The Breedon Highland League’s annual general meeting takes place tonight with the introduction of five substitutes understood to be on the agenda.
This season, in all four divisions of the SPFL, as well as the Scottish Cup, League Cup and Challenge Cup, teams have been allowed to make five subs during games.
However, the Highland League previously opted to stick with three alterations.
But that could about to change -with clubs set to debate the matter at this evening’s AGM in Keith.
Last year Forres Mechanics manager Steven MacDonald called for the Highland League to follow the lead of the SPFL and increase the number of subs which can be made during a game.
A number of MacDonald’s managerial counterparts also backed his call, and with the issue now back on the table, it will be interesting to see what the clubs decide.
It has been a busy period for the Highland League with a special management committee meeting called on Thursday night to debate the Conference League proposal.
Highland League issue statement over proposed Conference League https://t.co/8B0sCWId4B pic.twitter.com/n9W1xpdwJ5
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After that discussion, secretary John Campbell issued a statement, which said that throughout talks on the Conference League the Highland League “has maintained a stance that they wished to protect the league moving forward at all costs”.
The Highland League as a body doesn’t have a vote on the proposed new fifth tier.
However, the 18 individual clubs – as members of the Scottish FA – will all have a vote on the plan at the SFA’s AGM on June 6.
Vale announced they’ll vote against plan
Deveronvale are the latest Breedon Highland League club to announce they will cast their vote against the Conference League plans.
The Princess Royal Park club revealed they sought the views of fans, players, club management, their committee and directors on the proposals in making the decision.
A statement read: “This decision has been based on a number of factors, including the demands that a Conference League, with the majority of clubs likely to be based in the Central Belt of Scotland, would put on our players/management and their families given the travel distances and times away from home and work required for games on Saturdays and midweek.
“Clearly travel costs and away game accessibility for our supporters came very much into this analysis, too.
“We respect the ambitions that some SHFL clubs have to move higher in the Scottish pyramid system, but believe these ambitions are served by the current system.
“We also share the views expressed on behalf of the SHFL Office Bearers by the SHFL secretary with regard to protecting the legacy of our 130 year-old league.”
Several clubs, including Forres Mechanics, Clachnacuddin, Huntly, Keith and Turriff United, have already indicated they will not support the Conference League scheme.
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