Should not be allowed. Some of the smaller teams rely on the players they get on loan from the SPL, if Colt teams were to be playing week-in week-out then this supply of young players would dry up.
The flip side to my own argument is that the lower league teams would then have to provide more of their own players, probably youngsters to fill their teams which could be a good thing overall.
Hopefully will come to nothing.
Alistair MacNair - 13 years ago
No thanks. Why give the OF an excuse to take even more players from the teams below them. It would reduce the quality of player in the SPL. The rest of the SPL would the take players from the 1st and so on. It would reduce the quality of players at all levels. Why ponder to the OF anyway? Given half a change they would be of to a league else where. A message to the of NO ONE WANTS YOU AND NEVER WILL!!
David Carson - 13 years ago
What frightens me is not this proposal per se, but the reaction of the owners and Boards of Directors of the SFL clubs to it.
Like Casey, for me this is a no-brainer; as soon as Scottish senior football surrenders the democratic right to ‘one man, one vote’ then I’m off, end of.
However, a slickly-presented PR-crafted proposal, full of buzzshit like stakeholders and revenue streams, and accompanied by veiled threats may have an entirely different reaction on financially hard-pressed administrators of the middle and lower order clubs. They will perhaps view the Colts element of any such package as a ‘kerching’ factor – instead they will be adding two plus two to make five.
Sure there may be temporary novelty in such an idea, but I’ve lived here long enough to know that those who have a genuine interest in the fortunes of DFC already follow the club, and anyone who considers that other than a very short-term financial lift will occur really needs to take a serious reality check.
The end result will be that dozens, if not more, of us will simply walk away from the game, leaving every one of us connected with Dumbarton FC the poorer. Is that really the course of action Brabco and our Board of Directors wish to pursue ?
Finally, we have had various Meet The Manager set piece events down the years. Such is the importance of what is now unfolding that I would really much welcome the opportunity to Meet The Directors in a public forum in the very near future, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
Over to the Trust.
Casey - 13 years ago
What HibeeJibee (from Pie and Bovril) said..............and I couldn't agree more.
A bit lazy but why reinvent the wheel??
"It won't increase crowds. What you'll see will IMO be a significant portion of home supporters not attending a game... they'll not be interested in seeing Dundee Utd youths or Aberdeen fringe-men, and others will simply see it as affront to what they've become used to watching (i.e. first-team "proper clubs" whose purpose is to try and win promotion and trophies). The likes of Aberdeen, Hibs, Dundee Utd, etc. will bring no notable support at all for their Colts.
It's admittable that the OF will bring travelling supports... but what sort of away supports? The Union Bears? Sort of Celtic fans who rioted at a Lincoln City v Celtic XI "family fun day" pre-season friendly in July? These are going to harm what are currently family atmospheres - which'll also turn away home supporters - and probably burden clubs with the need to install and use segregation / get police in / and so on.
It's also sportingly unfair. We don't know if there will be fluid squads or not (that's what Rangers want), but regardless... it's professional players who could be aged as old as 23, playing against semi-professionals. Further, what happens when they get into tier 3 and then can't go any further? They probably end-up creating a bottle-neck preventing clubs from getting promoted.
It's also unfair in terms of facilities. Clubs have been breaking their backs getting their grounds up to Club Licensing standards... and some non-leaguers have invested in facilities, only to watch them sitting about with no opportunity to ascend. But suddenyl half-a-dozen Colt teams can waltz in, and play out of their training centres / or just decide to ground-share with existing clubs, or non-leaguers - and the division expands to accomodate them?
It's also about perception. Putting development or youth teams into those levels undermines their image and the level of seriousness with which they're taken. It's completely against the culture within the UK footballing world at any kind of top-end level, nevermind the nationwide levels. It harms the credibility. (And that could harm its appeal to sponsors/media I'd suspect).
And I fear it'll be a slippery-slope. If the OF Colts win the 3rd tier for a few years in a row, there'll be huge pressure to let them into SPL2. And the OF always get what they want.
Finally, it's not clear why it actually helps. How will playing 22 year olds against postmen, gas-fitters and PE teachers improve Scottish football's elite youth development? Even if it will... why can't clubs loan out players - or adopt loosely affiliated partner clubs?
Entire thing is a disgrace. It's unnecessary, it's damaging, and it's certainly not going to be of any benefit whatsoever to the vast majority of SFL clubs.
Only possibility is that for a few clubs in the Strathclyde/West area, they might draw a few big crowds v the OF Colts, which could outweigh the home fans lost v other Colts + more generally. And any club board which deliberately drives-off it's own home fans, in the uncertain hope of shelling-it-in off OF fans, has lost its moral compass. "
And you can put me down as one of those home supporters that'll not be attending.
I've held a season ticket for 30 consecutive years at Dumbarton. There won't be a 32nd year if this comes to pass.
Casey
Jim Gray - 13 years ago
Have thought some about this proposal and am very against any idea that Premier Clubs would be allowed to enter reserve sides in the Scottish Football Leagues. A definite NO.
Should not be allowed. Some of the smaller teams rely on the players they get on loan from the SPL, if Colt teams were to be playing week-in week-out then this supply of young players would dry up.
The flip side to my own argument is that the lower league teams would then have to provide more of their own players, probably youngsters to fill their teams which could be a good thing overall.
Hopefully will come to nothing.
No thanks. Why give the OF an excuse to take even more players from the teams below them. It would reduce the quality of player in the SPL. The rest of the SPL would the take players from the 1st and so on. It would reduce the quality of players at all levels. Why ponder to the OF anyway? Given half a change they would be of to a league else where. A message to the of NO ONE WANTS YOU AND NEVER WILL!!
What frightens me is not this proposal per se, but the reaction of the owners and Boards of Directors of the SFL clubs to it.
Like Casey, for me this is a no-brainer; as soon as Scottish senior football surrenders the democratic right to ‘one man, one vote’ then I’m off, end of.
However, a slickly-presented PR-crafted proposal, full of buzzshit like stakeholders and revenue streams, and accompanied by veiled threats may have an entirely different reaction on financially hard-pressed administrators of the middle and lower order clubs. They will perhaps view the Colts element of any such package as a ‘kerching’ factor – instead they will be adding two plus two to make five.
Sure there may be temporary novelty in such an idea, but I’ve lived here long enough to know that those who have a genuine interest in the fortunes of DFC already follow the club, and anyone who considers that other than a very short-term financial lift will occur really needs to take a serious reality check.
The end result will be that dozens, if not more, of us will simply walk away from the game, leaving every one of us connected with Dumbarton FC the poorer. Is that really the course of action Brabco and our Board of Directors wish to pursue ?
Finally, we have had various Meet The Manager set piece events down the years. Such is the importance of what is now unfolding that I would really much welcome the opportunity to Meet The Directors in a public forum in the very near future, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
Over to the Trust.
What HibeeJibee (from Pie and Bovril) said..............and I couldn't agree more.
A bit lazy but why reinvent the wheel??
"It won't increase crowds. What you'll see will IMO be a significant portion of home supporters not attending a game... they'll not be interested in seeing Dundee Utd youths or Aberdeen fringe-men, and others will simply see it as affront to what they've become used to watching (i.e. first-team "proper clubs" whose purpose is to try and win promotion and trophies). The likes of Aberdeen, Hibs, Dundee Utd, etc. will bring no notable support at all for their Colts.
It's admittable that the OF will bring travelling supports... but what sort of away supports? The Union Bears? Sort of Celtic fans who rioted at a Lincoln City v Celtic XI "family fun day" pre-season friendly in July? These are going to harm what are currently family atmospheres - which'll also turn away home supporters - and probably burden clubs with the need to install and use segregation / get police in / and so on.
It's also sportingly unfair. We don't know if there will be fluid squads or not (that's what Rangers want), but regardless... it's professional players who could be aged as old as 23, playing against semi-professionals. Further, what happens when they get into tier 3 and then can't go any further? They probably end-up creating a bottle-neck preventing clubs from getting promoted.
It's also unfair in terms of facilities. Clubs have been breaking their backs getting their grounds up to Club Licensing standards... and some non-leaguers have invested in facilities, only to watch them sitting about with no opportunity to ascend. But suddenyl half-a-dozen Colt teams can waltz in, and play out of their training centres / or just decide to ground-share with existing clubs, or non-leaguers - and the division expands to accomodate them?
It's also about perception. Putting development or youth teams into those levels undermines their image and the level of seriousness with which they're taken. It's completely against the culture within the UK footballing world at any kind of top-end level, nevermind the nationwide levels. It harms the credibility. (And that could harm its appeal to sponsors/media I'd suspect).
And I fear it'll be a slippery-slope. If the OF Colts win the 3rd tier for a few years in a row, there'll be huge pressure to let them into SPL2. And the OF always get what they want.
Finally, it's not clear why it actually helps. How will playing 22 year olds against postmen, gas-fitters and PE teachers improve Scottish football's elite youth development? Even if it will... why can't clubs loan out players - or adopt loosely affiliated partner clubs?
Entire thing is a disgrace. It's unnecessary, it's damaging, and it's certainly not going to be of any benefit whatsoever to the vast majority of SFL clubs.
Only possibility is that for a few clubs in the Strathclyde/West area, they might draw a few big crowds v the OF Colts, which could outweigh the home fans lost v other Colts + more generally. And any club board which deliberately drives-off it's own home fans, in the uncertain hope of shelling-it-in off OF fans, has lost its moral compass. "
And you can put me down as one of those home supporters that'll not be attending.
I've held a season ticket for 30 consecutive years at Dumbarton. There won't be a 32nd year if this comes to pass.
Casey
Have thought some about this proposal and am very against any idea that Premier Clubs would be allowed to enter reserve sides in the Scottish Football Leagues. A definite NO.