Scottish Pyramid Play-off to go ahead
Last updated 29th Apr 2021
Scottish football's pyramid play-off will go ahead following legal advice.
Kelty Hearts and Brora Rangers had been waiting to discover whether they could play off for the right to face Scottish League Two's bottom side, while putting their squads through costly Covid-19 tests during the hiatus.
League Two bottom club Brechin had claimed it would be "fundamentally unfair'' to go ahead with the play-offs, and they proposed league reconstruction that would ultimately have extended the bottom division from 10 to 16 clubs.
But the Scottish Football Association and Scottish Professional Football League have confirmed that both two-legged ties will go ahead.
A joint statement read: The governing and league bodies sought legal clarification, overseen by a judge, on the correct interpretation of the pyramid play-off competition rules, which are embedded in the respective rules of each of the SPFL, the Scottish Highland and Lowland Football Leagues.
Having established that Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts have been correctly identified as league champions of the Highland and Lowland Leagues respectively - and the SPFL having determined that they both satisfy its membership criteria - dates for both legs of the play-off match and the pyramid play-off match will be announced by the SPFL shortly.''
The statement added that Brora would host the first game following a draw.
Brora only played three Highland League games before the season was curtailed while Kelty had played 13 Lowland League matches, but both teams were also declared champions in March last year and all SPFL play-offs were cancelled.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell said: The principle of the Scottish football pyramid is of huge importance to the integrity of open competition.
It was vital, given the implications for all three clubs, that the respective organisations took all practicable steps to ensure that the play-offs could take place.
We are delighted that the decision by the judge corresponded with the view of the Scottish FA and provides the necessary clarity to the league bodies and certainty to those clubs affected.''
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster added: Like so many aspects of our sport, both the clubs and the SPFL have been in uncharted territory as a result of the disruption caused by Covid-19.
We are 100 per cent committed to the principle of the sporting pyramid but were understandably keen to ensure that any decisions reached were both fair and in accordance with the rules and agreements of all four organisations.
We therefore worked with the Scottish FA to conduct an arbitration in front of a senior judge and are very pleased that the position has been definitively clarified, and that this season's pyramid play-off matches will proceed as normal.''
Brechin, whose chairman Ken Ferguson stepped down from the SPFL board earlier this month, gave themselves a lifeline on Tuesday by beating nearest rivals Cowdenbeath but still need three wins out of three and other results to go their way. They also finished bottom last season.
Cowdenbeath chairman Donald Findlay claimed this week it was unfair that a champion could be nominated after playing three matches.