HibeeJibee Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Alex Smith - current Falkirk assistant, chair of the Scottish League Managers Association, recent inductee to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame - is calling for OF to buy-out 2 clubs as feeders. He envisages clubs like Airdrie, Clyde or Livingston being taken-over by Rangers and Celtic. Argues this would enhance youth development and give OF fans a home game to watch every week. He says this would transform and improve Scottish football's fortunes.http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-celtic-should-buy-over-9258820 By Gavin Berry ALEX SMITH wants Scotland’s major clubs to take over lower-league sides and use them as feeder outfits in a radical proposal to help develop our country’s youngsters. Scottish football’s godfather and Falkirk technical director insists a solution must be found to help produce talent that can help the nation get back onto the major stage. ADVERTISING inRead invented by Teads The idea of the Old Firm fielding Colt sides in the lower leagues has been discussed before with the SFA also considering a proposal for an NFL-style draft system as part of a major shake-up. It is aimed at getting kids more competitive football and Smith’s idea takes it a step further by claiming Rangers and Celtic and the rest of the top clubs could buy out the likes of Airdrie and Clyde as a route into the lower leagues. He believes it would help their top talent develop by playing in tougher leagues in front of bigger crowds before returning to their parent clubs ready for top level action. Smith – a former manager of the Bully Wee – said: “I don’t agree with a lot of people who say we don’t have good young footballers. We have a lot of good young footballers – I want this message to get over. “It is not the kids that are the problem. The biggest problem for Scottish football is the blockage at the top of the academies. We have the development league there. They can get in there, it is a good pathway, then they get so many games, but some managers won’t play them in their first teams because the pressures are so heavy to get results. “They work hard within the academy, they work hard to get into teams, they work hard to come through the system. They are all bursting to do that - so enthusiastic. The problem is that they go from the years of ambition – say nine-years-old to 18 – to the age of frustration and unfulfilment. They get disillusioned. And they drop a bit off it because they can’t get in the first team. “We have tried the loan system but it only works for a few. Sometimes they go out on loan and don’t do well, people forget about them then it becomes worse for them. I don’t see the reason – and I know there are reasons but I don’t see them as being strong enough – to deny the big clubs being able to buy over some of the provincial, community clubs. “If Rangers for instance were to buy over Airdrie and the brand new stadium which is sitting there and play in the Championship league, and likewise Celtic with Clyde at Broadwood or Livingston, they can get their young players and play them in a competitive environment. It means they and their staff are kind of in charge of it and can try to give them first team experience so that when they bring boys back - like Liam Henderson for example who went to Hibs before returning to Celtic - they are almost ready for their first team. “The Spanish clubs do that all the time but whenever you mention it in Scotland you get told that you can’t do it, the constitution doesn’t allow one club to own another club. But think of the benefits of getting young players playing. Celtic played at Pittodrie recently and had maximum 8000 fans up there. But you have 60,000 at Parkhead every second week so that’s 52,000 empty seats. “The same goes for Rangers. So where are those fans? They could be going to see these clubs, watching these players. All the clubs would benefit from the financial push they got. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightmare Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Alex Smith is clearly a fucking zoomer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Grass Is Greener. Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Typical Rangers/Falkirk man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Archer (Raconteur) Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 The Rangers have yet to prove that they can look after themselves let alone another football club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 3 minutes ago, The Grass Is Greener. said: Typical Rangers/Falkirk man. Is he not from Stirling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunning1874 Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 When was the last time Alex Smith said anything which wasn't utterly risible bollocks? He is the embodiment of everything wrong with Scottish football, a truly awful individual with absolutely nothing worthwhile to contribute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Not to worry, hes nearing the age where a case of mild constipation might kill him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Litt Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Time to wheel this dinosaur into the nearest nursing home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 Just now, Dunning1874 said: He is the embodiment of everything wrong with Scottish football, a truly awful individual with absolutely nothing worthwhile to contribute. Scottish football’s godfather described as "the nearest thing the Scottish game has to a father figure"'the Don Corleone of Falkirk FC'Alex Smith has one of the most decorated managerial careers in Scottish football. At the age of 75 he is as active as ever and puts in a phenomenal amount of work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WILLIEA Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 The people in positions of authority in Scottish football are complete fools who don't understand the game imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLIS Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 oh yes please.. give the old firm more power.. please.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiviLion Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Another P&B thread filled with obsessed diddies. Sorry, just practising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afro Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Alex Smith is a servile auld dick who should f**k off and take up gardening. His views are about as legitimate as taking a handgun into a primary school, ffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sloop John B Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 P&B's fave journo Gavin Berry behind this cracker of a story There is only ever one gif that is appropriate when yet another geriatric loon says something incredibly stupid. Spoiler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 I'm sure Alex means the best but....U20's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrmad Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 2 hours ago, RandomGuy. said: Not to worry, hes nearing the age where a case of mild constipation might kill him. We should just hide the cups and ply him with copious amounts of fibre then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMC13 Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Alex Smith puts milk in his tea before the hot water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 6 hours ago, Sloop John B said: P&B's fave journo Gavin Berry behind this cracker of a story There is only ever one gif that is appropriate when yet another geriatric loon says something incredibly stupid. Hide contents Gavin Berry says it's the only way, if Scotland ever want to compete at the top level in the boat race or The Arc de Triomphe again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BallochSonsFan Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Colts teams will be the death of football. It doesnt matter how small a team is. Teams have history, community ties and add to the culture of the game. Theres certainly a case to be made that smaller teams would potentially offer a good option to send kids out on loan to play meaningful football. If the criteria for improvement is playing meaningful football then the idea of colts teams is actually the antithesis. How can it be meaningful for kids to play for teams who have absolutely no purpose but to give them games? No drive for promotion or fight against relegation? Give me a struggling club fighting to be part of it's local community and playing for league survival over a bland, pointless, directionless reserve side any day. Colt teams are absolutely barmy and should be nowhere near Scottish football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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