Rangers Academy chief Craig Mulholland thinks the benefits of playing senior football in the Lowland League this season will be “massive” as the Light Blues’ B team prepare for the start of their historic campaign in Scottish football’s fifth tier.
Rangers and Celtic will both field B teams in the Lowland League this season, primarily made up of under-19 and under-18 players, and Mulholland is hopeful Gers fans will turn out in their numbers to see David McCallum and Brian Gilmour’s side in action.
With the Old Firm youngsters playing in the league, Mulholland is hopeful it can help boost the profile of the Lowland League and the ambitious sides who want to make the leap to become an SPFL club.
“Playing first-team football against men and all the benefits that will bring is massive,” Mulholland told Rangers TV.
“It is not something that has happened overnight there has been a lot of work to get us to where we are but I think for the players and the staff it brings a whole new challenge this year that we are really excited about.
“From a profile perspective, we are hoping we will bring a good fan base and we want as many supporters to come and watch the young players as we can.
“I think a crowd will come and that should bring more revenue in terms of sponsorship, television deals and really create a first-team environment around the Lowland League.
“There’s a lot of good work going on in the Lowland League and we spoke about their message of honouring the pyramid and that the ambitious clubs in the league get the opportunity to go into League football and we’ll help them with their communications.
“We want the Rangers players to be really humble, we’ll visit some communities that Rangers haven’t been to for many years and it is important that our young players are humble and they represent our club in the right way and set the standards you expect at Rangers.”
Rangers and Celtic youngsters have a huge opportunity to impress
In addition to the Lowland League, the young Gers will also compete in the Glasgow Cup, UEFA Youth League and SPFL Trust Trophy in a hectic campaign.
The chance to play senior football is a fantastic opportunity for their development and will hopefully reap the rewards Rangers and Celtic are sure it will bring.
While it may be tougher than some anticipate, the experience gained by playing against experienced pros should really help the Old Firm youngsters push on towards first-team places at Rangers or Celtic.
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