Celtic, Rangers and Hearts B-team proposal to go to Lowland League vote

A bid from Rangers, Celtic and Hearts to join the Lowland League next season will be put to a vote on Monday.

Clubs in the Scottish fifth tier had agreed to extend the guest club pilot project into a second season after the Old Firm Colts finished second and third in their first season within the division.

Hearts also made an application to join them but clubs were less keen on expanding the set-up again and opted to limit the numbers at two.

However, following the Lowland League AGM on Monday, the proposal will go forward to a vote next week to decide upon the way forward.

The three Premiership sides had clubbed together in a bid to avoid an awkward vote on which two of the three applicants would be accepted and, with a united front, suggested all three should be admitted or none at all last week.

A divisive issue in its infancy, clubs eventually decided last season to allow the Glasgow clubs’ B-teams to enter the division on a no promotion and relegation basis with each paying a one season entry fee of £25,000 last summer. Those restrictions would be repeated under the second season proposal but the cash on offer upped to £40,000 per guest applicant.

Rangers and Celtic used the project to give the likes of Alex Lowry, Cole McKinnon, Ben Doak and Owen Moffat game-time before each made the step into their respective first-teams last term. Hearts were keen to follow having witnessed the benefits and a reserve league failing to get off the ground.