Pyramid point of view can be tricky

IT began with a simple tweet from Kilwinning Rangers on Monday evening. The juniors had voted to join the Scottish football pyramid.

Within 24 hours the Buffs had revealed plans for either a major upgrade of their Abbey Park home or an alternative relocation to the sports centre across town.

All of a sudden the long talked about fantasy of the juniors joining the seniors, allowing the big boys like Pollok and Linlithgow the chance to follow their dream, has got very real.

The 99-55 vote result wasn’t quite a thumping but a comprehensive victory for the clubs who want to open the door from the world of junior football after more than a century and step on to the pathway to the SPFL.

However, with great opportunities comes even greater risks. And the warning signs are already in place.

Kilwinning admit it’ll cost between £150,000 and £200,000 to bring their ground up to the level required for an SFA licence.

In fact only 15 of the 158 junior clubs across Scotland currently meet the criteria for an entry level licence which demands certain stadia standards are met in terms of health and safety.

Should a club manage to achieve “the dream” and succeed in winning promotion into the SPFL they must meet the guidelines for a bronze licence. Then there’s silver, gold and platinum on the way to the top.

All of which becomes costly. To obtain a bronze licence, for instance, clubs must have floodlights, pay all staff the minimum wage, they must have a club doctor at all home games and have audited accounts by a certified auditor.

If it happens that the four tiers of the junior game can be built into the pyramid in their current form then great.

But there must be a caveat allowing those not equipped for the ride and with no ambitions to jump on the bandwagon to remain junior no matter how successful they are on the park.