Gala Fairydean Rovers set to face Celtic and Hearts’ colts for another two seasons after vote gives them green light to continue in Scottish Lowland Football League

Ciaran Greene in action for Gala Fairydean Rovers during their 1-1 draw at home to Heart of Midlothian B at the end of July (Photo: Thomas Brown)

That thumbs-up for the Scottish Premiership sides’ B teams staying on for at least another two seasons was agreed only by the narrowest of margins at Monday night’s meeting of league officials, by 8-7 with one abstention, but it gives them the green light to continue playing four divisions down from their senior sides until 2026 without recourse to a further vote next year.

The Galashiels outfit were among the eight in favour of the colts’ continued representation in their league, along with table-toppers East Kilbride, second-placed Cumbernauld Colts, Stirling University, Edinburgh’s Civil Service Strollers, Broomhill, Cowdenbeath and basement side Edinburgh University, with second-bottom Gretna 2008 not voting.

The seven sides wanting to see the top-flight B teams given the boot next year were Tranent Juniors, Bo’ness United, Linlithgow Rose, Berwick Rangers, East Stirlingshire, Coatbridge’s Albion Rovers and Motherwell’s Caledonian Braves.

A spokesperson for the league said: “The Scottish Lowland Football League can confirm that the majority of our members have voted in favour of continuing with B teams for at least the next two seasons.

“Following a process which began in October, a democratic vote was held in line with our rules.

“The board would like to thank all our members for their contributions to the discussions in recent weeks.”

Celtic and Hearts’ colts are the only ones left in the division after Rangers pulled theirs out in the summer as a protest at controversial plans for a conference league being dropped.

The Old Firm’s colts joined the league in 2021, with Rangers finishing second and Celtic third at the end of that season and the one after.

Hearts’ colts followed in 2022, ending up 13th.

The Edinburgh side’s colts’ fortunes have improved since then, though, and they’re currently third in the table, on 39 points from 20 fixtures, with Celtic tenth, on 23 from 17.

Gala play Hearts this Friday at Edinburgh’s Ainslie Park, with kick-off at 7.45pm, after drawing the reverse fixture in the Borders 1-1 in July.

They fared less well against Celtic, losing 5-0 away to them in August, with the reverse fixture at Netherdale Stadium due to follow in mid-February.

Former fifth-tier side Vale of Leithen, now two tiers down at the botttom of the East of Scotland Football League’s first division, were also in favour of the Glaswegians’ colts joining their then league but were relegated in 2022 after one season of going up against them.

The colts’ initial admission to the league was for one year only but subsequent votes have seen them carrying on, in return for five-figure anuual payments, but they’re barred from play-offs against the Scottish Highland Football League’s champions for promotion to Scottish League Two and they can’t be relegated to the EoSFL’s premier division either.