Craig Fowler
Game the loser as Scottish football finds itself in another fine mess
PLAY-OFF time is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the SPFL calendar and we are just over a week away from it starting all over again. With so many matches to be played, there is always a guarantee of drama somewhere in the four divisions.
Last term we had Airdrieonians setting fire to Falkirk’s promotion hopes with a 6-2 victory in the first leg of their encounter having been 5-0 up at half time. The same club then provided last-minute excitement in the Championship play-off final as they netted a very late equaliser against Hamilton Accies before ultimately winning on penalties.
Hard luck on Accies, but they were able to contest the final only after a remarkable turnaround against Alloa Athletic in the semis. Three-nil down on aggregate in the second leg with furious supporters turning on the board and management, they netted five times in 17 minutes (each side of the half) to change the mood at New Douglas Park.
Annan Athletic were able to win promotion to League One for the first time as two late Benjamin Luissint goals consigned Clyde to League Two relegation. This was after they themselves had produced a thumping scoreline in the semis, putting six past Dumbarton with no reply.
And, of course, there was the incredible finish in the Premiership play-off final where Ross County rose from the dead to put three goals past Partick Thistle in the closing stages; a great escape they then completed with a victory on penalties.
All this not only happened within one season, it happened in the space of three weeks. So you can understand why I am excited to see what the 2023/24 play-off fixture list has to offer.
Unfortunately, this year’s festivities will begin under a cloud because the play-offs should have started already. Saturday afternoon should have seen the first leg of the League Two semifinal, where the champions of the Lowland League meet the champions of the Highland League for the chance to play Club 42.
Instead, it was announced on Thursday that East Kilbride were being handed a bye into the final (where they will play Clyde or Stranraer, in all likelihood) after it was decided Buckie Thistle didn’t meet Scottish FA criteria for a bronze-level licence required to play in the SPFL next season.
There has been a lot of blame and finger pointing since the announcement. What it comes down to is this: Buckie didn’t have a bronze licence in time to play in the play-offs and they missed the deadline to apply for a grace period, which was March 31. Both of these are statements of fact and have been admitted as much by Buckie themselves.
Where it gets a little more complicated is Buckie’s insistence the SPFL asked the Moray side to apply for a grace period on Tuesday, April 23 –two days before it was announced the play-off semi was
being cancelled – with regards to certain aspects of the criteria needed. As Buckie also questioned, what was the point if they had already blown their chance and the game wasn’t going to take place anyway?
They also claim they were in constant dialogue with the SPFL and SFA, though a joint statement from the latter painted Buckie as a club who were ghosting every attempt at correspondence like a regretful Tinder date.
As is customary, most onlookers are turning on the governing bodies, although some are questioning whether Buckie actually wanted to go up in the first place.
I remember attending the first leg of the first League Two play-off semifinal between Edinburgh City and Brora Rangers. Afterwards Grant Munro, who was Brora captain, admitted he didn’t fancy becoming an SPFL player again as he would be
required to travel up and down the country, and would instead simply retire. Though you would assume every club, their players and fans would be desperate for promotion, that isn’t necessarily the case for some Highland League teams.
At the same time, questions need to be asked of the SFA as to why they felt the need to not only implement such criteria but also stick to grace-period deadlines so rigidly. Especially when there are currently a handful of SPFL teams who didn’t have a bronze-level licence when the last checks were published. That includes Airdrieonians, who could end this campaign in the Premiership.
Sure, certain standards are required. We can’t have teams neglecting grounds, pitches or personnel to the point where it becomes unsafe for fans and players. But until this campaign you just needed an entry-level licence to get into the SPFL. Why did it change?
The implementation of the pyramid has been one of the better Scottish football decisions made in recent years. Gone are the days where clubs like East Stirlingshire could finish last for several seasons without any fear of repercussion. It has introduced new teams into the structure, creating freshness and excitement further down the leagues. And bringing in clubs like Bonnyrigg Rose and Kelty Hearts, with good grounds and passionate supporters, is a credit to the SPFL.
Ultimately, this is how football should be. If you win a title, you go up and play at a higher level. If you finish bottom, you get relegated.
That already doesn’t happen with the route into the SPFL being something of a bottleneck as there’s no automatic relegation spot in League Two. Tightening the criteria is only going to make that worse.
Regardless of whether it’s the fault of the Scottish FA or Buckie themselves, this is something we shouldn’t be seeing again and yet it feels inevitable. If it’s true that Buckie just didn’t fancy coming up, what’s to stop a team in future doing similar? And how late in the day would we find out? A hugely important fixture being cancelled with 48 hours’ notice is embarrassing for all concerned (except East Kilbride, of course).
And if it’s the fault of the Scottish FA, what’s to stop them doing this again with another team looking to break into the SPFL? Will grace periods always be granted if a club requests them in time? Most teams aren’t going to be able to afford the necessary criteria for playing in the SPFL, but they may be able to afford it once promotion is secured and there’s the guarantee of some additional income arriving. Will they be given time? And if they are, what will happen if they don’t get their house in order within the time limit?
Once again, Scottish football has a sorry mess on its hands and the biggest loser is the game itself.