B Teams in the Football League?

[Cyclizine]

What's wrong with loaning out your players if you're wanting them to have game time? Or develop a more competitive reserve league. B teams are a terrible idea.

[Supras]

It's no surprise, they need a drastic overhaul, a football revolution, to get out the slump of footballs greatest underachievers.

Rip it up and start again. Every three seasons.

[NorthernLights]

This horrendous B-teams proposal comes from the 10-man FA Commission.

Half its membership is the startling quintet of Greg Dyke, Danny Mills, Rio Ferdinand, Glenn Hoddle and Howard Wilkinson .

Is that the same commission that features this guy?

[HibeeJibee]

Is that the same commission that features this guy?

I think she's on a different commission - the equality/racial inclusion one - they seem to have various. At least we got by with Henry McLeish and a badly spellchecked pair of reports.

She's the one who got appointed then publically criticised this commission - the "make us great again" one - for not having a black person.

Less than a day before FA announced Rio Ferdinand was on it. Which had already been decided, and which she probably already knew.

Ah, the FA. Dignity. Gotta love 'em.

[Ross.]

What "bottom level"? League Two? Luton Town spent five miserable years trying to get back into League Two, which has a paltry two promotion spots. Why the f**k should Bolton's B side get the honour for nothing?

Other countries are far larger than the UK. Other countries also tend to be dominated by a couple of clubs to an almost Scottish extent. The Premier League looks incredibly competitive compared to most seasons in the other top European leagues.

I don't expect this to go anywhere, but it's astonishing it would even be floated.

The bottom level is self explanatory. It's the bottom level. The first rung of the ladder. The regional divisions. Several steps below league two and the conference. Put them in there and see how seriously the big clubs take this proposal.

When you say "Other countries are far larger", do you mean by population or by area? Portugal and The Netherlands are both smaller by area and population, while Spain is smaller by population. All 3 allow this, and all 3 are arguably(Unarguably in my opinion but I'm being kind) far better at producing top class football players.

I'm not saying it is a fantastic idea, but to dismiss it outright without even considering it is stupid.

[7-2]

Is that the same commission that features this guy?

I think she's on a different commission - the equality/racial inclusion one - they seem to have various. At least we got by with Henry McLeish and a badly spellchecked pair of reports.

She's the one who got appointed then publically criticised this commission - the "make us great again" one - for not having a black person.

Less than a day before FA announced Rio Ferdinand was on it. Which had already been decided, and which she probably already knew.

Ah, the FA. Dignity. Gotta love 'em.

She's also the one that noticeably said f**k all when Campbell was spouting his anti-FA racist bile to help him sell his book. Funny that.

[nsr]

How many clubs in Scotland would realistically want/could realistically support a B team in a lower division anyway? Anyone other than Celtic?

[HibeeJibee]

How many clubs in Scotland would realistically want/could realistically support a B team in a lower division anyway? Anyone other than Celtic?

On paper my guess is just the Old Firm.

This season the SPFL Under 20s League has been a fight between Celtic, Rangers and Hibs.

Handily enough for these purposes. Hibs have fielded effectively the same team in the East of Scotland League this season.

They romped to promotion in the First Division, although the title was only secured in a last-day decider with Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare.

However in the EOS Qualifying League, of 6 matches played v EOS Premier teams there were 4 draws and just 2 wins (one being 2-1).

In the last 2 midweeks the teams has played EOS Premier champions Lothian Thistle twice in cup-ties. On the first occasion it required a last-minute Hibs equaliser to force ET, and a goal at the death to win it aet. On the second occasion a last-minute goal to win it. EDIT: And tonight they lost 1-0 at home to Edinburgh University, who finished 5th and are joining Lowland League.

My feeling is that Hibs current U20s/reserves would struggle to justify playing at Lowland League level, nevermind at Scottish League level.

[Sweet Pete]

An abolsutely dreadful idea. B teams as stand alone sides is an insult to sport.

[Thumper]

The bottom level is self explanatory. It's the bottom level. The first rung of the ladder. The regional divisions. Several steps below league two and the conference.

Twenty levels. And they actually allow clubs to play their reserve teams in and around there already.

[Booker-T]

B Teams are fucking shite, I do not see the appeal at all.

Seems to work well in portugal, spain and germany.

Brits are just too set in our ways.

it's clearly harming our club game not having them

[Enigma]

Seems to work well in portugal, spain and germany.

Brits are just too set in our ways.

it's clearly harming our club game not having them

It works well in those countries because it's a deeply ingrained part of their football culture. It would clearly do considerably damage to many of the smaller FL teams. It's a rank idea, let's hop talk of it never comes back to scotland, the thought of watching my team playing Celtic's fuming reserves makes me shudder.

[Booker-T]

our game couldn't be worse than it is right now.

if you manage in the same way it is in those countries it will be fine (minimum home growns, maximum number over 21s, no ringers).

In Scotland we have too many divisions for the small number of clubs, 10 under-23 teams could be admitted to the lowland/highland level and levels 3 and 4 should be merged to form the new level 3 which B teams can't be promoted above.

most P&Bers don't want it, so pointless debating it..... but please think about this:

Messi is just a little older than Bojan Krkic.

Bojan was considered to be at least as talented as Messi (oddly it turns out they are cousins)

Many former Barca coaches think the big difference between the development of the two is that Messi gained confidence and knowledge due to his extended period playing 2nd and 3rd level football while being provided with the best coaching available, where as Bojan was rushed through the b team into the first team.

[HibeeJibee]

our game couldn't be worse than it is right now.

Tosh.

if you manage in the same way it is in those countries it will be fine (minimum home growns, maximum number over 21s, no ringers).

How many Scottish Premiership clubs don't already use enough homegrown and young players?

In Scotland we have too many divisions for the small number of clubs,

What does this mean?

10 under-23 teams could be admitted to the lowland/highland level and levels 3 and 4 should be merged to form the new level 3 which B teams can't be promoted above.

I've observed that Hibs Under 20s - one of the best Under 20s teams in the country - would most likely struggle at LL level. And why should B teams be allowed anywhere near tier 3? Why should tiers 3 and 4 be regionalised?

Messi is just a little older than Bojan Krkic.

Bojan was considered to be at least as talented as Messi (oddly it turns out they are cousins)

Many former Barca coaches think the big difference between the development of the two is that Messi gained confidence and knowledge due to his extended period playing 2nd and 3rd level football while being provided with the best coaching available, where as Bojan was rushed through the b team into the first team.

So they've a B team, but it didn't help Bojan? And why, in the Scottish context, couldn't Bojan or Messi have been loaned-out?

[Booker-T]

Tosh.

How many Scottish Premiership clubs don't already use enough homegrown and young players?

What does this mean?

I've observed that Hibs Under 20s - one of the best Under 20s teams in the country - would most likely struggle at LL level. And why should B teams be allowed anywhere near tier 3? Why should tiers 3 and 4 be regionalised?

So they've a B team, but it didn't help Bojan? And why, in the Scottish context, couldn't Bojan or Messi have been loaned-out?

They could have Livi or rovers maybe - what they would have learned would have set them back years though.

[craigkillie]

our game couldn't be worse than it is right now.

if you manage in the same way it is in those countries it will be fine (minimum home growns, maximum number over 21s, no ringers).

In Scotland we have too many divisions for the small number of clubs, 10 under-23 teams could be admitted to the lowland/highland level and levels 3 and 4 should be merged to form the new level 3 which B teams can't be promoted above.

most P&Bers don't want it, so pointless debating it..... but please think about this:

Messi is just a little older than Bojan Krkic.

Bojan was considered to be at least as talented as Messi (oddly it turns out they are cousins)

Many former Barca coaches think the big difference between the development of the two is that Messi gained confidence and knowledge due to his extended period playing 2nd and 3rd level football while being provided with the best coaching available, where as Bojan was rushed through the b team into the first team.

That's a lovely little story, but Bojan actually played the exact same number games as Messi for their B team.

[itzdrk]

The ONLY reason i hope they dont do it is because if they do we will get it.

[itzdrk]

What would the 96 want?

Justice for Heysel

[Booker-T]

That's a lovely little story, but Bojan actually played the exact same number games as Messi for their B team.

Messi played another year in the C team.

Messi effectively had 2 seasons of lower league football, Bojan had less than 1

[craigkillie]

Messi played another year in the C team.

Messi effectively had 2 seasons of lower league football, Bojan had less than 1

That's not what you said originally - you were talking about them playing "2nd or 3rd level football", which is not a level Barcelona's C team ever played at.

The idea that Messi turned out better than Bojan because he played 10 games against the Spanish equivalent of Harrogate Town and Bishop's Stortford is quite frankly ludicrous. There were only 95 days of a difference between the two in terms of the age at which they made their Barcelona debut anyway.