Season 2020/21 is written-off
Vote impacts West Lothian clubs in different ways
Three West Lothian football clubs have seen their 2020/21 campaign brought to an end after East of Scotland Football League clubs voted overwhelmingly to null and void the current season.
Blackburn United, Broxburn Athletic and Linlithgow Rose are the impacted clubs with the decision meaning that all three will remain in the sixth tier East of Scotland Premier Division next season, which has a tentative start date of July 17.
By that time it’s hoped spectators will be allowed into the stadiums, having been unable to attend any game played this season.
Of the 40 voting clubs in the EoSFL, 29 (73 per cent) elected for the null and void option, with the other option being to attempt to complete 50 per cent of the campaign and then use points per game to determine league positions – including promotion and relegation.
Prior to the vote, the East of Scotland FA board had indicated that restarting the season was ‘now not feasible’ in a statement sent to clubs with some clubs still having to play nine fixtures to reach that target.
The season had been on pause since the middle of January, although a combination of poor weather and Scottish Cup action meant none of the three West Lothian sides had played a league fixture since December 19.
The decision sees Blackburn United avoid relegation to the First Division, having been sitting on three points from 12 games, while denying Linlithgow Rose a possible promotion bid.
Brown Ferguson’s side had been in third place with one defeat from 11 matches and sitting six points behind leaders Tranent with a game in hand.
Broxburn Athletic, meanwhile, were firmly entrenched in midtable during Chris Townsley’s first season in charge with five wins and five defeats from their 11 fixtures.
The three current West Lothian sides currently in the EoSFL are likely to be joined by several more in time for next season with a number of clubs from the region having applied for membership and aiming to make the switch from Junior football to the senior pyramid.
Those clubs would start in the First Division (seventh tier), which will feature Conferences before then splitting into separate tiers the following season.