Spartans boss Dougie Samuel has his say on Hearts B joining Lowland League

Spartans boss Dougie Samuel has revealed he would prefer Hearts B had not joined the Lowland League – but insists it’s nothing against their fellow Edinburgh club.

The Tynecastle side were granted permission to include a colts team in the Scottish fifth tier for this campaign after Celtic and Rangers had successfully lobbied for their youths to be included last season.

Steven Naismith’s boys got off to a flying start in the season opener, defeating Berwick Rangers 6-0 with Connor Smith scoring a hat-trick.

While they lift the quality of the division overall and provide a better pathway for youngsters between under-18s and first-team squads, Samuel would prefer sporting integrity was prioritised instead and the Scottish football powers-that-be came up with a new method of training up the nation’s most promising talents.

Spartans boss Dougie Samuel and his side welcome the Hearts B team to Ainslie Park on Tuesday evening. Picture: SNS

“I think there's a greater good. I think it's great for the greater good,” he told the Evening News. “Personally, and I don't speak on behalf of the club, I would rather B teams weren't in the league. That's not a criticism of anybody. That's just my own personal preference.

“There's a lot of things in the Scottish game which need fixed, which need resolved. If the only way we can create a better pathway for our young players is for teams to drop into the Lowland League then I think the people at the top of our game have got a lot of work to do.

"It's difficult because I know the amount of work and effort that clubs in the league below have put in.”

Spartans, who lost the opening match of the 2-1 to Open Goal Broomhill, entertain Hearts B at Ainslie Park on Tuesday evening in the club’s home opener.

The two clubs recently battled it out in a friendly with Hearts winning 1-0. Robbie Neilson’s side had a mixture of first-team and youth players that day. Many of them, including Smith and fellow goalscorer from Saturday’s match Jayden Ferguson, are expected to be involved again.

"The players that came here who will be involved in the B team will know it's a good standard,” said Samuel. “It's going to be a hugely competitive Lowland League this year.

"We hope we get the same interest and same number of fans coming along to watch the emerging talent at Hearts.”