East Kilbride manager Mick Kennedy has expressed his opposition to the inclusion of B teams in the Lowland League, arguing that this arrangement does not effectively contribute to the development of young players for top clubs like Celtic.
His comments come after the Lowland League voted to continue allowing B teams in the division for at least two more seasons.
Kennedy pointed to the example of Celtic’s Mitchel Frame, who appeared in a Champions League match but then returned to playing with the B team, as evidence that B team participation in the Lowland League isn’t significantly impacting first-team opportunities. He believes that while young players need a competitive platform for development, the current setup with B teams in the Lowland League is not fulfilling this need adequately.
Speaking to the Daily Record, he said, “Anyone who knows me knows I have always been against B teams.
“I was very vocal about that in the past when I wasn’t in the league.
“And my opinions haven’t changed on that.
“I understand there is a requirement for B teams to have some kind of development league or something a bit more challenging, but I don’t think having them in the pyramid is the right answer.
“Nothing would convince me otherwise.
“The rationale behind B teams being in the league was that between the ages of around 16-20, the tops clubs really struggle to develop kids.
“There was no issue in any other part of the development process, it was just that end bit.
“Now, they are looking at their third year in the Lowland League and nobody from a B team has made a dent in the first team yet.
“It tells you a lot.
“If you look at the boy Mitchel Frame at Celtic, he came on in the Champions League against Feyenoord last week [in a 2-1 win] and did reasonably well.
“Saturday comes, and he is back playing with the B team.
“You’d expect him to be in the first team in the Premiership after something like that.
“I have no doubt the younger players need a platform, but it probably needs to be a bit more competitive than the one they are in just now.
`“What they are doing now with B teams in the Lowland League, it just doesn’t work for anyone.”
The decision to keep B teams in the Lowland League has been contentious, with some clubs and figures within Scottish football voicing concerns similar to Kennedy’s. The debate centers around the effectiveness of this model in developing young talent and its impact on the competitive integrity of the league.
