The proposals were criticised for effectively relegating 200 clubs further down the pyramid; Aberdeen had previously declared they would not be entering a team and Rangers manager Michael Beale expressed major reservations about the set-up
Thursday 8 June 2023 12:25, UK
Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell has said he was keen to avoid a 'divisive vote' after plans for a new fifth tier of Scottish football were withdrawn.
Proposals for a 10-team Conference League, which would have seen up to four B teams compete alongside several Lowland and Highland League teams, was put forward in a stated bid to aid the development of young players.
However, on the eve of Tuesday's AGM vote, those plans were hit with a fresh wave of opposition as Livingston and St Mirren joined over a dozen clubs to publicly come out against the proposals.
Aberdeen also declared they would not be entering a team and Rangers manager Michael Beale expressed major reservations about the set-up which was criticised for effectively relegating 200 clubs further down the pyramid.
Second-string teams from Celtic, Rangers and Hearts currently compete in the Lowland League but cannot get promoted and they would have remained in the Conference League under the new plans, which emerged following the Deloitte review of the Scottish Professional Football League, which was commissioned by Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibernian, Dundee and Dundee United.
Maxwell said: "The Conference League has been something we've been working on for a while and it's Scottish football who's been working on it, it's not just a Scottish FA-led item.
"It was a resolution at our AGM, obviously, but when you think that the SPFL commissioned a Deloitte review through Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Dundee, Dundee United, B teams came out as a priority from that perspective.
"Player development is important across the game and we had an interest from a national association perspective. And we felt that rather than go to what could have been a divisive vote, we were better to withdraw it and give the game more time to discuss and collaborate and work out what is the most appropriate mechanism going forward on how young Scottish talent can be developed as best as possible."
