This was from February
RANGERS were among SIX Scottish Premiership clubs to vent their frustrations at the SPFL last week. And now at the other end of the Scottish football pyramid, it seems like other clubs aren’t…
www.thescottishsun.co.uk
However, for a very different reason, now there are murmurs of discontent coming from the Highland League - where ambitions to get into the SPFL are under the spotlight.
According to the Press & Journal, clubs in the Highland League have been left less than impressed with a quietly implement rule change that could make getting promoted into the SPFL a more difficult challenge.
That change, understood to have been passed last summer, requires any club wishing to participate in the top four divisions of Scottish football to achieve an SFA Bronze License.
And it'll come into force from next season. As it stands, no Highland League club has this status while just one Lowland League side, Cumbernauld Colts, have achieved it.
Currently, the winners of the Highland League face the winners of the Lowland League in a play-off, with the winners of that tie going on to take on the bottom placed side in SPFL League Two with a spot in that division up for grabs. And it means that clubs looking to get promoted into the SPFL might have to fork out thousands of pounds to make that a reality.
Speaking to the P&J, a Highland League source said they felt the current clubs in the SPFL were trying to place another hurdle in front of clubs looking to get into the setup. The unnamed source is quoted as saying: “It was brought in this season, but publicly very little has been said about it.
“It appears it’s been brought in to make it that bit more difficult for teams to get up. They (SPFL clubs) have seen how hard it is for teams that drop out of the SPFL. It feels like it’s been set up to stop the drain of SPFL teams into leagues that they struggle to come back from. It feels like a case of protecting their own. This is a great way of making things more difficult.”
There are in fact FIVE clubs currently within the SPFL setup who don't yet have bronze status - but are reportedly currently working towards achieving it. And an SPFL source indicated that if the winners of the Highland League/Lowland League bound for the play-off could show they were working towards achieving bronze status, they could be allowed to participate.
A spokesperson is quoted as saying: “Following a recommendation from the SPFL’s Club Licensing and Membership Criteria Advisory Group, chaired by Stenhousemuir’s Iain McMenemy, SPFL clubs voted unanimously in July 2023 to introduce a requirement that all SPFL clubs require to have received a Bronze Licence award from the Scottish FA in advance of season 2024/25.
“This recommendation was the first step in a process to explore ways to drive up standards across the whole game. SPFL clubs were very keen to work together to drive up standards in respect of ground and pitch condition, medical cover, diversity and equality and financial requirements.
“Having minimum standards is a crucial part of running any football league and all clubs have been aware of this change since summer 2023. A number of SPFL clubs have been investing in their own operations this season to seek to ensure that they are compliant with the new standards.”
Brechin City, previously relegated out of the SPFL, and Banks O'Dee are the top two in the Highland League as it stands and both clubs are working towards attaining their bronze status.
And Banks O'Dee chief Brian Wilson revealed that the cost of achieving the license could cost them up to £20,000.
He said: “It definitely feels like it’s another barrier being put up in front of clubs. Our astroturf needs to be Fifa approved every year now as opposed to every three years – that’s an additional £2,000 annually to get it approved.
“Audited accounts are anywhere from £6,000-£10,000. The overall cost to get from the entry licence to bronze is potentially about £20,000 for us and we’re maybe further on than some clubs. If we didn’t have a modern stadium which has effectively been built in the last 10 or 15 years with modern regulations it would make it a lot harder.
“This is an onerous and expensive step if you want to progress. The other thing is you could have the bronze licence and not have the chance to win promotion if you don’t win the league.You can go to all the expense of getting the bronze licence and there’s no guarantee of ever getting promoted.”