Hearts, Celtic and Rangers given league participation verdict for next season amid restructure plan

Lowland League clubs are ready to re-admit Hearts, Celtic and Rangers ‘B’ teams next season, but are also asking for more details about proposals for a new nationwide Conference League.

Member clubs held an indicative vote on retaining the three Premiership colts teams as guest clubs next season and marginally came in out in favour, with seven clubs voting yes, six voting no and three abstaining. A formal vote to confirm the decision will be held in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, the 16 member clubs have also asked the Lowland League board for more information about setting up a new Conference League between SPFL League Two and the Lowland League and Highland League in 2024/25. It has been suggested that Hearts, Celtic and Rangers ‘B’ teams would be joined by Aberdeen ‘B’ in a ten-team division, with the other clubs coming from the top of the Lowland and Highland League.

The Scottish FA’s pyramid working group has put the idea forward in a bid to properly integrate Premiership ‘B’ teams into the league structure without requiring SPFL clubs to vote for it. Influential figures at the Scottish FA would like to see ‘B’ teams become a permanent part of the pyramid, preferably within the SPFL itself, to address a ‘development gap’ for talented young players in the Scottish game. But there are lots of obstacles in the way, with the majority of SPFL semi-pro clubs not in favour.

Hearts and Rangers, along with Celtic, hope to be playing in the Lowland League again next season. Picture: Craig Foy / SNS

Lowland League clubs will vote on the Conference League plan in a couple of weeks when they have more information, but ambitious clubs in tier six have already criticised a plan which would move them down to tier seven. The East of Scotland, West of Scotland and South of Scotland League tier six feeders are currently competing for one promotion place to the Lowland League, with only one team automatically relegated in the 19-team division.

Darvel manager Mick Kennedy, whose West of Scotland League Premier Division side shocked Montrose and Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup this season, wrote on Twitter: “Only in Scotland would league reconstruction to progress our game relegate over 200 clubs. Anyone who supports this should be ashamed. There is a reason the new conference requires no voting power, because they already know it's wrong on so many levels.”