THE prospect of colt teams for Celtic and Rangers being formed in Scotland’s lower leagues is one that seems to rear its head on a biannual basis. Every six months the waters are tested to see if fans have warmed to the idea, and every six months the notion is emphatically rebuked.

According to George Fraser, though, this time it’s very different. The chairman of the Lowland League – the fifth tier of Scottish football – has been at the forefront of talks surrounding the introduction of Old Firm colt teams in the division. A document has been drawn up and circulated around the clubs ahead of a meeting between representatives of the Lowland League sides, Celtic and Rangers this Monday, where the proposal will be formally discussed. Clubs will have the final say on the issue and require a simple majority to accept or reject the changes.

Fraser, who also serves as club manager of BSC Glasgow, stresses that unlike previous iterations of the scheme, there is one crucial distinction on this occasion: the Old Firm’s involvement would be a one-season wonder.

“It’s almost what you’d call a pilot run: it’s only going to be for one year,” he explained. “If we’re not innovative and don’t try things, how do we know it won’t work in the future?

“We’ve got to look forward a wee bit and try something new. We keep doing the same thing over and over again and that’s not working. Let’s look at another avenue of trying it, you know?

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“We won’t know until we try and that’s what it comes down to. But it is only for one year and after that both clubs will leave the Lowland League. This will be a club decision taken by the members. It won’t be a board decision, it won’t be my decision.”

As for why his fellow Lowland League clubs would be in favour of such an idea, Fraser insists that there are plenty of tangible benefits – both for the current teams and the Old Firm youngsters – that make the enterprise a worthwhile one.

“Rangers and Celtic have been looking for an avenue to get their 17 to 20-year-olds out for a bit of playing experience,” Fraser said. “I think their opportunities are limited within the current structure in Scottish football.

“They obviously tried to do that through the SPFL [with previous discussions around colt teams] and that didn’t come off for next season which left them with an issue of where to play their players next season.

“From their point of view, it gives them valuable experience and competitive football week in, week out: something that they wouldn’t be getting otherwise. There’s a major gap in Scottish football between 17 and 20 where there’s not really any competition following the death of the reserve league.

“This is the human aspect to it. These players need somewhere to play. We’re dealing with young boys that need to play football.

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“From the Lowland League point of view, there will be financial benefits for us as an entity – both commercially and from the entrance fee that Rangers and Celtic will pay. The tangible benefits for us will be the exposure of the league and the whole pyramid. It will really give us a fresh standing and raise awareness a hundred-fold of the Lowland League.”

The mood music slightly lower down the pyramid isn’t quite as rosy, however. In the West of Scotland League (WOSL) – the sixth tier – there are concerns from some clubs that colt sides for the Old Firm would be skipping the queue if they were fast-tracked into the Lowland League.

With no concrete proposal to go on, many feel sidelined from discussions that could have a huge bearing on their long-term futures. Colt teams may not affect them directly, should they begin life in the Lowland League, but their presence alone would inevitably effect change – even if only by setting a precedent that led to the permanent inclusion of colt sides outwith the SPFL pyramid.

Clydebank currently play in the WOSL, and the club say that the recent talks must be used as a platform for broader discussion of reform in the lower leagues – adding their opposition to the introduction of colt teams.

“I think you can see the reaction from clubs on social media and things like that,” said a spokesman for the Bankies. “There’s a lot of unrest and uncertainty more than anything else because no one has seen a proposal as such, there’s just been the odd statement here and there.

“The lower leagues in Scotland have changed quite a lot over the last few years. We’ve gone from about 30 clubs in Tier 6 to about 90. So the one thing we’re taking away from the statement is the commitment to modernisation.

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“There’s been a big influx of clubs at that level. I think there are a lot of issues for all of the clubs. You don’t want anyone having an unfair advantage, do you? Everyone has been there and we joined the pyramid on the principle that you can work your way up. The idea of another club getting parachuted in doesn’t sit well with anyone.

“We don’t know enough about the proposals to have a definitive stance on them. It affects the Lowland League clubs but it affects the West of Scotland League clubs too by default.

“We would welcome an overview in terms of how we improve the pyramid overall, rather than getting bogged down in discussions around colts. I don’t doubt that the lower leagues need an overhaul but colt teams aren’t the answer and they shouldn’t be in the mix.

“Generally speaking, we think opening up the pyramid would be a start. We don’t quite know what they’re proposing with regards to promotion and relegation. Right now the top team gets a play-off for a spot in the Lowland League and you have to be licensed as well.

“A lot of clubs in Tier 6 are making a lot of positive changes, investing in infrastructure and whatnot. We wouldn’t be in favour of parachuting anyone in and that’s what appears to be the case with the current proposal.”