Rutherglen Glencairn have blasted controversial plans to create a Conference League for ‘B’ teams as “hugely insulting”, saying it would effectively relegate almost every team below the SPFL.
Though the West of Scotland League First Division club don’t have a vote, they say they would have rejected the plans, and “strongly urge all teams who do have a vote to consider the effect that a positive vote for this proposal would have on the 200-plus teams that it would negatively impact”.
Current proposals are for the Conference League to be placed below League Two, which would be made up of four ‘B’ teams and three from each of the Lowland and Highland Leagues, and is set to be brought in for the start of the 2024/25 season.
Glencairn, who worked hard to be granted Scottish FA membership, said in a statement: “We have read with dismay the proposal on the table to insert a new Tier 5 Conference League into the middle of the pyramid system, to incorporate the ‘B’ teams of four teams higher in the pyramid system.
“This proposal would effectively relegate almost every team in the pyramid system below the SPFL down one tier.
“While we support the Scottish FA’s aim to improve youth development with the ultimate aim of improving the performance of the national team, we feel that trampling all over clubs who have existed in Scotland for over a century is not only insensitive, but also hugely insulting.
“Any proposal to change the pyramid needs to be done with sporting integrity at its very heart, without negatively impacting huge numbers of clubs within the system.
“This proposal is the antithesis of sporting integrity.”
Club secretary Peter Ferguson attended a meeting for West of Scotland League clubs last week, in which Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell attempted to explain the reasoning for the controversial proposal.
Glencairn’s statement makes it clear that Mr Maxwell is well aware of what clubs think of the plan.
The statement continued: “As we are only associate members of the Scottish FA and currently do not have a vote on the resolution at the AGM, we felt that it was important that our voice was heard and our opinions on the matter were in the public domain.
“If we had a vote, we would be voting to reject this proposal, and we strongly urge all teams who do have a vote to consider the effect that a positive vote for this proposal would have on the 200-plus teams that it would negatively impact.”
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