The proposal to allow Rangers and Celtic B teams into League Two next season faces a crucial few weeks.
Lanarkshire Live can exclusively reveal that the proposal will be put before the SPFL board for approval in a meeting on Monday, March 22.
Subsequently, it will be raised in a meeting of the SFA board for final approval Wednesday, March 24.
The proposal needs to be approved by both boards - SPFL and SFA - in order to facilitate a vote between clubs to accept or reject the proposal.
Any vote between clubs will not take place until at least a few weeks time in mid-April.
If the B team plan receives the necessary amount of votes then Rangers and Celtic will enter teams into an expanded League 2 next season.
Those sides would not be able to be promoted into the Championship and the age limit for players would be capped at 21 years old.
Although clubs in League One and Two are estimated to be boosted financially by at least a six-figure sum over a five year period, Lowland League clubs wouldn't immediately benefit from a monetary perspective.
There would also be no automatic promotion between the Lowland League and League Two which has been a bone of contention amongst clubs at that level.
However, it’s understood that it’s very unlikely that clubs will vote in favour of the proposal.
Despite the financial benefits, clubs hold concerns that it would alienate their own supporters.
There has been a huge backlash to the plans on social media - whilst some fans have contacted their clubs directly - and clubs are aware of the outrage.
It’s believed that strategic partnerships between clubs have been, in fact, central to discussions and the favoured option of some lower league clubs.
Hibernian have recently formed a partnership with Stenhousemuir which could be the blueprint for similar relationships moving forward.
The innovative partnership was unprecedented in Scottish football and is aimed at being mutually beneficial.
A maximum of four players are permitted from moving on loan between clubs this season and there are plans to increase this further.
It's been muted that Premiership clubs could pay lower league clubs a percentage of future transfers fees for their role in the development of youngsters.
The working group have discussed whether clubs would be limited to one strategic partnership and it's understood they'd be allowed more than one.
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