Cowden Cowboy

Yes grace periods will cover things getting definitely put in place in short order - you won’t get 1 or 2 years grace in all likelihood

Lots of things - some of which may prove difficult in short order and unlikely any waiver would give much leeway

Maybe Buckie thought they had no chance of reaching bronze licence status. You won’t get waivers for things that aren’t in place if they won’t be rectified in very short order.

And so did I - bronze license is quite difficult for many clubs.

A well judged post

Yes I know but then folk started talking about how the money was used

There is no TV deal so no cash from that. The B teams money is roughly two thirds to the clubs and one third to the league. The league then meets its running costs, pays for footballs for the clubs, pays for the indemnity insurances required by the clubs, pays half the match officials expenses (not fees) from their share

The heads in the sand bit isn’t correct - L2 teams wage budgets have been pushed way up since trapdoor came in. Directors understand very clearly the relegation risk

Plainly because every game is meaningful and thus very competitive - as opposed to a League where many clubs have little to play for after the halfway mark

Making relegation easier so you can be promoted back more readily isn’t that a compelling vision - SPFL sides aren’t that myopic. And yes pretty sure over time an SPFL club will make the return journey and a former Tier 5 club will fall back to that level

But we don’t know about it hence the query - easy enough to advise what actual position is

Well what is the position re their bronze licence and any waivers/derogations, etc

Would be happy with 18 real clubs with one down and 2nd bottom in play off with the 3 champions. Thus 2 potentially could come up

Yes

Yes but for ex-SPFL clubs it is way too few games to constitute a proper season - and filling the gaps with miscellaneous cups has little attraction

It’s hardly an embarrassment - there was no promotion to Tier 4 and the SPFL though gave that concession for nothing in return. Why should the SPFL make another concession - what’s in it for them. It also doesn’t seem that all the Tier 5 clubs that have won promotion are advocating that the SPFL change the current arrangement.

That’s fine if there is one league and one champion - but when there are multiple leagues then you can justify a further ‘dog fight’ to establish who actually is the ‘top dog’ - the Supreme Champion to use more Crufts speak. Indeed in a multi league feeder system several clubs in one league may be better teams than the champions in the others

No it wouldn’t as 30 league games is not much of a league season

The SFA - exactly the same as the West, South and East Leagues

The rules for the ‘lower play off’ are “Qualifying Clubs” means the champion club or clubs from within the Qualifying Leagues which are eligible for promotion to the SLFL in terms of the rules of the SLFL. Eligibility is being SFA licensed. The qualifying leagues would need to change their rules to be that there champions were the highest finishing licensed club to ensure a play off case. But I don’t believe that could be voted through or have credibility with the league’s members. Beith finish top they are not going to accept not being declared champions for example The Lowland League rules specify only champion clubs are eligible to gain membership

This is the relevant part of the agreement as amended in 2021 and agreed by all 4 parties involved. “SLFL Champion” means the club playing in the SLFL in any Season (excluding any ‘Guest’, ‘colt’, ‘B’ ‘second’, ‘reserve’ or like or equivalent team which is part of a Club participating in the same Season in the SPFL and which shall not, under any circumstances, be considered to be eligible to receive the title of SLFL Champion or any other title related to its position in said league, or qualify for or be eligible for participation in the Pyramid Play-Off Competition at the end of any such Season) which is declared the Champion club of the SLFL based on the criteria specified in the rules of the SLFL;

The LL would never have let B teams in without that assurance - the bigger issue going ahead for the LL champions will be bronze licence requirements - especially in respect of their ground

Yes they will - that’s all been agreed - after all letting these B teams in is helping SPFL member clubs

B teams can’t be champions

B teams aren’t stopping anyone getting promotion. If they weren’t there the LL would be operating with 16 teams and the same promotion/relegation rules