North Caledonian League

[Robert James]

On 17/09/2017 at 13:39, cmontheloknow said:

Another wee aside about the NCL - the SFA's senior list of referees is exclusively used for staffing all matches within the pyramid and outwith that, the Juniors. There are people on the list that do the NCL but even Golspie, the club within with the highest status, are given referees from off the list. The only other area of non-amateur football that occasionally gets a ref from off the list is the North Juniors.

Spot on.

Also, isn't the SFA exclusion of the NCL clubs, more about geography and politics than it is about equity ? .The NCL covers a wide geographical area , has better support than some of the lower SoSL or EoSL clubs (eg Thurso, Orkney, Invergordon, and probably St Duthus)  and has in the past been an unofficial  feeder league to the HFL (Wick, Fort William, Rothes).  However the SFA does not wish to have a north pyramid, as it is protecting the HFL's status quo for its 18 clubs, and doesn't want North Junior clubs nor NCL members, upsetting the apple cart even though Golspie  and Banks O'Dee are both  SFA licensed.