Who has applied for SPFL membership?

[WaffenThinMint 1,464]

They could. But a team going out to deliberately lose a game is match-fixing. A potentially dangerous thing to do, surely.

I thought it best to answer this one separately.

What action was taken against Stenhousemuir all but confessing during the legal battle with Rangers in the 1960s that their committee would ensure the team would blow matches to avoid promotion to the old Division One because they couldn't afford the step up?

In more recent times, what action was taken against Hawick Royal Albert over the 2009 Scottish Cup fiasco with Huntly where large bets were placed for them to lost 7-0 with one goal being a penalty - duly delivered? The police investigated, but the SFA as ever never bothered.

Few are under any illusions that our footballing authorities interest in lower division's tends to extend solely to how long Rangers happen to be in them...

[Hampden Diehard 2,108]

I'm hoping Elgin get demoted, nice easy away day for Clachnacuddin. I'm not sure what would happen if it's the Lowland team that gets promoted though.

The current rules would have a side drop out of the HL to accommodate Elgin. I say "current rules", but the SPFL are most definitely making stuff up as they go along.

Edited to add...actually it would probably be for the SFA to sort this out.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Hampden Diehard

[HibeeJibee 8,662]

The current rules would have a side drop out of the HL to accommodate Elgin.

Do they? I ask that out of genuine interest - it isn't mentioned anywhere in HL rulebook, AFAIA.

If that is correct then as things stand Strathspey will be kicked out if Elgin or Montrose come down and the LL champion goes up.

I thought they'd just expand to 19, or 20 or 10-10, for now.

[parsforlife 2,465]

You'll need to quote that rule, haven't seen it anywhere.

[Jimmy Shaker 566]

I've never seen or heard of anything that would require the SHFL to punt a team into the wilderness upon the return of Elgin.

[Jacksgranda 12,235]

The current rules would have a side drop out of the HL to accommodate Elgin. I say "current rules", but the SPFL are most definitely making stuff up as they go along.

Edited to add...actually it would probably be for the SFA to sort this out.

I doubt it very much, as has already been mentioned, the HL used to operate with an odd number of clubs, and could do so again.

I mean ,they would be kicking someone out/bringing someone in every other season depending on the play off results, if they had to operate with an even number of teams..

Edited January 14, 2015 by Jacksgranda

[Hampden Diehard 2,108]

I've never seen or heard of anything that would require the SHFL to punt a team into the wilderness upon the return of Elgin.

At the meeting to vote on the changes to the league structure, the question was asked as to what would happen if a southern club came into the SPFL at the expense of (say) Elgin, and the meeting was told that an HFL team would drop out to accommodate them. No idea if it's in any written constitution etc., but that's what was said.

Given that we were so far behind second-bottom place at the erse-end of the league structure last year, our representative was particularly keen to find out what would happen if we were as bad this year, so they paid particular attention to this item.

However, it was also made clear that the bigger clubs weren't all that bothered about this or, indeed, anything else to do with the pyramid other than setting it up, and that they would listen to what the "wee" clubs wanted to do. This seems to be an issue that, like so many others, will be dealt with on the hoof.

I'm sure that if the HFL wanted to operate with an odd number of teams, there wouldn't be any objection from the SPFL.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Hampden Diehard

[Jimmy Shaker 566]

There's nowhere for them to go, though. A club dropping out the SHFL would have to either go junior (which none would want to, given the state of junior football up here) or the North Caledonian League (which is worse).

And would the team dropping out go into the Superleague? Then it would be stuck playing with an odd number of teams, unless it punted someone down a league.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Jimmy Shaker

[Hampden Diehard 2,108]

There's nowhere for them to go, though. A club dropping out the SHFL would have to either go junior (which none would want to, given the state of junior football up here) or the North Caledonian League (which is worse).

And would the team dropping out go into the Superleague? Then it would be stuck playing with an odd number of teams, unless it punted someone down a league.

Mr Shaker....you're under the serious misapprehension that someone has thought this through!

[Jimmy Shaker 566]

I think it's been thought through as far as the top half dozen places in the SHFL.

I fully expect some kind of relegation or reorganising of the SHFL to take place, but I'd always figured it would take four or five years to put in place. Guess I should have expected Elgin to immediately knacker everything.

[Waspie 1,746]

I heard the Brora chairman on the radio this morning saying he didn't want to go up but obviously if they won the play-offs they would have to. He then said though that it certainly wouldn't be a disappointment to them to find that they didn't meet the required criteria for playing in the SPFL....

[parsforlife 2,465]

I heard the Brora chairman on the radio this morning saying he didn't want to go up but obviously if they won the play-offs they would have to. He then said though that it certainly wouldn't be a disappointment to them to find that they didn't meet the required criteria for playing in the SPFL....

Grant them a waiver, get the fuckers telt.

[Flippin Eck 21]

I heard the Brora chairman on the radio this morning saying he didn't want to go up but obviously if they won the play-offs they would have to. He then said though that it certainly wouldn't be a disappointment to them to find that they didn't meet the required criteria for playing in the SPFL....

And what exactly are 'the required criteria' ? The most essential probably: to have at least two bus loads of halfwit away support. The more offence they cause, the more abuse they vent, all the better presumably.

[Binos123sam 65]

See you next year brora

[jamamafegan 6,722]

If Brora decline promotion, or do not meet the criteria for the next level, then the loser of the HL/LL playoff (this season potentially Edinburgh City) should be offered the place instead. If they don't meet the criteria only then should the side finishing bottom of League 2 be allowed to stay up...and the HL/LL league sides given a boot up the arse to get their house in order for promotion in the future.

[HibeeJibee 8,662]

If Brora don't meet the criteria, or intend to decline, presumably they won't be in the playoff in the first place? Going forward allowing the next place to participate would be an option, although presumably there was a reason for them not setting things up like that originally.

Edited March 5, 2015 by HibeeJibee

[davidspivey 1]

I hope Wick go up!

[PFC2011 4]

Nobody will go up if Brora don't want to. Pretty much that simple.

[Enigma 3,578]

Presumably if Brora don't play in the play-off that's failure to fulfil a fixture and could see them punished pretty severely. If they deliberately don't upgrade their facilities or, as some suggested, play an u18 team in the play off's I hope they get their membership torn up and booted out Scottish football. No time for unsustainable big fish in small pond sugar daddy clubs like them. Can see them not meeting the criteria, just, and then spunking more money on players.

What would be tremendous is if they go "oh whoopsie our facilities arn't good enought, what a shame etc." and the SFA offer to upgrade them, if they decline they've no leg to stand on, if they accept they go up and we can kick the beginning of the beginning of a pyramid system in Scotland.

Edited March 8, 2015 by Enigma

[RabidAl 39]

Presumably if Brora don't play in the play-off that's failure to fulfil a fixture and could see them punished pretty severely. If they deliberately don't upgrade their facilities or, as some suggested, play an u18 team in the play off's I hope they get their membership torn up and booted out Scottish football. No time for unsustainable big fish in small pond sugar daddy clubs like them. Can see them not meeting the criteria, just, and then spunking more money on players.

What would be tremendous is if they go "oh whoopsie our facilities arn't good enought, what a shame etc." and the SFA offer to upgrade them, if they decline they've no leg to stand on, if they accept they go up and we can kick the beginning of the beginning of a pyramid system in Scotland.

If they don't put in their application for SPFL membership by 31st March (and go on to win the HL) there's no fixture to fulfil. The Champion Club from the LL will go forward to the Pyramid Play-Off vs Club 42 from the SPFL.