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RANGERS, Celtic and Hearts B teams will compete in the revamped Lowland League next season.
SunSport understands the trio have had to stump up £40,000 each and accepted new proposals to be involved in the 36-game campaign.
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Under the new rules they must also field SEVEN players, aged between 17 and 21, who are eligible to play for Scotland in their starting line-up.
The SFA have also agreed to lead a review of the pyramid structure, with recommendations proposed ahead of the 2023/24 season.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell believes the move can only benefit Scottish players and their development.
He said: “We are delighted that the Lowland League clubs have approved the participation of three guest clubs for the forthcoming season.
“The Scottish FA supports the principle of elite player development and particularly providing opportunities for talented players in the key transition years from 17 to 21.
“The Scottish FA will oversee a discussion in parallel to propose and implement a long-term plan with the objectives of optimising the pyramid, which has been a resounding success in Scottish football, harnessing the player pathway and accelerating the development of the country’s most talented young players through the national youth teams to the full international stage.”
SPFL boss Neil Doncaster has also backed the move and reckons the collaborative talks among the three parties will benefit the game.
He said: “It is hugely encouraging to see such a joined-up and collaborative approach being adopted in such a vital area of our game.
“There are few more exciting things in football than watching the development of home-grown talent and it’s extremely encouraging that the Lowland League has agreed to assist our clubs on a temporary basis for Season 2022/23.
“The SPFL will commit our energies to a process that will explore options and, hopefully, allow us to move forward various aspects of our game for the benefit of our 42 member clubs and Scottish football as a whole.”
The Old Firm finished second and third in the Lowland League last season and chairman Thomas Brown is looking forward to finding ‘solutions’ for all clubs moving forward.
He said: “We were always open to the inclusion of guest clubs for a further season given the successful player development outcomes from last year’s pilot.
“We want to be a modern and progressive league and we are excited to be playing our part in the ecosystem that develops Scotland’s talent.
“Importantly, we now look forward to working with the Scottish FA, the SPFL and our friends in the pyramid to create some new solutions to some existing challenges which will provide a bright future at all levels of our game.”
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