East Kilbride boss points to Celtic example as he insists B teams 'just don't work' in Lowland League

dailyrecord.co.uk:

East Kilbride boss Mick Kennedy says B teams in the Lowland League ‘just don’t work’ after clubs controversially voted for Premiership youth sides to remain in the fifth tier for at least another two years.And he used Celtic youngster Mitchel Frame as an example of B team players doing well enough to get a first team call-up, but still not getting a chance in the cut-throat environment of the Scottish Premiership.Many Lowland clubs had announced they would be voting against the move, but representatives from the fifth tier met on Monday to vote on a proposal to extend B team participation – and the results came in with a vote of 8-7 in favour of B teams, with one club abstaining.It is unclear how East Kilbride FC voted.Rangers and Celtic B teams were the first to be admitted to the division in 2021 on the understanding it was ‘categorically a one-year deal.’However, B teams have been allowed to enter ever since – at the price of a five-figure fee – and this season Hearts B were included, although Rangers B opted out of playing in the 2023/24 campaign.Celtic and Hearts B are now set to play in the Lowland League for the next two seasons, with the option of a third, while the door remains open for Rangers B to return and others to join them in future.It remains the case that no B team can win promotion from the fifth tier.In the result of a B team being crowned champions, the highest non-B team will be put forward as the Lowland League club in the pyramid play-off for a place in the SPFL.But Kennedy – who has fervently opposed B teams since his time as Darvel boss in the West of Scotland League – reckons the model doesn’t work for all involved.He said: “Anyone who knows me knows I have always been against B teams.“I was