YES Michael Temlett

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

That must sum up how the SPFL chiefs feel after announcing the Challenge Cup changes.

Those who are quick to talk down the game jumped on the new proposals straight away and didn’t even need to know the facts before they started moaning.

‘ Teams from Wales and Northern Ireland, what’s the point of that?’. ‘Under-20s teams? Are you having a laugh?’

I’m sure Neil Doncaster and his cronies shared a chuckle at the predictable online backlash.

The two aforementioned additions are the sticking points for most punters but I believe these changes are huge positives for the entire Scottish game.

Firstly, our football will hit a wider audience thanks to the inclusion of four sides from two countries and the novelty of the situation will garner interest from outside Scotland.

It also opens up potential for cross-border tournaments in the future and that can only be a positive for the entire game. But the big plus which comes out of this is the addition of top-flight Under-20s sides.

For youngsters across the country, this is a huge chance to break into the first team and many sides will be looking to win this trophy.

Motherwell’s Under-20s won the Scottish Youth Cup this year with a handful of players who are on the brink of playing first-team football.

Premiership sides have been slammed in the past for loaning players out to lower-league clubs and not giving them a chance.

Now they can get the best of both worlds by seeing how their players fare against these clubs whilst still keeping a watchful eye over them.

Under-20s teams are not in this tournament to make up the numbers — they are in it to win it and develop. The best way for our youngsters to improve is by giving them meaningful game time and the IRN-BRU Cup does just that.

For anyone who claimed ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’ this revamp has the whole country talking — When was the last time the Challenge Cup was discussed so much?

Our football will hit a wider audience and garner interest. But the big plus is the addition of Under-20s