Aberdeen have REJECTED their invitation to join the much-debated Conference Colts League.
All 42 SPFL clubs were invited to express an interest in enrolling a B Team in a newly created fifth tier of the Scottish football pyramid. But the Dons have released a statement confirming the reasons why the Pittodrie board agreed to opt against the proposals, claiming that ‘one size does not fit all’.
The new league is due to start in the 2024/25 season and will include several B Teams including Celtic, Rangers and Hearts plus two clubs from the Highland League and four from the Lowland League. The B Teams would comprise a majority of Scottish U21 players, with the stated ambition of providing competitive, meaningful game-time for emerging players in the developmental years between the youth academy and first-team football. However Aberdeen chief executive Alan Burrows has revealed the club weighed up the costs and came to the conclusion that they are best to continue down their current route of using the loan market and striving to give young stars senior opportunities.
Burrows said: “We spent considerable time assessing the impact on our player development strategy, including the player pathway, and reviewed the cost/benefit of entering a B team in the Conference League. We also took account of feedback from other stakeholders, supporters and considered the decades long relationships we’ve had with Junior and Highland League clubs, including clubs who are now established in the SPFL.
“The player pathway challenge we would face with a team in the fifth tier is that "one size does not fit all”. We have young players who need experience at higher levels in the pyramid. To accommodate that, and have a full-time B team, we would need to have around 55 full-time players. We estimated additional annual costs of around £400,000.
“While we have said no to the SPFL and Scottish FA about entering the proposed Conference League in 2024/25, we are keen to explore other options such as a strategic partnership with another SPFL club, where expanding some of the loan regulations would be key to ensuring Aberdeen FC continues to be one of the best developers of young talent in the country. We will therefore continue to push our best young talent to our first team as quickly as possible, along with using the loan market to provide player pathway experience, which has been impactful for the Club over many years.”
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