U20 League to start next season.....

[Libero]

full story here: http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/aberdeen/303285-spl-to-create-under-20-league/

I'm pretty sure that Terry had indicated that he would prefer the reintroduction of the reserve league as opposed to the U20 league

Does anyone actually know how this differs from the U19 we have at presently

Will this really gap the bridge in development between youth players and first team players? Not in my opinion

Seems a lot of faff if the only change is going to be allowing youngsters so play year longer in the youth league

Bring back the reserve league if you ask me

[ICTPaisley]

I prefered seeing the reserve matches at the Caledonian stadium. It gave you a chance to see a few of the fringe players and see how they can perform. If the under 20 league had a rule where you were allowed to field upto 3 or 4 over 20s I think this would be better. Giving the youngsters much needed experience and giving the older fringe players some game time too.

[Renegade]

There was nothing wrong with the Reserve League IMO and getting rid of it was a mistake.

[ICTPaisley]

There was nothing wrong with the Reserve League IMO and getting rid of it was a mistake.

I agree, youth was always given a chance in the reserves so no one can say they were filled with pensioners collecting their packets.

Would there be no way of us playing highland league teams again like we used to in the first division.

[CaleyD]

We do play HL teams in bounce matches....most of them closed door games though (although not heard of anyone ever being turned away when showing up).

I can only imagine their must have been a few concessions made from the original proposal to have achieved a "unanimous" decision. I know a few of the clubs (including ours) wanted to be able to play 5 or 6 older players...the argument being that the young lads will only improve and learn by playing alongside more experienced players.

If that's the case, then we effectively have a reserve league with the U20 tag (probably to allow access to funding from the development pot).

[Renegade]

Where will these games be played? And if they're at the stadium, will they be open to the fans like the old reserve games were?

[AJS]

Like many i preferred the old reserve league, it actually turned into an enjoyable pass time watching our young lads play alongside some of the first teamers. You had the advantage of developing youngsters, keeping squad players match fit and giving game time to those returning from injury. It had those 3 advantages rolled into 1 and it was a great shame to see it done away with. I would certainly rather that than the U 20's league. Like the OP says dosent seem any different to what we already have.

[+DoofersDad]

It is because a reserve league has those advantages for clubs with small resources that it has been done away with. The old firm have (up till now) been able to buy good new players to strengthen their team and given that the rest of us can't, they want to prevent us from developing our own talent. What the OF want the SPL want.

[+bughtmaster]

Well said DoofersDad,

OF rule Scottish football, definately time for change and I think it is beginning to dawn on other clubs that they should start standing up

for themselves.

Roll on the revolution!!!!

[old caley girl]

Not like you to be so cynical doofers dad but I think some of what you say is true. There is also the sfa pushing forward their youth agenda via Mark Wolte and no one appears to be allowed to speak up or criticise. Its ok for the central belt clubs as they are near enough to others to arrange bounce games but for us our geography makes life so much more difficult. No teams want to come up here for bounce games so our boys always have to travel. I wonder if clubs will be allowed to field over age players in this league?

[Sorted]

Reserve leagues do nothing to develop talent long term and tend to be full of guys who are not (and in some cases never will be) good enough for the first team. Appreciate the difficulties the age barrier brings but hope that it leads to clubs with 15/16 first team players being supplemented by youth.

Had to laugh yesterday when young McGeoch came on for Celtic with minutes to go. He looked like he could do something but was denied the opportunity due to his managers ineptitude and ridiculously big squad of highly paid journeymen. Maybe this will force the issue a bit?

As for the geography bit.........Inverness is still in the same place it has always been. Nothing changes. Just something that has to be worked around in lots of different ways when living and working in the Highlands.

[Libero]

Reserve leagues do nothing to develop talent long term and tend to be full of guys who are not (and in some cases never will be) good enough for the first team. Appreciate the difficulties the age barrier brings but hope that it leads to clubs with 15/16 first team players being supplemented by youth.

Had to laugh yesterday when young McGeoch came on for Celtic with minutes to go. He looked like he could do something but was denied the opportunity due to his managers ineptitude and ridiculously big squad of highly paid journeymen. Maybe this will force the issue a bit?

As for the geography bit.........Inverness is still in the same place it has always been. Nothing changes. Just something that has to be worked around in lots of different ways when living and working in the Highlands.

Hadnt really thought about it that way but it offers a very good reason for using an U20 league over a reserve league. Having a team in a reserve league full of older fringe players (who are merely looking for game time to keep fit) is not going to give youth players any chaplaying time to improve or gain any experience at all. I think this will force clubs to basically use their youth team as their reserve team. I hadnt viewed that way until your post sorted but youve raised a very good point

Interesting to see that in the last season or so that is exactly what has happened at ICT with our injury problems. Youth players like Ross, Sutherland, Shinnie and Morrison all coming in to cover injuries and even Polworth making the bench last season due the fact we have a very small playing squad.

[+DoofersDad]

A reserve team can be what you want it to be. If you wan't to stuff it with older guys who are not good enough for the first team then that is the manager's choice. If you want to stuff it full of 16 year olds that's the manager's choice as well. In practice most will use it to bring youngsters on, provide match practice for those returning from injury and provide opportunities to keep the fringe players match fit. The balance will depend on the circumstances throughout the season.

[Oddquine]

A reserve team can be what you want it to be. If you wan't to stuff it with older guys who are not good enough for the first team then that is the manager's choice. If you want to stuff it full of 16 year olds that's the manager's choice as well. In practice most will use it to bring youngsters on, provide match practice for those returning from injury and provide opportunities to keep the fringe players match fit. The balance will depend on the circumstances throughout the season.

Yep......I agree with A reserve team can be what you want it to be But is there any great need for a dedicated reserve league? Without a "reserve league" now, we play "a reserve team"....in Cup competitions under Highland League auspices we play "a reserve team", in bounce games we often play "a reserve team", in friendlies we often play "a reserve team". They may not be officially called that....but that is really what they are... a mix of those of the first team squad needing match practice and under-19s.

I haven't seen any detail as to how an under 20 league will be set up...but if it is on the same lines as the under 19 one, with much the same wage structure then it would save the likes of the situation, which has happened in the past, and which would be likely to happen at the end of this season when kids are dumped....not because they aren't decent players but because they aren't perceived as being exceptional players. If holding on to the currently good, but not great, players won't mean first team professional contracts and the increased wage bill, then that would only help the club to grow their options.

I'm of the opinion that it would be much better to have our own nucleus of 19+year olds who have been brought up within the ICT system, and with some ICT loyalty, getting a chance in preseason trials than assuming because a 19+ year old has been released from/isn't getting a game in one of the English leagues that they are better just because the English leagues are perceived to be better so it follows that a discard from there has got to be better than anything we can produce ourselves.

[+DoofersDad]

I really don't follow your logic here. Far from wanting to deny youngsters the opportunity to progress I want a reserve league because I think it is a better environment for them to progress. They will play in a competetive environment with and against more experienced professionals and as a result will learn more and be better prepared when their chance in the first team arrives.

I accept that there is more chance of youngsters being released if we have a reserve league rather than an under 19 or under 20 league but in reality the ones being released will be those not good enough to be in the reserve team and they are hardly likely to ever make it to the first team. Better for them to be released and find their level and get a regular game than be kept on with false hope at a bigger club. In some cases they will blossom late and if so, the regular competetive football at a lower level will help in that.

The problem with an under 19/20 league is that in order to have a big enough squad to ensure you can compete in the league you are forced to keep some youngsters on who are never going to be good enough. That is in nobodies interest. Whilst I would love to see local youngsters break through to the first team there is no room for sentimentality here. What is required is a mechanism to ensure that there are players in all positions who are capable of doing a job for the first team when required. I believe a competeive reserve league is the best way to acheive this.

I come back then to the point that a reserve team can be what you want it to be and I would expect that most clubs, ICT included, would want that to include any local talent deemed promising enough to be potential first team material.

[Sorted]

The only way to develop youth is to play them.

The only way clubs will play them is if they are forced to.

The only way they will be forced to is by removing the incentive to keep big squads.

Children are our future teach them well and let them lead the way!