| The city’s two teams are deeply unhappy with the Scottish Premier League’s directive to stop schoolboy signings from playing for their school teams or in schoolboy representative matches.
Three other Scottish clubs are also understood to be opposed to the SPL’s move, including Dunfermline Athletic.
The five clubs are preparing to vote against the directive, and their combined opposition would be enough to defeat the move
The Dundee Schools’ Football Association revealed earlier this week that they were pulling out of all national fixtures because so many of their players had withdrawn because of the directive.
The SPL edict says young players who have signed S or D forms for SPL clubs can play only in games under the SPL’s youth initiative or in other games organised by their clubs.
Schoolboy players who defy the directive risk having their contracts torn up and being cold-shouldered by other SPL clubs.
The directive is intended to protect the country’s best young footballers by preventing them from becoming burnt-out and never fulfilling their potential.
Schools’ football organisations at national and local level are furious at the tough line being taken by the SPL, however, as they feel it threatens the future of the game in schools.
Head teachers are also unhappy and questions have even been asked in the Scottish Parliament about the threat the directive poses for sport in schools.
Dundee and Dundee United are sympathetic to the plight of the Dundee Schools FA, with whom they want to work closely, and are sorry they have had to scrap their matches against Edinburgh and Aberdeenshire school selects.
They are meeting the DSFA tonight, at the clubs’ request, to try to find a way forward that can help the clubs and schools’ football in the area.
The Evening Telegraph understands that Kenny Cameron and Graham Liveston, the heads of youth coaching at Dens Park and Tannadice respectively, are strongly opposed to the SPL directive as it stands.
They and their counterparts at Dunfermline and two other SPL clubs want it watered down so that the SPL’s youth initiative can exist with schools and youth club football.
The five clubs are planning to maintain their opposition when the issue comes up for a formal decision at the SPL, and their votes would be enough to kick the hard-line plan into touch.
At tonight’s meeting, the representatives of the clubs and Dundee Schools FA will look at drawing up fixture schedules to ensure their matches don’t clash and boys can be allowed to play for their schools, area selects or clubs without harming their prospects in any direction.
A spokesman at SPL’s offices at Hampden in Glasgow said, “The directive is not part of the SPL’s rules at the moment.
“There is a lot of discussion going on in the background about what should be done.
“If there is to be a change of the SPL’s rules there would need to be an 8-4 majority vote among the 12 clubs for that change.
“If five clubs vote against a proposal then the proposal would be defeated.”
The spokesman added that under the terms of the present D forms, which schoolboy players sign for SPL clubs, the clubs can give permission for boys to play in schools football.
The head teachers of Dundee’s ten secondary schools have discussed the situation.
A spokesman for the city council said this afternoon, “The director of education Mrs Anne Wilson and the secondary head teachers will be writing to the chairman of the SPL, Lex Gold, and also to Dundee and Dundee United Football Clubs.
“They will point out their concern and unhappiness at the effect the current situation is having on schools’ football.” |
