To B or not to B, that is the question … ON THE ROAD asks if there is a future in Celtic’s senior side for young hopefuls with big dreams in the Parkhead B team

Celtic B 3 Cumbernauld Colts 1

There is revolution in the air at Celtic. It exists among a section of the support but, more intriguingly, it is dominating the minds of those who have the power.

There will be changes to the structure of the club. The issue of how to bring players through to the first team from the academy will be one of them. The transfer window produced a month of angst for fans and board. It also showed that Celtic are producing players, but not necessarily for their own first team.

Josh Clarke and Ben McPherson converted their loans from Celtic to deals with Partick Thistle. In what would have the sweetest of ironies, Calvin Miller of Falkirk was rumoured to be coming back to Celtic six years after he left the club.

The academy has also recently produced Ben Gannon-Doak, Rocco Vata and Daniel Cummings. Unfortunately for Celtic, they play for Bournemouth, Watford and West Ham respectively. There is limited good news in the Celtic squad for the UEFA league. It contains a host of asterisks denoting home-grown players. But only Colby Donovan, Kieran Tierney. Anthony Ralston and James Forrest started their careers in the academy and will feature in matches.

Celtic seem beset by obstacles. If players are standouts in the academy then they are poached by English or European clubs. If they are good, they are either sent on loan and bought, or play in the B team to await their chance at the highest level.

These glimpses of the first team can be fleeting. The leap from B to A team demands luck, skill and resilience.

Both sides take to the pitch for their clash at the Albert Bartlett Stadium in Airdrie

The young Celtic players form a huddle, just like their senior counterparts in Martin O’Neill’s team

If the players at B team level face an uncertain future, then the structure is also under consideration. Celtic have an option to play in the Lowland League next year. It is not yet known if they will take that up. However, the splitting of the Lowland League make it unlikely that the clubs will vote to include B teams in the future. There is a clamour for West of Scotland clubs to join the Lowland League West so it is unlikely they would agree to places being taken by B teams.

Rangers B team, of course, has already withdrawn from the Lowland League and now plays challenge matches and competes in the Glasgow Cup.

Celtic now face that question of whither the B team? It may be that some sort of reserve league will be introduced but professional coaches and players insist a competitive environment is essential. The Lowland League ticks that box with a heavy hand.

The camp followers huddle in the stand as battle commences at their feet. Celtic B and Cumbernauld Colts play a highly technical, competitive and entertaining match in front of friends, family and scouts.

It is easy to appreciate the talent on show. It is, frankly, impossible to divine who will go on to make it to the very top.

There are clues. Colts have a couple players on loan from St Mirren and Motherwell. The Celtic team includes players included in the UEFA squad: Corey Shaw, Finlay Hale, Samuel Isiguzo, Hayden Borland, Samuel Sedwell, Joseph Haney, Sean McAardle, Thomas Hatton, and Tom Pickford.

Celtic play well with a practised fluidity. Colts slowly come into the game at 2-0 down and the game becomes a contest as the away side scores. Celtic, however, break to score a third and control the game in the dying minutes

The centre-back pairing of Hale and Borland are composed and comfortable with the ball. Borland, in particular, has improved immensely since my last viewing of him. Haney is an aggressive and quick full back, Francis Joseph Turley is languidly assured in midfield, McCardle shows the skills that have already given him exposure in the first team, and Hatton is a constant danger.

Thomas Hatton makes it 1-0 for Celtic in their 3-1 victory over Cumbernauld Colts

It’s 2-0 to the Celtic B team in Airdrie courtesy of a goal from Tom PIckford

Former Celtic star Jonny Hayes insists the key asset for young players is resilience

The last named is a winger who scores the first goal and sets up two excellent chances with speed to the bye-line and crosses that are not converted.

His father, Neil, sits in the stands. ‘He has been at Celtic since he was seven and now has signed a three-year deal,’ he says of his 18-year-old son.

‘Me and his mum have been the chauffeurs for all those years and it has been hard to balance things. It’s been hard for him too. But he plays for Celtic and you have to remind yourself of that. This is his life. It is all he has ever done.’

He adds: ‘He has had the same circle of friends since he was seven so he is a level-headed lad.’

Hatton junior has watched team mates such as Gannon-Doak and Cummings leave for other clubs but the youngster is determined to make it at Celtic. 

‘That’s his aim and he will do everything he can to achieve it,’ says his father.

Two of the coaches know what it is like to have negotiated the path from ‘boy wonder’ to professional player.

Zander Diamond, a rock for Aberdeen, is now on the staff at Colts. Johnny Hayes is team manager of Celtic B.

Diamond says: ‘My progression was through Aberdeen youth ranks. I signed a schoolboy form at 13 and signed full-time when I was 17. I think the Lowland League is a good set-up. Players can advance from here. They are not playing academy football, that is key. 

‘I was fortunate when I was young that I was playing against seasoned pros at 17, 18 years of age. That toughened youngsters up. This is a good platform for the boys.’

Neil Hatton, above, insists he’s been chauffeur for son Tom as the young hopeful tries to journey to the top with Celtic

Former Aberdeen star Zander Diamond is now on the staff of Cumbernauld Colts

Young Hatton looks more than happy with his goal against Cumbernauld at the weekend

Diamond, who managed Broomhill before they folded, believes that the revamped Lowland League West will be a success next season.

‘There will be a lot of attractive ties and the crowds will increase. We are building towards that.’

Hayes is building towards producing players. The club has its principles on how on how to play from academy, though B and into first team.

The B team face a specific challenge in that they face tests on hostile fields against strong, committed and skillful players.

‘The Lowland League is underappreciated,’ says Hayes. ‘There are teams in this league that could play in divisions above. There are good players, too. We are going with the youngest B team we have had. 

‘We have accelerated development. When we go into tough, tough games – Bonnyrigg Rose or Tranent away, for example – they are all learning points. But we go to win the game. That is part of the development.’

He uses his experience of coming through the ranks to educate and console his charges.

Tom Pickford of Celtic launches into a tackle on Cumbernauld opponent Jay Gillies

Family and friends of the players enjoy the action at the Albert Bartlett Stadium

Celtic’s young players launch another attack during their 3-1 victory over Cumbernauld

‘My progression was not linear. I started at Reading and I was well thought of there. 

‘Then I then had my ups and downs so I can use that when I am talking to players. I have that degree of empathy.’

Asked for the one bit of advice he would like to pass on to players, he replies: ‘Be a bit more resolute. 

You have to get used to having more downs than ups. A kick in the backside is just round the corner. You have to deal with disappointment.’

Hayes had four loan spells, travelling through nine clubs. But he became an internationalist for the Republic of Ireland and won a Scottish League Cup with Aberdeen and three league titles, two league cups and two Scottish cups with Celtic.

Every one of the players on the pitch at the Albert Bartlett stadium in Airdrie would settle for a fraction of that in their careers. To be or not to be, that is the question for each of them.