Aberdeen have not yet committed to entering a colts side in the new fifth-tier Conference League – with Pittodrie chiefs still determining the positives and negatives of the SFA’s planned shake-up.
On Tuesday, the Dons were reported to be one of four Premiership clubs set to enter a “B” side of young players into the 10-team league which is expected to be in place for the start of the 2024/25 season.
However, The Press and Journal understands Aberdeen’s involvement in the proposals is by no means certain at this stage.
We can reveal Dons chiefs were only filled in about the full details of the SFA’s plans in recent days and are carefully weighing up the pros and cons internally, including the costs involved in taking part and whether it will boost the club’s youth development.
Dundee United and Hibernian have also been invited to join Celtic, Rangers and Hearts as the fourth Premiership club to enter their colts in the new division, with the remaining six slots in the Conference League to be filled by four teams from the Lowland League and two from the Highland League.
Premiership clubs will be committed to the playing in the new fifth-tier for at least five seasons, and will fund it by each paying £100,000 per season to take part.
The Reds have been given a deadline of a few weeks to decide whether they want to be involved in the Conference League, with SFA member clubs expected to vote to give the new league plans the green light at the SFA’s AGM in June.
What will factor into Aberdeen’s Conference League decision?
The Dons – who do not have a colts/B team at present – have kicked off internal discussions on whether they will enter a side into the Conference League.
It is understood Aberdeen chiefs see clear positives in the plans, which the SFA have drawn up due to their belief Scotland’s 16-to-21-year-old footballers are lagging behind players in European countries where B teams are part of the league structure.
However, Reds bosses also have some concerns – and are determined to do their due diligence in order to assess whether they can throw their weight behind the project.
Significant additional costs
One key element in Aberdeen’s review of the SFA proposals will be the significant costs of committing to participate in the Conference League.
In addition to the six-figure yearly entry fee, the Dons would face further costs from having to effectively create a new team, ranging from coach and player recruitment, to kit, coach travel to games and hiring stadiums for the B team to play their matches in. Pittodrie is not an option for fixtures.
Would Conference League involvement improve Dons’ youth pathway?
The club’s top-brass are also sounding out staff in their football department and youth academy – including first-team boss, and former under-18s coach, Barry Robson – on whether they think involvement in the new fifth-tier would enhance Aberdeen’s youth development pathway enough for it to be worthwhile.
SFA bosses are convinced the Conference League – made up of young sides from the most well-resourced Premiership clubs, and top Highland League and Lowland League sides – will guarantee the top-flight clubs’ rising stars regular competitive matches.
Celtic, Rangers and Hearts’ colts teams have been playing in the Lowland League this term, however, the SFA believe the Conference League will ensure every game the youngsters face will be of a high standard.
Although the Dons are thought to see the merits of this, there is also a view inside Aberdeen the SFA’s proposals are in no way a youth development silver bullet, and must be judged against the club’s current youth development model, which has produced the likes of Calvin Ramsay, Ryan Duncan, Scott McKenna and Connor Barron.
Currently, the Pittodrie outfit have youth teams up to under-18s.
They have made the call to send players who are between 18 and 21, and not ready for first-team action, out on loan to the Championship, League One, League Two or the Highland League to finish their development.
The resource drain of creating a colts team to play in the Conference League – where the Premiership B teams will be ineligible for promotion or relegation – could spell the end of the Dons loaning players out like this.
And even if they did keep those players around, it is understood they would still need to recruit more older youngsters to ensure they had a squad with a suitable age profile for the demands of playing in the division against experienced Highland and Lowland League sides.
However, while reduced stakes in the Conference League and the need to build a squad to participate are potential issues, a B team would help the Reds coaches ensure their players do not pick up the kind of perceived bad habits and other problems which can come from sending them to clubs further down the pyramid for loan spells.
Fans will be consulted on Conference League before Aberdeen make a decision
It is also understood Aberdeen plan to consult stakeholders – including supporters – for their views on the Conference League plans.
The Dons know some fans have misgivings – including those who are concerned about the impact the league restructuring plan will have on the much-loved Highland League in its current format.
There are fears strong clubs leaving the Highland League to join Conference League will damage the former product.
Meanwhile, the insertion of a new league into the existing pyramid has been criticised for condemning hundreds of clubs from the current fifth-tier down to what is effectively relegation.
The Pittodrie hierarchy are thought to be keen to make responsible decisions which do not cause unnecessary damage to the wider Scottish game.
However, they are balancing this against potentially finding themselves lagging behind other Premiership clubs in terms of youth development, if they are involved in the Conference League, but Aberdeen are not.
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