SFA's New Cash For Kids Incentive Hits A Dull Note

David Goodwillie of Dundee United a young Scottish player brought up through the ranks at United

The governing body of Scottish football recently announced a new cash incentive for Premier League clubs to play Scottish players who are under the age of 21, offering a cash sum of £750 a game for any team featuring two Scottish player who meet the required age limit in their first eleven, while offering a maximum £1000 if a team featured three or more players who meet the criteria. Sounds a simple plan to help aid the development of young talent in Scotland, offer the cash strapped teams money to play Scottish youngsters in their first team. But is it the right thing to do, or is this just another nonsensical idea that the SFA have thought up just to look as if they are doing something?

Firstly I have to state that I firmly agree with the SFA in their bid to improve the level of youngster being brought through in the country, and I’m sure fellow Scottish football fans would say the same. We all want to see the next generation being nurtured and brought into the first teams of teams throughout the country, it is the only way that we can move forward.

However, the first problem with the idea is the ridiculous pay structure which separates the SPL and the SFL. SPL teams will be due £750-£1000 if they can meet the standards set by the SFA, however, SFL will only receive 10% of this, meaning they will only get £100 a game for playing three Scottish youngsters in their first eleven. This means that if a club in the SFL plays three Scottish youngsters for the full season in every game, they will receive a total of £3600 from the SFA, while SPL clubs doing the same will get £38000! I would rather see the funding more evenly split between all forty two teams, even going as far as offering the lower leagues more money than their SPL counterparts, in a bid to have them focus on youth development, bring through kids into their teams, let them develop their game at a lower level and then be purchased by a top level club when they are at a suitable level to go on and progress more. This would mean the lower league clubs would bring through the players, have them for a few years, give them first team football, have an SPL club buy them if they are good enough, and then put the money they receive into bringing through more youth players. It’s a perfect circle of continuous development throughout the four Scottish leagues.

With this strategy though, we are going to throw the youngsters in at the deep end, give them first team football at a level they may not be good enough for, and then probably replace them after a year or two finally throwing them on the scrapheap.

Secondly, I do not think such an amount of money is going to change the way clubs bring through their youth players. It should be a case of, if they are good enough then give them a chance. Don’t just throw them in at the first chance because you want a cash bonus for your team. It may also cause trouble between chairmen and managers, with tension occurring if the chairmen want to see the money, while managers believe that the players aren’t good enough. Chairmen should not meddle in first team affairs, as it only leads to confrontation between managers and those in charge, as fans of Hearts and Kilmarnock could attest to.

I also think that the rule should not only be set for Scottish youngsters, and believe that we should be handing benefits out for teams that play Under 21’s of all nationalities. It is not fair on youngsters that may not be from Scotland who see their careers being hampered because they are not from a certain country. Furthermore, it is also not fair to the fans, who may not be able to see the best youngsters that their team is developing because they are not of a Scottish descent. From a better quality of player in the league, comes a higher standard of football, which brings players up to that level and it would bring better Scottish players through as well. As the saying goes, quality before quantity.

Finally I believe that we need to develop a way for these young players to take the step in between Under19’s and the first team. Whether this be creating a new reserve league in the SPL, which would allow the youngsters to develop competitively without being under the pressures of first team football. Or if we were to go the Spanish way and allow a B team to play in the lower divisions. Either way, a continuing development of players is needed up until they are good enough for first team football.

Scotland does need to nurture its young players, and bring them through with the technique that their European counterparts have, however, this should not be in sacrifice of the quality of game being played.

Posted in: £1000,SFA,SFL,SPL,Talent,Technique,Youngsters