Berwick reject Lowland League expansion

BERWICK RANGERS have rejected a proposal from the Lowland League to expand the division from 16 clubs to 19 in order to accommodate colts sides from the Premiership.

Celtic and Rangers both included B teams in the fifth tier of Scottish football for the first time this season as ‘guest clubs’, meaning they could not be promoted or relegated and the Glasgow clubs would be removed from the final league table, and paid £40,000 each to join the league.

The two Old Firm colts sides’ participation in next season’s Lowland League has been confirmed and a third unnamed club – believed to be Hearts – also want to include a B team in next year’s competition.

Many supporters of Lowland League clubs are against the inclusion of B teams in their league and Berwick Rangers last night released a statement announcing their opposition to the proposal.

It concluded: “As we reach what feels like a crossroads – and continue to be presented with options on new developments – Berwick Rangers would like to strongly urge its fellow clubs to consider what they see as the best outcome for the game; which decisions lead to fairer competition, which create more sporting integrity, which bolster opportunity and which create a system that leads by example.”

Berwick previously voted for increased promotion and relegation between the fifth and sixth tiers of Scottish football – a motion that was shot down by the Lowland League – and were in favour of introducing Old Firm colt sides as a pilot scheme this season but abstained from voting on their continued participation in a recent meeting.