Plans to introduce a new fifth tier of Scottish football featuring top-flight B teams have been hit by a wave of opposition in the run-up to Tuesday’s vote.
Cinch Premiership sides Livingston and St Mirren are among more than a dozen clubs to publicly come out against the proposals in the days leading up to the Scottish Football Association annual general meeting, where member clubs will get the final say.
The proposed 10-team Conference League would see up to four B teams compete alongside several Lowland and Highland League teams, in a stated bid to aid the development of young players.
Second-string teams from Celtic, Rangers and Hearts currently compete in the Lowland League but cannot get promoted and they would remain in the Conference League under the new plans.
However, the proposals have been criticised for effectively relegating 200 clubs further down the pyramid and Aberdeen last month declared they would not be entering a team, while Rangers manager Michael Beale appeared less than enthusiastic about the set-up.
Queen of the South, Falkirk, Cowdenbeath and Partick Thistle have declared themselves against the plans and fan-owned Clyde and Stirling have listened to their supporter votes and opposed the plans.
Both Morton and Cove Rangers released similar statements saying they did not agree that the plans would aid player development.
Both stated that they saw “the development of players closely linked to earlier pathways to the first-team and through successful use of the current loan system”.
Kelty Hearts have also decided to oppose the proposals.
Sporting director Craig Reynolds said: “We are all for player development but a league where you can finish sixth and be relegated or finish fifth and be promoted isn’t right for sporting integrity.
“While we understand the case for B teams, we believe that there’s other ways to improve Scottish football, such like larger leagues, reserve leagues and more loan players from the so-called bigger teams, as well as a more open pyramid system and fairer financial allocation throughout the SPFL.”
Stranraer’s committee have “overwhelmingly” rejected the plan.
Chairman Iain Dougan said: “A 10-team league with an automatic relegation and further play-off spots top and bottom, that only six teams were involved in, was in our view very, very fine margins.
“The funding for such a league would in all honesty have been a welcome softer landing should our club find itself as club 42 and losing any ensuing play-off, but we have long held the belief that as part of the pyramid, both Lowland and Highland Leagues should have been funded from their inception.”
Lowland League Berwick said: “The prospect of a third of our league fixtures being against B teams would be an oversaturation, and reduce the appeal of matches at Shielfield Park for supporters and potential sponsors.
“The increased travel distances for our loyal away support was another issue that was reported back to us consistently, and we have listened to those comments as well.”
FC Edinburgh declared they could not support any proposal which created an “additional impediment to teams attempting to progress as we and others since have”.
Stenhousemuir said: “We don’t believe the case has been made that the introduction of a new Conference League at Tier 5 in the pyramid will have enough of a positive impact on player development that it outweighs the negatives regarding the integrity of the competition.”
