Braves gaffer welcomes Hearts to Lowland setup
Caledonian Braves boss Ricky Waddell welcomes Hearts’ inclusion in the Lowland League for the same reason he backed Rangers and Celtic ‘B’ teams.
The former Rangers youth coach says the Premiership giants’ ‘Colts’ teams’ inclusion helps to develop young players, which on a whole is beneficial to Scottish football, while adding prestige to the fifth tier.
While the boss of the Motherwellbased club says Rangers and Celtic didn’t provide a ‘game-changing’ level of finance last season, he believes it still made a difference to developing players.
All three clubs will be included in next season’s league, but are unable to seek promotion even if they win the title, and will each pay £40,000 for the privilege.
It has proved a controversial move with some clubs and fans, and Hearts were initially rejected before a second vote took place last week, following an ultimatum laid down by the clubs to the league that it was either all or none of the trio that would participate.
And Waddell said: “My opinion hasn’t changed since I got asked before when Rangers and Celtic were making the application.
“My mind is always on ‘lets do the right thing for what you believe in as a coach’ and that’s about developing players.
“My thought process is always what’s best for Scottish football and developing players, and when I was asked my opinion I said it would be good for Rangers, Celtic and Hearts, latterly, to come in the league.
“If my reasons for Rangers and Celtic coming into the league is for a development point of view, because it’s good for those young players to come in and play in a man’s league, I can’t say no to Hearts.
“Hearts are a big club, and from my point of view it’s welcomed in. I don’t know what they’re going to do with 19 teams, how they’re going to work it, or what the next vote will be on that.”
Waddell is looking for Braves to continue their own progress, but says the games against the Glasgow clubs last season provided a boost for his players.
He said: “For Hearts, Rangers and Celtic it will be another exciting season, for us we just keep going – it’s as simple as that. We keep trying to get better, each year, and I’ve re-signed most of my players and I’m still trying to add one or two others within that.
“So whether Rangers, Hearts and Celtic are in the league or not, we just try to progress all the time.
“I think Rangers and Celtic gave a bit of prestige to things, I think it brought more fans and there was a financial element that is positive from that side.
“But we didn’t make that much money from it to cast a decision, it wasn’t that much across the board that it was a real game-changer.
“As a league organisation, we had an opportunity to do a good thing for the development of young players in Scottish football, so for me it was a bit of a no-brainer.
“Rangers and Celtic brought more fans, their young players were helped to develop on that side, and from my players’ point of view they all looked forward to those particular games.
“They knew the games had a little bit more prestige about them, and it might not be the same next season because thee novelty factor has worn off.
“Regardless of who we play, though, we make sure we have the motivation level right up there.”