Kelty brand SPFL chief ‘negligent’

KELTY HEARTS have accused Neil Doncaster of being ‘disrespectful and negligent’ after pulling up the SPFL chief executive on his misrepresentation of the Lowland League.

In a wide-ranging newspaper interview, Doncaster tried to brush off anger that Kelty and Highland League champions Brora Rangers had been denied an opportunity to win promotion to the SPFL via a play-off with League Two’s bottom club, Brechin City.

Doncaster mistakenly claimed the play-off between the ‘bottom of the Lowland League and leagues below’ had been, like those in the SPFL, called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In fact, relegation from the Lowland League is automatic and has been cancelled by officials because the league was ‘called’ early, whilst the play-off between teams in the East of Scotland and South of Scotland leagues to move up to the fifth-tier only has eligible club, Bo’ness United.

Kelty view Doncaster’s misinformation as showing ‘complete disregard’ for the pyramid structure in Scottish football.

A statement read: “Mr Doncaster answers the question that asks how the SPFL can justify denying Brora Rangers and Kely Hearts a chance at promotion to the SPFL.

“[He says:] ‘I don’t understand that because it’s not just the pyramid play-offs that have been cancelled, it’s all the play-offs, including the play-offs between the bottom of the Lowland League and the leagues below.

“It’s not a unique situation to the pyramid play-offs. It’s all play-offs in Scotland. Had there been automatic relegation then Brechin would have been relegated. But it was only ever a play-off and all play-offs in all dividions of the SPFL have been cancelled’.

“That is not true. The Lowland League doesn’t have a ‘play-off at the bottom’.

“[From] somone who is on both the SPFL and SFA board to help drive the whole game forward, we find it somewhat disrespectful and negligent.”