Buckie Thistle denied play-off opportunity over rules breach

HIGHLAND LEAGUE champions Buckie Thistle have been denied the chance to compete for promotion to the Scottish Professional Football League for failing to comply with its membership criteria.

The Jags were due to face Lowland League winners East Kilbride in the first leg of the Pyramid play-off this weekend but that match will no longer take place after the Moray club were unable to obtain a Bronze-level licence award from the Scottish FA on Wednesday.

EK will instead proceed to the cinch League Two final, where they will face whichever side finishes bottom of Scotland’s fourth tier, with Bonnyrigg, Stranraer and

Clyde all currently in the mix.

An SFA spokesperson said: “The licensing committee considered a range of eligibility criteria in respect of Buckie Thistle’s application. Unfortunately, the submission did not meet the requirements for the award of a bronze licence.

“All SHFL and SLFL clubs were written to in December last year to advise that the audit process would be accelerated for those clubs with a chance of promotion, in light of the SPFL’s updated membership criteria requirements. The Scottish FA’s club licensing department has been in regular dialogue with Buckie Thistle since then to notify the club of, and provide ample time to address, issues highlighted in their Club Licensing Report. Unfortunately, these issues were not addressed by the club prior to yesterday’s licensing committee decision.”

An SPFL spokesperson added: “Every club was made aware in summer last year of the need to have a Scottish FA bronze licence to participate in the SPFL. Regrettably, Buckie Thistle failed to respond to any of the three subsequent follow-up letters sent in October, February and March.”

They added: “The SPFL board has huge sympathy for Buckie and their fans, but has no option but to enforce our rules.”