Rose tell Rangers and Celtic colts to start at bottom of the pyramid
Bonnyrigg Rose manager Robbie Horn insists his club deserve a place in the Scottish Professional Football League more than Celtic and Rangers colt teams.
Whilst not opposing the idea of B sides to develop young players, Horn stressed that they must start at the bottom of the pyramid and not jump the queue into League Two.
That would mean applying to join the East of Scotland, West of Scotland or South of Scotland leagues, and working their way up from there.
Rangers have circulated a reconstruction plan detailing a 14-14-18 divisional model which would increase the Scottish Professional Football League from 42 teams to 46.
Celtic are prepared to back their rivals’ idea as it would permit both Glasgow clubs to enter colt sides in an 18-club bottom tier, with Lowland and Highland League winners Kelty Hearts and Brora Rangers also joining.
Celtic and Rangers colts would pay a yearly membership fee for four years, starting at £125,000 and reducing by £25,000 each season. They would also pay for 200 away tickets for each match and to stream matches, with all proceeds going to third-tier clubs.
Hearts are also behind the plan and other teams would have the option to enter colts in future, but Horn insisted the pyramid structure should not be disregarded to let the biggest clubs in the country do what they want.
If four new clubs are to be added to the SPFL, as per the Rangers document, he believes it should be Kelty and Brora plus the runners-up in the Lowland and Highland leagues when football was shut down – Bonnyrigg Rose and either Inverurie Locos or Fraserburgh.
“Ideally that’s what I would like. In an ideal world, it would be us and either Inverurie or Fraserburgh along with Kelty and Brora stepping into the SPFL if you are increasing it to 46 teams,” Horn said.
“My honest feeling is that won’t happen. It would be right to include these teams but I just can’t see league reconstruction happening. In theory this is a great idea because it’s bringing money to the lower league teams, but clubs trying to work their way up the pyramid would be watching these colt teams come straight in above them.
“That’s the frustration because they would be jumping the pyramid.
“This idea has been talked about for a few years now. If colt teams had started at the bottom of the pyramid when it was first mentioned, they would probably be in League Two by now. I don’t have a problem with them starting at the lowest point and working their way up.
“It would be great for them to bring their money to nonleague teams at the bottom of the pyramid. Starting in League Two is an issue for everybody. It would cause a lot of controversy, although I get what they are trying to do.
“If they are going to do it, they need to start at the bottom like everybody else. That would be the East of Scotland League or the West of Scotland League.
“You couldn’t even have them in the Lowland League. They would need to work their way up from the bottom. That’s the way the pyramid system works. There is something not quite right about jumping straight into League Two and missing out the rest of the pyramid. I think that’s where the problem would lie for a lot of people.”
Hearts owner Ann Budge circulated her own restructuring plan for three leagues of 14 but is willing to back Rangers’ suggestion along with Celtic. 2 Bonnyrigg Rose finished second in the Lowland League and believe they have a stronger case for joining the SPFL than Celtic and Rangers’ colt teams.
Others in Scotland have placed colt sides in the East of Scotland league in recent years because they were not allowed a springboard into the SPFL. Horn would regard anything else as a “slap in the face” for teams like Bonnyrigg.
“Hibs and Berwick Rangers have both had teams in the East of Scotland and planned to work their way up,” recalled Horn. “Other countries do it, if you look at the Barcelona and Real Madrid B teams in Spain.
“It’s a good thing for the development of young players. They would be playing against men who are seasoned pros and that would help them progress. It would make them a bit more battle-hardened. Sometimes when you go to watch youth football it can seem a bit false.”