Some have written to us here at the 'Berwick Advertiser' expressing their 'annoyance' and 'disgust.'

And others have called for a meeting with the board of directors to try and get them to reverse their decision.

In a letter which was published last week, one concerned parent, Kenny Waugh, wrote of his 'astonishment and disappointment' that the club planned to axe the U19 and U17s for the 2009-2010 season.

He said that following a recent meeting it had been hoped the youths would have 'an extremely productive season,' had they been allowed to continue.

It was stated that: "Ultimately the biggest losers here will be the players. Over 40 players will now not have a club for the coming season.
"Where do these players go in 2009/10? Some will undoubtedly be lost to the game, others may be forced into playing senior football before they are ready, they have been badly let down and deserve better."

Another concerned parent, who did not wish to be identified, wrote:
"The decision not to have youth teams playing next season is a disgrace.
"Only a few weeks ago the current Berwick manager was saying that youth development was the way forward.

"I find it hard to believe they are scrapping the 'Initiative' as in the last couple of seasons they have won two cups, two promotions and a league title. The U16s won their league this season, which has resulted in them being promoted to division one of the NABC league.

"It seems to be a case of too many broken promises from Berwick Rangers' board."

Meanwhile, another set of irate parents have written a letter to Berwick chairman Brian Porteous, asking the club to reconsider their decision.

A copy of the letter was also sent to the 'Advertiser.' but after receiving a letter back from the club they later asked us not to publish it in full as it raised 'certain issues.'

They claimed there was 'absolutely no consultation with the players or families concerned.'

And they said the board did not have the decenbcy to speak to or write to the individual players - instead a notice was posted on the club's official website.

They added: "Your statement not only gives no hope to the players who have just been cast aside, it doesn't even acknowledge the good work and commitment they have shown over the years.

"It seems to us this decision makes no business sense either financially or for the development of new players.

"By having no young players 'coming up the ranks', where will the club find its' new players for the coming season? Already some under 19s have been asked to play reserve for the first team – not only an honour, but a valuable experience.

"We would like to thank all the coaches for their hard work and support, despite the difficult season. We understand that they too are at a loss why the board has made such a decision.

"We sincerely hope this letter will prompt a meeting with the board, coaches, youth players and families to discuss the matter fully and hopefully have the decision to not play next season reversed."
A statement issued by Berwick Rangers a fortnight ago revealed the club's intentions.

It said: "The board of Berwick Rangers have announced that they do not not plan to run youth teams in the coming 2009/10 season, and are looking ahead to having a robust structure in place for entry into the SFL Youth League in 2010/11,

"The directors felt that in recent years youth development has not been fully integrated into the club, nor perhaps fully supported by the club, and will be taking some time to review this and put in place a longer term arrangement that will attempt to recruit the best of young talent from north Northumberland, the Borders and the Lothians."

But speaking from France, where he is currently on holiday until the end of the month, chairman Porteous said:
"It was a decision taken at board level and because of that it is extremely unlikely we will be reversing the decision.

"But what I would like to stress is that the decision was not taken purely for financial reasons.

"There were a number of other factors taken into consideration, not least the fact that we hope to join the Scottish Youth League set-up in 2010/11, and to do that we need to adopt a more professional approach and have the right structure in place.

"With regards to consultation, at least one of the Youth Initiative coaches was aware of the situation, but it would have been impractical to notify every player of the decision individually."

Director John Bell, who is also chairman of the Berwick Rangers Supporters' Trust, has written an official reply from the club which is published on our letters page this week (page 6).

He added: "I can understand the feelings of some of the parents, but to take our youth set-up forward to the next level it was thought best we take a break for a year and get our house in order before applying to join the Scottish Youth League in 2010/11.

"With regards to the existing teams, players and coaches, they can continue in their current format if they wish. They can continue playing in the leagues they are in, and where necessary we will continue to provide them with some facilities. All we are saying is that they cannot use the Berwick Rangers name.

"What they have achieved over the past few years deserves every credit, but the club feels that if they want to drive their youth programme forward a more structured set-up needs to be in place and that was why the decision was taken."