Alloa chief hits out at SFA youth scheme

Alloa chairman Mike Mulraney has hit out at the SFA after he was forced to make a structural change to the Third Division champion’s youth department to cater for their participation in the SFA’s Club Academy Scotland programme in what he called a “blind” fashion.

Mulraney reckons the game’s governing body are making a mistake in paying too little attention to the SFL clubs and their youth development work despite half of Craig Levein’s national side playing at that level earlier in their careers.

The Recreation Park side are looking to be involved at the top youth level from the start of next season, however Mulraney and other SFL chairmen have been left to prepare their clubs without any firm indication from the SFA what is going to be involved and what the cost is going to be.

Mulraney said: “We’re looking to have four teams playing at different age groups but no-one has told us what the changes to youth football in Scotland are going to be for next season. Incredibly we don’t know the budget either. I’m making changes to allow us to have a transition period from where we are now to what we need for next season and I’m doing it blind.

“The 30 SFL clubs are not being told what is required and it is almost like the SFA are not there to help us. This is a staggeringly bad way to run a major operation. We are two months away from the new programme and we do not know what we need to prepare for and what the impact on our cashflow will be.”

Alloa’s existing head of youth, former manager Hugh McCann, will leave the club at the end of June with a new combined youth and scouting role being undertaken by Graham Livingston, who worked in Dundee United’s youth programme.