The potential introduction a new Conference League between the SPFL and the Breedon Highland League has sparked plenty of debate in Scottish football.
Under the proposals, which will be voted on by all Scottish FA member clubs at the association’s AGM next month, the new division would start in season 2024-25 and would be made up of four Premiership colts teams (likely to be Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and one other), four Lowland League sides and two clubs from the Highland League.
The Conference League would be a separate entity from the SPFL and would be funded by the Premiership sides paying a £100,000 per season entry fee for five years.
One of the reasons for its proposed introduction is to expose the best young players between the ages of 16 and 21 to competitive, senior football at an early age to improve their development and produce better players for the national team.
However, its introduction would mean the Highland League and Lowland League, as well as the divisions below, being bumped down a tier in Scottish football’s pyramid.
Status quo presented as not being an option SHFL and clubs
To gauge the mood surrounding the proposal the Press and Journal spoke to the director of a Highland League club, a member of a management team and a player – who all wished to remain anonymous – for their views.
The club director we spoke to revealed, when the plans came to be discussed, the Highland League was informed sticking with the current set-up wasn’t an option, but they could put forward four teams to take part in the Conference League if they wished.
For the new division to come into being, the majority of SFA members need to vote for it and it is believed the will is there across the various leagues to vote it through.
A director of a Highland League club said: “I’m dead against it and I think it’s only to suit two clubs in Scottish football.
“Highland League and Lowland League clubs, as well as those in the tiers below us, are being relegated to make it happen.
“Right now we’re tier five, but if this comes in we’ll be tier six.
“We haven’t really had much say it in, the impression we’ve always been given is that it’s happening regardless.
“We were given two options and basically told take it or leave it, the status quo wasn’t one of those options.
“I think the Highland League has handled it very well with the options it was given with the status quo not being on the table.
“The Highland League is protecting itself as best it can. I think it was the right decision in terms of protecting our product to put forward only losing two teams, rather than four.
“But even losing two teams, it’s likely they’ll be among the biggest-supported clubs in the league who take big crowds to away games, so losing that will impact other teams.
“Financially it makes it tougher for clubs if you lose that and, on a general point, the overall product won’t be as strong.
“So for individual clubs and the league as a whole trying to attract investment and sponsorship will become more difficult.”
‘What’s the point in the pyramid system? It makes you question your involvement in football’
The director we spoke to also revealed the Conference League plans had made them question their involvement in football.
They added: “I think there’s a lot of people across the Highland League upset with how this has been done.
“It’s been similar to when the pyramid system was introduced when we were basically told if we didn’t agree to it they would basically form a new league.
“We had no option then and this has gone down the same route.
“When we agreed to join the pyramid system, we were told we’d be tier five and now – through no fault of our own – it’s looks like we’ll be tier six.
“So what’s the point in the pyramid system? It also makes you question your involvement in football.
“All the people involved in running Highland League clubs are volunteers and it’s made me question the time I put in, because you think: ‘why am I doing this?’
“It makes you question the hours people put in when this can happen.”
Quality of league set to be diluted
The member of a management team at a Highland League club who spoke to us is concerned losing a couple of teams to the Conference League would dilute the quality of the division which started in 1893.
He said: “From a Highland League perspective, I don’t think it’s a great idea.
“I think we’re being railroaded into it by the powers that be and the big two clubs who seem to be the tail that wags the Scottish football dog.
“With the B teams not being promoted or relegated, you could finish sixth, above them, and be relegated, or finish fifth behind them and be in the promotion play-off to go up.
“To me that seems like a farce and there’s a lot to be spoken about if this comes in.
“Depending on which Highland League clubs were involved in it, I think it could be a hard sell in terms of signing players to be involved in it – with the travelling it would entail.
“I’ve had a connection with the Highland League over a number of years and I would have reservations about the damage this could do.
“Over the last few seasons particularly it’s been a fantastic advert for Scottish football with how competitive it has been to win the league and things like that.
“I would be disappointed if some of that competition was taken away or diluted.”
Player says he wouldn’t want to be involved – and would leave club if they moved into Conference League
The Highland League player we spoke said the prospect of being involved in the new Conference League didn’t appeal to him.
He said: “I can see it from a club perspective – the money being spoken about for being in it is pretty good and I can see why that might appeal for people running clubs.
“But personally, as a player, if it happens it’s not something I’d be interested in at all.
“To be playing four games a season against four colt teams isn’t appealing or interesting.
“And what do we get out of it? You’re going from playing against men to playing against boys in a number of the games.
“The colt teams can’t be relegated or promoted, so where’s the competitive edge for them?
“I don’t know why they can’t get a reserve league to work properly like they used to have.
“When I was involved in full-time football you had that and usually you had mixture of first-team players and younger players and it was good to be involved in.
“My opinion would be that I don’t think it should happen and I don’t think it’s been spoken about enough.
“Personally, if my club was to be involved in it, I wouldn’t want to be there. It’s not something that interests me.”
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