Kelty hit out at SPFL chief for ‘disrespectful’ comments

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 fifthtier only has eligible club, Bo’ness United.

Kelty, who have argued that the SPFL needs the agreement of the Scottish FA, Lowland League and Highland League to cancel the League Two play-off, view Doncaster’s misinformation as showing ‘complete disregard’ for the pyramid structure in Scottish football.

A statement read: “Mr Doncaster 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 playoffs 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 divisions of the SPFL have been cancelled’.

“That is not true. The Lowland League doesn’t have a ‘play-off at the bottom’, it’s automatic relegation for the bottom club. This year, due to Covid-19, the Lowland League have declared no club will be relegated.

“The Lowland League and its clubs have made a contingency plan that will see Bo’ness United promoted upon them receiving their SFA licence in June, as all clubs in the Lowland League require to be SFA licensed.

“It’s little wonder we feel like many others that there’s a complete disregard to the pyramid and its structure.

“We find his comments somewhat disrespectful and negligent.”