Lowlandleague chief lifts lid on pressure over Brechin move
George Fraser
Lowland League chairman George Fraser has gone public on claims the SPFL tried to pressure them into rule changes.
A joint statement from Kelty Hearts and Brora Rangers indicated Brechin City, who have chairman Ken Ferguson on the SPFL Board, would have benefited from alterations.
Fraser said: “Team 42, if they lose the play- off, will fall into the geographical area where they are.
“As it stands, at the start of the season, Brechin were in the Highland area.
“If they finished bottom and lost the play-off, they would go into the Highland League.
“At the beginning of the year, we were asked if we would consider moving the boundary to allow Brechin to come to the Lowland League.
“We held a couple of meetings and I would say ‘pressured’ is the word to use.
“There were certain insinuations made that if we didn’t agree to this proposal, we might find life a bit more difficult to deal with our friends in the SPFL.
“We rely on the SPFL’S invite for our champions and teams two, three and four to take part in the Tunnock’s Cup and the Betfred Cup.
“We don’t want to put them at risk – read into that what you will.”
Collapse of reconstruction talks means no play-off will take place, but Fraser has not yet been informed of the cancellation.
He went on: “To put it in good old Scottish vernacular, I’m scunnered.
“The play- off is an SFA competition and, as far as we are concerned, it is still live.
“The SPFL have come out and said they are not supplying a club to take part in the play-off.
“We have supplied two champion clubs – from the Lowland and Highland League – and are still to be told the competition is void.”
Brora Rangers chairman William Powrie expressed dismay that his club will not get to play Kelty for the right to face the SPFL’S bottom side.
He said: “After the setting up of the reconstruction group, we feel like the Grand Old Duke of York being marched up to the top of the hill and down again.
“It’s abject disappointment both with the decision and the lack of communication from the SPFL.”