East Fife make a hilarious dig at Rangers and Celtic on April Fool’s Day to make it one of the club’s most viral tweets in their history.
The Gers and the Hoops have both been pushing to get Colts teams introduced into the Scottish Professional Football League pyramid recently.
The idea is that young players at each of the two clubs would have access to regular competitive senior football, without having to head out elsewhere on loan.
However, the idea has provoked fierce resistance from some smaller SPFL clubs as well as fans nationally.
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A working group is understood to have put together a proposal that is set to go to a member vote should approval from the boards of both the SFA and SPFL be received.
The plan would see the introduction of Rangers and Celtic Colt sides to League Two as early as next season, in a move that would bring a financial boost to other members.
It’s from that context that East Fife made a fake announcement on Thursday morning for April Fool’s Day, and it has got the attention of everyone.
“East Fife FC are delighted to announce, that starting from next season (2021/22), East Fife U20’s will be rebranded to East Fife FC – Colts,” reads the tweet. “The EF Colts will start next season straight into an expanded SPFL League 2.”
📰 BREAKING NEWS 📰
East Fife FC are delighted to announce, that starting from next season (2021/22), East Fife U20’s will be rebranded to East Fife FC – Colts. The EF Colts will start next season straight into an expanded @spfl League 2. pic.twitter.com/XMnV5LDqgb
— East Fife FC (@EastFifeFC) April 1, 2021
The SPFL account was tagged in the tweet but, unsurprisingly given the sensitivity of the matter, they appear to have decided against responding to it, probably for the best considering that would just create a backlash.
Former Hearts midfielder Neil MacFarlane is head coach of Brentford’s B team with the EFL Championship club withdrawing from the English academy structure in 2016 and scout young talent locally and from abroad.
The move has proved to be quite the success, producing 16 players for the first team in four years. A first team that is currently in the play-off places with their sights on the Premier League once again.
“It is as close as you can get to a first team,” MacFarlane told BBC Scotland. “We run it the same way, we have the same amount of staff, we put the same amount of effort into it. My job is to make sure they’re game-ready for first-team football.”
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Brentford do not play in a recognised division, compiling a fixture list of games against elite academy teams and first teams, both locally and in Europe. Recently, they have played development teams at Chelsea, West Ham, RB Salzburg, Bordeaux, Rangers, Celtic, Hibernian and Aberdeen, and the first teams of FC Astana, AFC Wimbledon, Paphos and others.
“We were branching out and really testing the boys and playing against men,” MacFarlane said. “But also different cultures, different ways of playing, educating them that way.
“If I was to take the FC Astana game, we matched them in fitness, technically and tactically, but on set pieces, we really struggled. We couldn’t deal with the physicality.
“It let the boys know what first-team football is because when you step into the first team, you need to be able to deal with a 6ft 3in centre-back coming up for a corner.”
Scottish-born player Daniel Steedman, who is currently at Atlanta United 2, coached by former Aberdeen, Hibernian and Newcastle midfielder Stephen Glass, says: “Most young guys have to learn to always take it 100% seriously. When you come up against guys who are a lot physically stronger and more athletic, there’s no leeway to goof off.
“At Atlanta it’s basically an extension of the first team. They try to treat it as one big team.”
Despite the benefits, allowing colt teams into the league set up would represent a fundamental change to the Scottish football eco-system, and one many lower-league clubs are sceptical of, as can be seen by East Fife on April Fool’s Day.
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Iain McMenemy, chief executive of League Two club Stenhousemuir said: “Our football it’s important to our supporters and they don’t want to see anything that would cheapen that,” McMenemy said. “It’s about development for them [colt sides], not winning titles. It’s how that faces off against your club trying to win a championship. The objective clash is one of the main things.”
Peterhead manager Jim McInally sums up how most fans feel: “I don’t think the onus is on Scottish football to develop Celtic and Rangers’ best players,” he said. “The onus is on Celtic and Rangers to develop those players. You need to play with men, it’s not just playing against men.”
“The more we push our young players, the more opportunity we have of increasing the standard,” MacFarlane adds. “But we have two analysts, three physios, a sports nutritionist, sleep coaches, an assistant manager and full coaching staff. We have everything at our disposal to make players better.”
SEE MORE: Celtic and Rangers ‘should be invited to join Ligue 1’
Fans reacted as East Fife make a dig at Rangers and Celtic on April Fool’s…
@SirScottYoung: Love this from the club 😂😂😂😂😂
@Harry_McArthur: Unreal patter lads
@ewanmasson: Premiership standard shithousery
@NahMin1: Great news for Scottish football. The national team will win the world cup very soon.
@babeclaire1: 😂😂😂
@italksplanguage: Giru the old firm
@allyftd: Very much approve of this shitstirring.
@HendryIreland: Can they join the league two and we will pay £100,000 😂😂🤣
@Sbuddiesaints: Great news and not a second too soon, my only concern is they’re starting too low down. Surely a vote to allow them to leapfrog a few other divisions would be appropriate? seems to be the precedent the @spfl want to set.
@LAM_1877: hahaahahaha fair play that’s decent patter
@PhilipHeller2: Superb, glad to see you hooked some
@JAGSFORCHANGE: The old firm are going to believe this better tell them what date it is before they riot at George square
@Mark7171L: Soo much belly laughing here!
— graham hill (@gjhill2006) April 1, 2021
Love it 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/5XSzmA1A8y
— Stuart McLean (@smclean1986) April 1, 2021
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