BRORA SMARTING OVER BETRAYAL

IN the seven weeks since they were declared Highland League champions, Brora Rangers have experienced an extraordinary range of emotions. First came a strange kind of empty joy — the consequence of having the crown figuratively put on their heads without being able to finish the deed on the field of play or celebrate the achievement in the time-honoured fashion. Uncertainty over their fate then gave way to bemusement that the SPFL’s season-ending resolution sought to draw a line under all play-offs, thereby denying either themselves or Kelty Hearts a crack at Brechin City. Then, on Friday, came a sense of betrayal through confirmation that the Premiership clubs were pulling the plug on reconstruction talks. What appeared to be Brora’s final hope of joining the senior set up via a proposed 14-14-16 shake-up was crushed before it even got to a vote. Whatever practical justification the SPFL have given for what has come to pass, for Brora manager Steven Mackay, any moral obligations have evidently been thrown out of the window. ‘We’ve been left in limbo in relation to having the play-offs taken away from us, then having the reconstruction option taken away from us,’ he said. ‘I don’t think it’s right for the SPFL to relegate Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer, yet Brechin get a free pass. You’ve got to earn your right to get into a league first and foremost, which ourselves and Kelty have done, but you have to earn your right to remain at that level. ‘Brechin haven’t really done that this season. There has to be consequences for that. ‘Normally there would be a play-off but with that taken away, reconstruction would have been a sensible option. ‘Now that’s been quashed it leaves a bit of a sour taste. ‘The whole sporting-integrity issue has not really been taken into consideration at all. ‘The whole system has lost a huge amount of credibility by making that decision. It paints Scottish football in such a poor light.’