Highland/ Lowland play off Cancelled

The Scottish FA regrets to announce that Buckie Thistle FC will not be eligible to participate in the Pyramid Play-Off tie between the champions of the Scottish Highland and Lowland Football Leagues this weekend.

Under Pyramid Play-Off Rules, it is a prerequisite for participants to comply with SPFL Membership Criteria, specifically in this instance a Bronze-level club licence award from the Scottish FA.

Buckie Thistle does not comply with this criterion following its failure to obtain an award by the Licensing Committee yesterday.

Consequently, the match will no longer take place and East Kilbride FC, who were granted a bronze licence by the committee, will proceed to the cinch League Two play-off final against eventual Club 42.

Scottish FA spokesperson: “The Licensing Committee considered a range of eligibility criteria in respect of Buckie Thistle’s application. Unfortunately, the submission did not meet the requirements for the award of a Bronze licence.

“All SHFL and SLFL clubs were written to in December last year to advise that the audit process would be accelerated for those clubs with a chance of promotion, in light of the SPFL’s updated membership criteria requirements.

"The Scottish FA’s club licensing department has been in regular dialogue with Buckie Thistle since then to notify the club of, and provide ample time to address, issues highlighted in their Club Licensing Report.

“Unfortunately, these issues were not addressed by the club prior to yesterday’s licensing committee decision.”

SPFL spokesperson: “Every club was made aware in summer last year of the need to have a Scottish FA Bronze Licence to participate in the SPFL. Regrettably, Buckie Thistle failed to respond to any of the three subsequent follow-up letters sent in October, February and March.

“They are not compliant with SPFL Rules and failed to apply for a period of grace by the 31 March 2024 deadline. The SPFL Board has huge sympathy for Buckie and their fans, but has no option but to enforce our Rules.”
 
EIAFF said:
Should be written that to contest in that league, where you have a chance of getting to the League2 set up, that you have the licence before you even kick a ball.
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You need an entry licence to compete in the SHFL and it's not far off the requirements of Bronze. So it looks as though they've deliberately not attempted to get it.
 
No Pyro No Party said:
And then in the West of Scotland League you have Beith who for the second year in a row will be blocking the pyramid due to them lacking floodlights amongst other things.
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It's very frustrating.

We all know Scottish football needs to improve but stricter rules need put in place to ensure progression can happen.
 
I’m sure previously teams were allowed promotion with an Entry Level licence but that was changed this season to bronze and hardly any clubs have this as yet.

Seems like a bit of self preservation from the SPFL clubs putting another obstacle in place of promotion.

I’m very much of the belief that teams should be allowed to be promoted and then given a season to get the required licence
 
rangeral said:

No Highland League side has Bronze

2 Lowland League sides have it -, Cumbernauld Colts & East Kilbride

Yet 5 of current 42 SPFL clubs don't have bronze either Airdrie, Cove Rangers, Edinburgh City Kelty Hearts & Peterhead guess they will be working towards Bronze

That is based on the overall award which must be based on
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So these clubs all contested the league for the title and the opportunity to enter a play-off for League membership but didn’t get certification . Publicly people anticipated the playoff too , that’s a bit abusive of the system and the public you could argue .

Not that I’m bothered lol
 
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rangeral said:

No Highland League side has Bronze

2 Lowland League sides have it -, Cumbernauld Colts & East Kilbride

Yet 5 of current 42 SPFL clubs don't have bronze either Airdrie, Cove Rangers, Edinburgh City Kelty Hearts & Peterhead guess they will be working towards Bronze

That is based on the overall award which must be based on
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sounds a wee bit like self preservation within the leagues at boardroom level , so Buckie aren't allowed to play and win through the structure but those there that dont meet the criteria it's ok to do so ?? ...... so typically F*cking SPFL
 
This was from February

www.thescottishsun.co.uk

SPFL under fire again as little known rule change sparks major promotion concern

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 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.”
 
jigster said:
sounds a wee bit like self preservation within the leagues at boardroom level , so Buckie aren't allowed to play and win through the structure but those there that dont meet the criteria it's ok to do so ?? ...... so typically F*cking SPFL
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I have posted an article from the The Sun back in February which seems to be focus on those 5 SPFL getting the bronze license needed for next season

What happens if they don't?
 
Did Buckie not do something like this previously? I'm sure a highland league said they didn't want promotion before.
 
Buckie has a population of 9,000 apart from Elgin which is thirty minutes away and Peterhead which is about an hour and a half away, there are no clubs in league two within about three hours travel time with Stranraer about six hours away. This has been spoken about numerous times but the Scottish Leagues need to be totally redrawn. Personally I would like a sixteen team professional league with no relegation played August to May. With four regional pyramids below winners playing off for overall champions these leagues would play March to October. Somehow two cup competitions could be played in Spring and Autumn.
 
It’s not quite as straightforward as Buckie not having a licence. The SFA froze the licence application process this season. You’d hope that there would be dialogue behind the scenes to help Buckie achieve ‘Bronze’ status but the SFA don’t get very much ELSE right, do they?
 
rangeral said:
Needed a 10 year lease of the ground to satisfy the EFL rules

Stadium owned by Gateshead Council and that side I think has cause the issue reading into
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This also caused an issue as Coventry City only signed a 5 year lease to move back into the Ricoh arena, as was.
EFL left hand not knowing what right hand is doing, as per.
 
Stewie Griffin said:
This also caused an issue as Coventry City only signed a 5 year lease to move back into the Ricoh arena, as was.
EFL left hand not knowing what right hand is doing, as per.
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Might be easier and less once your are on the EFL side but i do agree it should the same

Just reading Gateshead Council would have no issue with the 10 year lease but they couldn't do it as they might not the operator of it in the future

www.bbc.co.uk

Gateshead: Council clarifies lease situation after EFL decision

Council says Gateshead FC has a 10-year lease to play at the International Stadium after being denied a chance of promotion.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
Guess they've been near the top all season then if they've been written to and failed to respond? Seems their at fault but if these clubs have no interest in joining the SPFL which I get for financial reasons then the pyramid needs to have a system where clubs who do want to be promoted are in their own setup and leave them be.
 
Alex Clelands Forehead said:
It's not just ground regulations. Finance codes, Youth system all play a part in getting the licence.
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Think one of the changes to Bronze Level is having an official Club Doctor present at every game, which I imagine could be difficult to arrange for some clubs.

Saw someone earlier in the thread having a dig at Beith for not having any floodlights, as far as I’m aware they’re still trying to overcome some complicated legal issues to get planning permission for their park as nobody actually owns it. Something to do with the ground being in the ownership of a trust which has no living trustees and hasn’t for many years. I think that once that is sorted they’re ready to crack on with installation.

Regarding Buckie, reading between the lines did they ever want to be promoted?
 
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