Under 20 league

[oconnors_strip]

Breaking news from hibs on twitter, an under 20 league is to be formed next season

Bit late to tell us Spl as we have released some older players!!!!

[Andy74]

Breaking news from hibs on twitter, an under 20 league is to be formed next season

Bit late to tell us Spl as we have released some older players!!!!

Fine, presumably they weren't good enough anyway. I think this replaces the under 19s though?

Makes no real odds, unless they also add in that you can play some over age players to get people game time or fitness.

[JimBHibees]

why under 20 and not under 21 say or personally would have preferred the reserve league back in play to allow younger players to play against and alongside more experienced players. I think this is Mark Wotte's idea however not sure what improvement this will have against the existing u19 league. I think i heard somewhere that this league will have a small number of older players allowed to play in this league for each team e.g 2 or 3.

[JimBHibees]

Fine, presumably they weren't good enough anyway. I think this replaces the under 19s though?

Makes no real odds, unless they also add in that you can play some over age players to get people game time or fitness.

I think that is the case with 2 or 3 older players able to play also.

[flash]

I am raging at this and won't be back if it happens.

[MB62]

Wow!!!! astonishing news and this is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge step forward for Scottish football - NOT.

[Saorsa]

There was an article on the BBC site about this a while ago with comments from Terry Butcher.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17267221

I think he's spot on and it's another step in the wrong direction for Scottish fitba by the plums running (or is that ruining) it.

[s.a.m]

There was an article on the BBC site about this a while ago with comments fro Terry Butcher.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17267221

I think he's spot on and it's another step in the wrong direction for Scottish fitba by the plums that run (or is that ruin) it.

Me too. We need match experience for young players who are not yet ready for the first team, and also playing time for squad members who are not getting a regular game, or are returning from injury. Makes sense to have both Reserves and under 19s. As we used to.

[Andy74]

Me too. We need match experience for young players who are not yet ready for the first team, and also playing time for squad members who are not getting a regular game, or are returning from injury. Makes sense to have both Reserves and under 19s. As we used to.

Does this proposal, a league for young players, with some over age players allowed, not do exactly that?? Without the cost of running both a pure under 19 team and a reserve team.

[s.a.m]

Does this proposal, a league for young players, with some over age players allowed, not do exactly that?? Without the cost of running both a pure under 19 team and a reserve team.

No, I don't think so. I think the two groups have a different set of needs, with some crossover. Ideally, our subs and other squad members would be playing regularly at SPL level (such as it is....), with and against other pro players, and the u19s should be aspiring to make that jump, if not straight into the first team.

[truehibernian]

To be honest, and if I was being a little bit selfish as a Hibs fan, this may tip the balance in Pat's (and ours) favour if the board are willing to take the daring but difficult decision to reduce the first team squad in number, but add to the quality. In other words have a squad of 18 real quality players, supplimented by the really good kids like Handling and others.

Scouting and development at Hibs needs to vastly improve, and in all age groups we are a wee bit behind in my opinion. Players like Danny etc need to step up, get games at a higher level, and gain experience. But more importantly our first team squad needs a real injection of leadership, experience and skill....that costs money.

Whilst not fully supportive of this idea, it could lead to better first teams, and young players being fast tracked in their learning process.

[RyeSloan]

Does this proposal, a league for young players, with some over age players allowed, not do exactly that?? Without the cost of running both a pure under 19 team and a reserve team.

And that's the key point...the teams were complaining of the costs and effort involved in effectively having to enter 3 different teams into 3 different competitions, the costs were simply too high hence the scrapping of the reserve league.

This sounds like a reasonable compromise to me and sounds absolutely perfect for getting 18 - 20 year olds ready for SPL action (or giving them a rest from it but keeping match fit if they have broken through recently) while facing some of their peers at other clubs as well as playing alongside and against a number of senior pros but out with the competitive pressure of a full SPL game.

Butchers points are a bit lame, he should be concentrating on developing his 16 - 17 year olds skills and abilities rather than simply playing them in games week in week out and if he was prepared to play them in an under 19's league why can he not give them exposure to an under 20's league? Not to mention it is an SPL idea...the same SPL his club is a member of so therefore I don't understand how they will have had no input or how they are being dictated to.

[Andy74]

To be honest, and if I was being a little bit selfish as a Hibs fan, this may tip the balance in Pat's (and ours) favour if the board are willing to take the daring but difficult decision to reduce the first team squad in number, but add to the quality. In other words have a squad of 18 real quality players, supplimented by the really good kids like Handling and others.

Scouting and development at Hibs needs to vastly improve, and in all age groups we are a wee bit behind in my opinion. Players like Danny etc need to step up, get games at a higher level, and gain experience. But more importantly our first team squad needs a real injection of leadership, experience and skill....that costs money.

Whilst not fully supportive of this idea, it could lead to better first teams, and young players being fast tracked in their learning process.

Agree with that. This seems to give the balance between giving your four or five first teamers a game if they have missed out, and having your 19 and 20 year olds also competing against some SPL standard players.

What used to happen with the reserves is that you had almost a full team of guys who hadn't quite and would never make it but they were still at the club playing reserve football into their mid to late 20's.

[Billy Whizz]

I believe this is the idea of Mark Wotte the SFA head of development. As usual in Scotland we know better than looking to other Nations like the Dutch, who produce players year after year with a proven model.