Even by their own deplorable standards, yesterday the SFA and SPFL surpassed themselves by cancelling the SPFL Play-Off between East Kilbride and Buckie Thistle.
A week after the exciting finish to the Highland League the SFA have rendered the whole campaign meaningless since Buckie Thistle failed to meet the licence criteria for SPFL membership.
In 2011 under the guidance of Rod Petrie and Stewart Regan, Rangers were given a licence to play in UEFA competitions despite having an overdue tax payable of £2.8m.
Effectively the club had denied Her Majesty £2.8m dating back a decade to the dual contracts given to Tore Andre Flo and Ronald de Boer in order to put a competitive team on the park, beating Celtic to the SPL title and the qualifying route to the riches of the Champions League.
Now it appears that the SFA are sticklers for licence regulations with trivia such as floodlight strength and fencing denying Buckie the opportunity to join clubs like Annan Athletic, Cove Rangers, Spartans and Edinburgh City in the senior ranks.
Late on Thursday afternoon, less than 48 hours before kick-off at K Park in East Kilbride the SFA announced:
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.”
Surely there should have been a cut off point of at least a month ago to meet licence requirements. That would surely have ensured that Buckie carried out the work required.
Meanwhile Highland League runners-up Brechin City have been denied a play-off place with East Kilbride now facing a two legged play-off against the bottom placed club in SPFL Division Two.
This episode underlines just how detached and out of touch Neil Doncaster and Ian Maxwell are as they shuffle the paper-clips and submit their expenses claims.
Both the SFA and SPFL are member organisations, Doncaster and Maxwell remain in place only due to the backing of member clubs.
Should Celtic lead a Vote of No Confidence in Neil Doncaster?
No- we are lucky to have Doncaster in charge
Yes- he should be chased out of office
If I was a Buckie supporter I think I’d be asking my club why they failed to respond to letters on three occasions, then failed to request a “period of grace” since this may have afforded the club the time to make the changes/upgrades required. Sounds to me like the club either didn’t want promoted, or their admin dept needs a serious overhaul.
Editor: That sounds fair but I suspect that there is another side to the story, whatever upgrades were required could easily have been put in place during May and June, Buckie got a good pay day from Celtic in January.
I can see why the SFA can’t leave this till May or June. They have schedules to make up, and they need to know well in advance who will be taking part in each league. If Buckie were to get promoted, then fail to make the required changes, the SFA then need to change two leagues fixtures for the season. I’m absolutely no fan of the SFA, however I think Buckie are to blame here. They did get a great payout from their fixture with us, so why not get the work done, or at the very least request the “grace period” they’re entitled to?
Having Neil Doncaster in charge of Scottish football is like putting Frank Spencer in charge of it. The man is an incompetent buffoon and so shameless you couldnt even mark his neck with a blowtorch. Every aspect of this decision is wrong. Buckie, Brechin and whoever finishes bottom of League Two should join forces to sue them, as they have made a complete nonsense of the entire pyramid promotion/relegation process, and continue to make Scottish football a laughing stock.
Having Doncaster in charge is like asking an alkie to watch your kerryoot,it’s got disaster written all of over it.
Lol more comedy gold,but should put a statement out there and call out the shenanigans that went on over at ibrox for all those years without punishment.
Fuck them get the cards on the table and call them out.
Sounds like Buckie have been on a Buckfast bender !
Since the SFA and (now) SPFL have suddenly become attached to their own rules it would be pertinent to ask by what ‘rules’ the rangers was admitted to SFL 3 in 2012.
The Spartans was eligible but the rangers was NOT.
The Spartans was a recognised football club with history, the rangers was a new company, Sevco Scotland Limited, with NO footballing history and therefore NO RIGHT to be admitted to ANY football league. No point in expecting our board to do anything as they never do but we’ve got a huge support that carries enormous clout if only it would come together and speak up where our (complicit) board does nothing. AGAIN.
Better chance of a rocking horse doing a shite or even seeing Lord Lucan than our own board speaking up about anything regarding the SFA/SPFL.