Rangers and Celtic colt teams could ‘pay to join league’ - report

£125,000 ‘joining fee’ mooted in Ibrox club’s proposal to have reserve sides in bottom tier

Celtic's Karamoko Dembele competes with Rangers' Reece Breen in a reserve team clash. Picture: SNS

A fresh attempt to introduce Celtic and Rangers “colt” teams into the Scottish league set-up is reportedly being proposed by the Ibrox club.

The concept of the Glasgow club’s reserve teams playing in the bottom tier has been mooted at regular intervals in recent years but has always been resisted by lower division clubs.

However, the climate for pushing through the idea might now be more favourable, with many sides in a parlous position due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and football’s shutdown. With little prospect of matches being played in front of paying customers any time soon, clubs are facing chronic economic problems.

According to a report on the BBC, Rangers will propose a new 14-14-18 league set-up with an expanded bottom tier including Celtic and Rangers colt teams as well as Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts, the champions of the Highland and Lowland leagues.

The report says both Old Firm colt sides would pay a £125,000 “joining fee”, with further, reduced, payments to be made in each of the following three campaigns. The money would go to clubs in the bottom tier and add up to £1.2 million of “new finance”.

The colt teams could be promoted only as high as the second tier.

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