Young Sportswriter of the Year: Runner-up 1

We are delighted to say that we got over 30 entries from universities across Scotland for this competition. Thanks are due to News UK Scotland, the publishers of The Times and Sunday Times Scotland and The Scottish Sun, for their support and encouragement. It's always good to see aspiring young journalists coming through the ranks and there were five entries we deemed good enough to be published here on our website. We'll publish the four runners-up first, followed by the winner. Here's the first runner-up, Jack Cranmer, from the University of the West of Scotland.

A Tournament Losing Its Soul: The Challenge Cup’s New Format Is Hard to Defend

The first stage of the rebranded Scottish Challenge Cup has come to an end, and so it feels like the right moment to judge what the overhaul has achieved – or rather, what it has failed to achieve.

The competition has been reshaped to mirror UEFA formats, replacing the knockout structure with a league phase promoted as an “exciting new era” meant to “push new talent towards stardom.” Instead, many supporters feel the tournament has lost its purpose. Managers are frustrated, schedules are congested, and Scottish football again appears to be copying external trends at the expense of its own identity. Tony Asghar’s critique of Scotland as “the game of clones” resonates strongly with this revamp.

Although the competition remains exclusive to clubs outside the Premiership, its structure has shifted dramatically. 20 League 1 and League 2 teams entered the league phase alongside ten Premiership B sides – their ninth season of involvement. With a longer schedule and increased scrutiny, their role is harder to ignore. Of the 30 clubs competing, 22 will qualify for the next round, yet by the final matchday only B teams looked likely to miss out.

Three had already been eliminated, and only Stirling Albion’s position stopped the entire bottom section from being filled by B teams – but only temporarily – as by the end of matchday six it was entirely inhabited by the B-teams.

Rangers youngster Oliver Hynd said the defeats help the squad “learn” and show “where we need to improve,” but competitive imbalance remains the real issue.

These are teenagers playing against fully developed senior players, often being outmuscled and beaten weekly. The results underline the widening gap and raise doubts about whether this format truly benefits their development.

The competition was once a realistic route to silverware for lower-league clubs; now it resembles a development platform for elite academies. Critics argue this harms young players technically and mentally.  Meanwhile, Scotland’s development pathway remains patchy.

As businessman Bob Welsh notes, the lack of accessible facilities means football risks becoming “a middle-class sport,” with children priced out at grassroots level.

If development is so important to the SFA, investment there would be more meaningful than restructuring senior competitions.

There are also practical pressures. Many clubs at this level are part-time, and the midweek fixtures mean more time off work, tighter personal schedules, and reduced training opportunities.

Previous expansions at least brought novelty, with cross-border trips to Wales and Northern Ireland offering rare away-day experiences. Now lower-league supporters face repetitive fixtures against academy sides on cold midweek nights, often choosing to boycott B-team games entirely.

Managers have voiced their concerns. Inverness boss Scott Kelleher branded the new format “ridiculous,” criticising the volume of games and lack of jeopardy.

While B-team coaches are naturally more positive – Rangers coach Stevie Smith described the experience as “critical” for development – the competition feels directionless.

What once offered prestige and romance now feels like a training exercise masquerading as a tournament. Unless the SPFL rediscovers what made the cup meaningful, it risks losing not only its identity, but the supporters who cared enough to keep it alive.

Jack Cranmer

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