Is Buckie the issue to finally topple Doncaster and Maxwell?
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.
