The majority of clubs in the north and north-east are set to vote against the proposed Conference League.
Tomorrow Scottish FA member clubs and associations will vote on the plan for a new fifth tier to be introduced from season 2024-25 between the SPFL and the Breedon Highland League and Lowland League.
The concept has sparked frenzied debate in recent weeks and months and ahead of the vote at Hampden The Press and Journal has surveyed the member clubs in our patch and asked them how they intend to vote.
Although some clubs across our area such as Peterhead, Brora Rangers and Nairn County have publicly nailed their colours to mast regarding their views on the Conference League, others have not commented.
We surveyed all 26 clubs in our area anonymously and the results are as follows.
Two clubs have indicated they will vote for the proposal, 22 intend to vote against it, one failed to respond and one club plans to abstain.
That works out as 85% of the member clubs in the P&J patch who plan to vote against the Conference League.
What is the Conference League proposal?
The Conference League idea has been proposed by the SFA and would run for a minimum of five years.
One of the reasons it has been suggested by the game’s governing body is to try to develop better players for the national team by allowing some of the country’s brightest talents in academies at Premiership clubs to be exposed to first-team football against experienced players at an early age.
In the proposal clubs will vote on, it is suggested that it would be a 10-team division consisting of four Premiership B teams – of which Celtic, Rangers and Hearts are likely to be three of the participants.
The sides which finish first and second in the Highland League next season and Lowland League’s top four next term would also be part of the new structure.
The Premiership B teams could not be promoted or relegated and the league would be funded by a six-figure entry free from top flight clubs which result in the non B teams receiving a fee of around £40,000 per season.
If the Conference League comes into being the highest-placed non B team would take on League Two’s bottom side at the end of each season for a place in the SPFL.
The lowest-placed non B team would be automatically relegated and replaced by the winner of a play-off between the Highland League champions and Lowland League winners.
The second lowest-placed non B team would then face the loser of the play-off between the Highland and Lowland League champions.
B teams would have to field a minimum of seven players that are eligible for Scotland in their starting 11 and include at least 11 Scotland-eligible players in their matchday squad.
SFA member clubs have been assured that the introduction of the Conference League would not result in any change to Scottish Cup eligibility.
However, there is uncertainty regarding how it would impact invitations Highland and Lowland League clubs have received in recent years to play in the SPFL-run League Cup and Challenge Cup.