SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell insists that bringing back reserve football would now be futile after the Scottish game adopted the co-operation system.

With the development of young players reaching crisis point, many former pros have advocated the return of the old ‘second 11’ league which used to see emerging talents cut their teeth against experienced operators who were often returning after injury.

There was widespread speculation that the measure might be part of the SFA’s proposals which were put to the 42 clubs at St Andrews on Friday.

Instead, the governing body suggested the adoption of rules compelling clubs to start two Scotland Under-21 eligible players in cup games – and for them to get an average of six per cent of a team’s minutes across a season.

Maxwell feels the call for reserve football to return ignores the fact that the co-operation system effectively gives them exposure to competitive football by making loans between clubs easier.

‘That’s the problem. We hark back to what happened back then,’ he said. ‘Great, but it’s not like that anymore. The world’s not like that anymore.

SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell says a reserve league won’t be returning to Scottish football 

‘The system now is he goes in a co-op loan when he’s 17, 18 to League One, League Two, and that becomes his reserve football.

‘That’s his meaningful football. And then when you come in (to the parent club) at 19, 20, you’ve maybe had a year in the Championship.

‘Clubs need to think about that because that’s the beauty of the co-operation system. Those leagues are already seeing a lot of younger minutes and those clubs will be quite happy getting those.

‘I don’t think we’re in a position now to get too upset about what the level is at 18, 19 because you start playing. That’s what the old reserves used to be.

‘There’s a pathway there that gets you through.’

Maxwell was speaking after Scottish top-flight clubs were warned that they are leaving £40million on the table each year as a result of failing to play academy players.

With Scotland only now ahead of Turkey in Europe in terms of minutes being given to emerging talents, those in attendance were told by Twenty First Group – a leading sports data company – that blooding academy players had no adverse impact on results.

If approved at two meetings in the coming two months, the new rules would come into force for the 2027-28 season with financial incentives attached.

The SFA would put forward a pot of £1million linked to player appearances. Clubs in all four divisions who fail to reach the minutes target in league matches would be deducted 10 per cent of their final placing prize money – with the funds redistributed among the clubs who have achieved the target.

Maxwell and chief football officer Mulholland listen as Sebastien Pocognoli talks at St Andrews

Maxwell believes the number of players signed in the most recent transfer window emphasises the fact that Scottish clubs are not acting strategically.

‘When it gets to the point that clubs are signing 10, 11, 12 players in the window, that can’t be the best way to do that,’ he added. ‘And we all need to take a look at ourselves and understand what we can do differently.

‘I made the point to the chief executives, to the owners, that we all talk about being custodians of the game. Everybody, when they join a board, will talk about being a custodian of the game and will want to leave it in a better place (when they leave).

‘This is a chance to go and do that. This is something transformational.

‘When you’re involved in football, It’s because you want to give your club the best chance of having the successful nights that you always remember.

‘We want to give the association, the country, the best chance of having more Denmark nights than we care to remember. Everybody remembers it because it doesn’t happen often enough.’