Rangers withdraw B team from Lowland League amid frustration over collapse of Conference League vote

Rangers will no longer enter a B team into the Scottish Lowland League after expressing frustration at the collapse of a proposed new Conference League vote.

The planned vote on the introduction of a new fifth tier within Scottish football which would feature four B teams – including from Rangers, Celtic and Hearts – as well as the clubs who finished in the top four in the Lowland League and top two in the Highland League, was scrapped on the eve of the Scottish FA AGM last week.

The proposal to introduce the new division for the start of the 2024-25 season required the backing of the majority of the 105-member vote but after criticism and backlash from fans and clubs, the SFA board postponed the vote in order to “carry out further consultation”.

As a result, Rangers have now confirmed that they will withdraw their B team from the Lowland League next season and beyond leaving Celtic and Hearts as the only two B sides remaining in the pyramid set-up.

Rangers have withdrawn their B team from the Scottish Lowland League for next season and beyond. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

A club statement read: "Firstly, Rangers would like to put on record our sincere thanks to the Lowland League for hosting a Rangers B team in their league for the past two seasons, and to the clubs for their fantastic hospitality and sporting challenges during that time. Rangers wishes each and every one of them the very best for the future.

"Rangers has long been a strong advocate for the introduction of B Teams in the professional leagues of Scottish football, with a Conference League being an excellent step in that direction. Nations across Europe operate similar B Team systems with strong evidence of their development of players at club and national level.

"Indeed, all 10 teams who contributed most to the development of players for last year’s World Cup have B teams operating in national senior leagues. The desire from all at Rangers to have a B Team in the professional leagues remains as strong as ever.

"Our view on B Teams was also strongly supported by the Scottish FA and its CEO Ian Maxwell, who recognise the clear, beneficial impact B Teams have on top international sides. For 18-21 year-old footballers, our research and the evidence clearly shows the best path for their development is playing professional football in professional leagues. A Conference League would have been a positive move towards that.

"As matters now stand, there is no suitable, governing body-led development structure for players between 18-21 in Scotland. The club has, however, enjoyed positive dialogue with a number of key stakeholders in recent days, including the Scottish FA, and looks forward to continuing such discussions to map the best possible direction for the development of the country’s top young players."