Brora chairman supportive of bringing colts sides into SPFL
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Brora chairman William Powrie believes introducing Celtic and Rangers colts sides into the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) could open the door for similar ventures in the Highland League.
With league reconstruction dominating the headlines in Scottish football in recent months, the latest proposal put forward by Rangers would see a 14-14-18 three-tiered system, with Highland League champions Brora Rangers and their Lowland League counterparts Kelty Hearts joining the potential colts teams in the lower league.
Mr Powrie has been supportive of the idea, which could have long-term implication for the Highland League as well.
In the wake of Cove Rangers' promotion to the SPFL last year, there was talk of Inverness Caledonian Thistle entering a colts side to bring the number of teams in the division back up to 18. But that suggestion was met with immediate resistance and was shot down, leading to ICT loaning an entire team's worth of players to Fort William.
However, Mr Powrie would not be opposed to colts sides in the Highland League in the future, and he thinks they could provide a timely boost to struggling clubs.
"If Aberdeen, Caley Thistle and Ross County perhaps were to take advantage of the Rangers and Celtic lead, I think they could bring something to the Highland League as well – I really do," Mr Powrie said. "That's only my opinion – generally opinion is polarised.
"If you look at the crowds the Highland League have been attracting over the last couple of years, they are diminishing, there's no doubt about that.
"Clubs are finding it more difficult to make ends meet, and anything that will increase gates and increase sponsorship has to be seen as a good thing.
"Rod Houston, the Highland League secretary, said they were open-minded on all this. I don't think people will recoil as quickly as they once did at the thought of colts teams.
"The various leagues will need to find a consensus on that. It will provide a lot of mixed emotions, but it's something that would find favour with us."
Rangers Colts in particular showed that they could be competitive in the lower reaches of Scottish football in their run to the Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup semi-finals last season.
They defeated Berwick Rangers and Stranraer as well as Solihull Moors and Wrexham from the English National League on their way to the final four.
In a sense, that might work against the proposal if other clubs see them as a threat, but Mr Powrie is welcoming the opportunity to do something different.
Really, if faced with a straight choice between Hearts chairwoman Ann Budge's 14-14-14 proposal and the colts idea, there is only one winner at Dudgeon Park.
"The whole thing has become another day, another proposal," Mr Powrie said.
"We as a club are far more interested in the colts proposals, which definitely add Brora and Kelty into the league and would also add much-needed liquidity to Scottish football where it is needed most, with the lower league clubs.
"If they can look beyond the fact that it's Rangers and Celtic, and look at the fact that it's introducing a new format and a new structure, it's something quite fresh. I think that could very much find favour."
