to use the experiment to bring through the next generation of young Scottish players. Who was the first player Rangers signed? Juan Alegria, a Colombian guy.
“I have seen smaller clubs accused of holding back Scottish football by not doing enough for youth development. But clubs lower down the food chain do loads for youth development. They don’t hoard young players in the hope that one or two of them might break through or be sold on either.
“It is all about consolidating power as far as I’m concerned, not about developing talent for Scotland. It is not being done for altruistic reasons to help the national game in my view. I think it is about helping Celtic, Hearts and Rangers.”
