Lowland League 2020/21 General Chat

[morley]

20 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

Monday 19th April 2021

SPFL STATEMENT

REACTION TO EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE  SPFL PLAYOFF PROPOSALS

Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the SPFL, commented: “The SPFL stands alongside UEFA, the SFA, the European Leagues, the Highland League, the English Premier League, the Lowland League, and the overwhelming majority of the game’s stakeholders in vehemently opposing the proposed European Super League. cancellation of the SPFL Playoff.

“These proposals, or any like them, would have an enormously damaging impact on the very fabric of our sport at all levels. It is no surprise they have been so swiftly and overwhelmingly condemned by fans the world over. 

“We believe that any such ‘competition’ would dramatically undermine the global appeal of football and would be financially catastrophic for all but a very tiny minority. 

“The proposals we have seen, assembled by a small, self-selected group of very wealthy self interested clubs, appear to be a cynical and very worrying attempt to thwart the core principle of sporting merit which rightly underpins European Scottish football.  They represent a clear and present danger to the sport we all love.

“Now, more than ever, given what we have all been through over the past year, governments, together with the game’s governing bodies and leagues, need to work together to do what is right and protect the very essence of the game.  

“The SPFL stands ready to support all efforts to fight for the principles of solidarity, sporting competition and fairness which lie at the very heart of the game.”

I thought exactly the same reading that statement and wondered just how ironic his statement about the superleague may end up being about the spfl club 42.

Edited April 19, 2021 by morley

[Jerry Macguire]

From what I’m seeing on Twitter don’t think there will be any announcement today.

[the tin man]

Brechin begging letters regarding why they should not be in play offs
out in force tho to members

[Footballfirst]

From an SFA statement about the European Super League

https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/scottish-fa-statement-on-proposed-european-super-league/?rid=13929

“The Scottish FA believes in the fundamental principles of the football pyramid and meritocratic competition. We are concerned by the impact this cynical attempt will have on the game domestically and internationally, for players and fans, for clubs and countries. We stand together with UEFA and with all who wish to uphold the values and very fabric of football.”

[Footballfirst]

 

[morley]

9 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

 

So the SPFL are potentially looking to legally challenge the position of the SFA. That makes Scottish Football look fantastic.

[AlansHotBath]

If the lobbying the SPFL is true it's getting embarrassing now. How the other teams in the play-offs were selected is immaterial to whether Brechin finish 10th or not. Fact is, if they do it's because they were the worst team in the league this season, and whether Brora played 3 games or 30 doesn't change that. Shire, Berwick, Cowden and Montrose all ended up in the same position and played the play-offs without going through all this nonsense. 

I do feel sorry for Brechin fans who've had to watch their team go from a well-run, well regarded League 1 team to an on-field disaster, an off-field shambles, and the new by-word for the league clubs closing ranks. Maybe if Ken Ferguson had made a single decent managerial decision in the past few years he might have to be scrabbling around for favours.

[Ginaro]

15 minutes ago, morley said:

So the SPFL are potentially looking to legally challenge the position of the SFA. That makes Scottish Football look fantastic.

The SPFL say the HL/LL clubs can appeal to the SFA judicial panel "against decisions of the board in relation to compliance with SPFL Membership Criteria and related decisions." So if they are denied a play-off by the SPFL because they haven't played enough games, surely they will appeal. And since the SFA are seemingly happy with the champions being declared then won't they uphold the appeal?

[Dev]

1 hour ago, Ginaro said:

The SPFL say the HL/LL clubs can appeal to the SFA judicial panel "against decisions of the board in relation to compliance with SPFL Membership Criteria and related decisions." So if they are denied a play-off by the SPFL because they haven't played enough games, surely they will appeal. And since the SFA are seemingly happy with the champions being declared then won't they uphold the appeal?

It has been claimed so often on P&B that the SFA has no right to interfere with the running of any league. This should be a good test of that theory if the SPFL try to back out of the play-off what will happen next? Will the SFA stand-up against the top league?

[gaswork]

Brechin are going nowhere get used to it.

[Big Dougie]

27 minutes ago, gaswork said:

Brechin are going nowhere get used to it.

Juniors are dead, get used to it.

[LongTimeLurker]

8 hours ago, gaswork said:

Brechin are going nowhere get used to it.

If the SPFL's lawyers tell them the same thing the SFA one's did I wouldn't count on that. There's no obvious get out of jail card this year unlike last year when the games could not be played for lockdown related legal reasons at the timing when they had to be played.

Edited April 20, 2021 by LongTimeLurker

[craigkillie]

It has been claimed so often on P&B that the SFA has no right to interfere with the running of any league. This should be a good test of that theory if the SPFL try to back out of the play-off what will happen next? Will the SFA stand-up against the top league?

Except that this wouldn't be the SFA interfering in the running of a league, it would be them ensuring that a league follows its own rules, which is literally one of the main roles of the SFA.

[Gordon EF]

If there is some legal challenge then it will come down to the details of the rules governing the play-offs between the SPFL and the HL/LL. Not that I've read them but it seems like the HL/LL are legally entitled to basically nominate a champion in any way they see fit. If that's the case, the SPFL would not have a leg to stand on if they try to refuse a play-off.

Given that even immediately after a season prematurely ended by a pandemic, not one league in Scotland had the sense to make some rules to form a contingency plan for if leagues have to be prematurely ended (or did but then just ignored them if it suited), it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that we've yet again got ourselves into a fucking mess.

It's ludicrous that Brora are crowned champions after three games and could be promoted. They just shouldn't be. But there's nothing in the rules to say they can't. What should have been done and what should be done, going forward, is a universally agreed minimum requirement for calling or voiding leagues. Then there's no debate to be had any time this happens, just a simple set of rules to follow that everybody knew before a ball was kicked.

[Born To Run]

 

[Cowden Cowboy]

1 hour ago, andrew21 said:

Nearly three weeks since Brora and Kelty were declared champions and SPFL are still in the process of taking legal advice, its not as if there is any urgency for them to make a decision.

I'm sure the Cowdenbeath directors that travel to Glebe park tonight will be getting an extra  warm welcome. 

Not in a Covid segregated and zoned match 

[Andy groundhopper]

Interesting to see the English non league taking the results of the last  2 seasons to announce tables (step 5 downwards)  and the forthcoming reshuffle. No gripes with any clubs, but when you continually finish bottom or close,it's almost back to the re-election farce of the old days, why shouldn't you go down ? 

[Dev]

4 hours ago, craigkillie said:

Except that this wouldn't be the SFA interfering in the running of a league, it would be them ensuring that a league follows its own rules, which is literally one of the main roles of the SFA.

To some on here that's interfering!

[Dev]

2 hours ago, Gordon EF said:

If there is some legal challenge then it will come down to the details of the rules governing the play-offs between the SPFL and the HL/LL. Not that I've read them but it seems like the HL/LL are legally entitled to basically nominate a champion in any way they see fit. If that's the case, the SPFL would not have a leg to stand on if they try to refuse a play-off.

Given that even immediately after a season prematurely ended by a pandemic, not one league in Scotland had the sense to make some rules to form a contingency plan for if leagues have to be prematurely ended (or did but then just ignored them if it suited), it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that we've yet again got ourselves into a fucking mess.

It's ludicrous that Brora are crowned champions after three games and could be promoted. They just shouldn't be. But there's nothing in the rules to say they can't. What should have been done and what should be done, going forward, is a universally agreed minimum requirement for calling or voiding leagues. Then there's no debate to be had any time this happens, just a simple set of rules to follow that everybody knew before a ball was kicked.

This is what was suggested on P&B a year ago. It didn't go down well then. Hopefully attitudes have changed, not only here!

[Dev]

23 minutes ago, Andy groundhopper said:

Interesting to see the English non league taking the results of the last  2 seasons to announce tables (step 5 downwards)  and the forthcoming reshuffle. No gripes with any clubs, but when you continually finish bottom or close,it's almost back to the re-election farce of the old days, why shouldn't you go down ? 

Yes. The last two seasons' results merged into one table and PPG used. That following the deletion of all decisions to go null and void. Wouldn't happen here though.