Celtic, Rangers and Hearts B teams admitted into Lowland League

The league governing bodies have also committed to talks over the future of B teams in the pyramid system

Published 7th Jun 2022

Celtic, Rangers and Hearts will have B teams competing in the Lowland League next season.

The three top flight clubs have been accepted as 'guests' into the division - the same way both Old Firm sides were last campaign.

Talks will also be held between the Scottish FA, the SPFL and the SLFL to see if a longer term solution can be agreed on in order to optimise the structure of the league pyramid.

The guest clubs are providing funding to the other teams in the league as part of the agreement and are required to field seven players eligible for Scotland national teams in their starting eleven.

Ian Maxwell, Chief Executive Scottish FA: "We are delighted that the Lowland League clubs have approved the participation of three guest clubs for the forthcoming season. The Scottish FA supports the principle of elite player development and particularly providing opportunities for talented players in the key transition years from 17 to 21.

“The Scottish FA will oversee a discussion in parallel to propose and implement a long-term plan with the objectives of optimising the pyramid, which has been a resounding success in Scottish football, harnessing the player pathway and accelerating the development of the country’s most talented young players through the national youth teams to the full international stage.”

Thomas Brown, Chairman, Lowland League: "We were always open to the inclusion of guest clubs for a further season given the successful player development outcomes from last year's pilot. We want to be a modern and progressive league and we are excited to be playing our part in the eco system that develops Scotland’s talent.

"Importantly, we now look forward to working with the Scottish FA, the SPFL and our friends in the pyramid to create some new solutions to some existing challenges which will provide a bright future at all levels of our game."

Neil Doncaster, Chief Executive, SPFL: "It is hugely encouraging to see such a joined-up and collaborative approach being adopted in such a vital area of our game.

“There are few more exciting things in football than watching the development of home-grown talent and it's extremely encouraging that the Lowland League has agreed to assist our clubs on a temporary basis for Season 2022/23.

"The SPFL will commit our energies to a process that will explore options and, hopefully, allow us to move forward various aspects of our game for the benefit of our 42 member clubs and Scottish football as a whole."