Scottish FA’s new Co-operation System is a step in the right direction

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·4. Juni 2025

Scottish FA’s new Co-operation System is a step in the right direction

As many Celtic supporters are aware the club has an arrangement with Austrian side Admira Wacker which, over the last couple of seasons, has seen some of our most talented youngsters head to the Austrian Bundesliga II to experience first team football at a good level of competition and one where they can hone their abilities at a higher level than the B-Team’s Lowland League exposure.

Last season Ben Summers and Matthew Anderson both played for Admira Wacker as the Austrian side finished as runners-up.

OneFootball Videos

It now appears Celtic are also in discussions closer to home, with Queens Park, regarding a new ‘Cooperation System’ beginning this season which will offer opportunities for 16–21-year-old players to play first team football whilst still able to move back and forward between their parent club and the loan side during the course of the season – and such movement won’t be limited to transfer windows.

Furthermore, should the parent club choose to recall the loaned youngster, a replacement can be sent in their stead. This option is open to all Premiership and Championship clubs and will allow for players to be sent to clubs in League 1, League 2, the Highland League and the Lowland League.

Under the new rules a club will be able to place up to a maximum of three players – who must be eligible to represent the Scotland national team – at a lower league club with a view to increasing the youngster’s chances of playing competitive football in an age bracket where Scottish football struggles to offer exposure to the professional game and where the national team also finds itself impacted by development stagnation.

Brendan Rodgers at the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The new system will kick in when the transfer window opens on 16 June, and this replicates a system already in place in system currently operates in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia.

Additionally any player who has not played at least 15 minutes, in at least five games cannot play after a cut-off date of 31 March, this is in place to ensure the cooperation club doesn’t gain any advantage late in the campaign.

Championship clubs are also able to be both a parent club to a club in a lower division, and a recipient club to a Premiership club, which in theory would allow Queens Park to take three players on a cooperation agreement from Celtic whilst also sending three of their own players further down the pyramid.

SFA’s chief football officer, Andy Gould, said: “It’s rare in Scotland that we can get everyone united and on the same page and we are grateful to all the stakeholders who have worked together to make this happen.

“We are confident that we can see a significant increase in playing minutes for young players across the pyramid.”

All you need to know about the new 'Cooperation System' which is now live, aiming to provide increased opportunities to young Scottish players. ➡️ Read more:
– Mittwoch, 4. Juni 2025

I’m sure Celtic would much rather have a B-Team playing in the top four divisions but there was an understandable reluctance from lower league sides to allow for this, and Celtic’s previous attempts to do this were met with resistance.

Perhaps this approach, whilst smaller in scale and entrusting some of the development to a club other than Celtic, may be more palatable and beneficial both to Celtic and to the cooperation club.

Hampden Park Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

If nothing else this new development will assist Celtic in gaining exposure for young talents who get stuck between the semi-professional Lowland League and the huge gap to the Celtic first team and it will also introduce young players to the demands of clubs in a professional environment, where promotion and relegation can have a huge impact on the future of clubs and in turn their teammates contracts.

It will also allow Celtic to have another option outside the hitherto interesting, but still embryonic, experiment of sending some of our youngsters out to Austria for first team exposure and help bridge that gap between the Lowland league and first team football at Celtic.

Niall J

St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Cooperation System Explained

The Cooperation System comes following the Transition Report, authored by Scottish FA Chief Football Officer, Andy Gould and Scottish FA Head of Men’s Elite Strategy, Chris Docherty. The report sought to establish trends in successful player development from across the world and the authors have below answered some key questions relating to the new system.

Why has this Cooperation System been introduced?

Based on the research we have carried out into similar systems in other countries, the Cooperation System affords more opportunities for the best young talent to get playing time. It offers an alternative to clubs and players, who may otherwise be denied a loan opportunity, whilst also having limited playing opportunities at their parent club. For example, clubs competing in Europe may not able to send young players on loan due to Homegrown Matchday Quotas and clubs without a large budget may carry smaller squads and not send best young talents on loan in case of an injury crisis. The Cooperation System gives young players the option to receive critical playing experiences at an appropriate level within the pyramid.

St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

How does this system work?

A club can place a maximum of three players on a ‘Cooperation List’ and these players can move freely between the parent club and the club who they are in a Cooperation Agreement with. So, for example, if the parent club has injuries in the player’s position, they can recall the player, provided they give the minimum prescribed amount of notice to the Cooperation club. The parent club pays the salary for the player and – unlike with loan deals – they maintain the player’s registration.

What other countries use a version of this system?

Club Cooperation systems already operate in a number of countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia.

Which clubs can enter into these Cooperation Agreements?

A club in the SPFL Premiership or Championship is permitted to operate as the parent club, and sign Cooperation Agreements with clubs further down the pyramid (League One, League Two, Highland League and Lowland League). Championship clubs are also able to be both a parent club, to a club in a lower division, and a recipient club to a Premiership club. A club cannot sign a Cooperation Agreement with a club in the same league as their first team or B team.

Can a club enter more than one Cooperation Agreement?

The parent club may sign a Cooperation Agreement with a different club at each level of the pyramid, but a parent club cannot have two Cooperation clubs within the same division.

St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Which players are eligible to move under the Cooperation System?

Only players who are eligible to play for the Scotland National Team and who are under the age of 21 would be able to participate on a ‘Cooperation List’. For the upcoming 2025/2026 Season, a player designated as Under-21 would refer to a player born in the calendar year 2005 or younger. This is in line with the definition used by other nations around Europe.

How many players can move to one club at a certain time?

The parent club, which pays the full salary for players under this system, is able to list a maximum of three players who would appear on a ‘Cooperation List’ between the two clubs.

Does the Cooperation System replace the previous Loans System?

The Cooperation System does not replace the Loans system, meaning clubs can use either of, or a combination of, both systems. A maximum of five players can be shared between two clubs (including loans and ‘Cooperation List’ players). Clubs can have a maximum of three loan players from club to club – therefore the maximum split would be 2/3 or 3/2 in terms of loan / cooperation. Clubs are under no obligation to use all three slots if they sign a Cooperation Agreement.

St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

When can players move between clubs under the Cooperation System?

Clubs are entitled to change the players on the Cooperation List – to remove a player who has been recalled or not participating and replace him with another young player who may benefit from the experience – but only during the summer and winter transfer windows, as well as the extended loan windows that follows the transfer windows. Players who are on the Cooperation List are able to move freely between both clubs throughout the season, although there is a minimum playing time for a player to remain on a cooperation list beyond the cut-off date of 31 March. As a minimum, a player on a Cooperation List must have played at least 15 minutes in at least five matches for the Cooperation club before 31 March to be eligible to feature for the Cooperation club after that date. This would ensure that a club cannot receive extra assistance for key games late in the season with a player being made available just for those games.

Source: Scottish FA.