Mike Mike Mike
I think you have a fundamental misunderstanding of lower league football! (well you did until you changed your viewpoint, I think, right at the end!)
It's not an 'old boys club'. When has getting an under 21 from one of the top clubs guaranteed promotion? It doesn't. The clubs taking them are taking a risk themselves. These are raw players. They take them on, and are probably anticipated to play them a certain amount of time. They might add some quality to the side, but they might also flop
Either way, it provides a lower league club with a non transfer fee player, you potentially have a better quality of player in the lower league. If it turns out the player isn't good enough for United / whoever loaned them, which is more often the case, there's a reasonable chance the player might go back to that loan team. Or at the very least, they've had some experience of lower league football, and of the demands required to play at that particular level of the game
Many lower league clubs would struggle to survive without loan players. It's part of the game, and an important one in many senses. I'd have one of our players play in the lower league for a season rather than reserve football any day of the week. And I know if I'm going down to the Dale, I'm looking forward to seeing a United loanee. You're making it out to be unfair, and I just can't see how that's the case!
