SFA under attack – “Grubby backroom deals behind our backs”

After the Lowland League surprisingly relented to an ultimatum from Celtic, Hearts and theRangers to allow all three top-flight clubs to enter their league and revert to a 19-team competition next season there was always going to be fallout behind the scenes – and Stenhousemuir chief Iain McMenemy is the first to come out fighting accusing the governing bodies of “grubby backroom deals” surrounding the enticement of league reconstruction.

Yesterday it was announced both Celtic and theRangers would return to the Lowland League for a second season, meanwhile Hearts would enter the competition for the first time.

The vote had been expected to reject the three top flight clubs’ proposal and it appears it was a very close-run thing, with the vote reported to have been a 8-8 split with the deciding vote going to Lowland League chairman Thomas Brown, who cast his vote in favour of a 19-team league with the three top flight B-Sides included, with Brown as reported in Scottish Daily Mail justifying his casting vote decision.

“Importantly, we now look forward to working with the Scottish FA, the SPFL and our friends in the pyramid to create some new solutions to some existing challenges which will provide a bright future at all levels of our game.”

Meanwhile Ian Maxwell of the SFA stated his organisation would “oversee a discussion in parallel to propose and implement a long-term plan with the objectives of optimising the pyramid”.

Understandably McMenemy feels this carrot of league reconstruction to be an enticement for Lowland League clubs, but he’s also made it clear he feels the decision reached was a foolish one considering reconstruction would be a hard sell considering the circumstances surrounding it – telling the Daily Mail:

“Reconstructing the pyramid was not on the agenda, so you have to ask what’s changed? Why now? It seems pretty obvious that this issue has been hastily thrown into the negotiations at the 11th hour. We knew nothing about it.

“Those at the negotiating table have offered to look at relegating more League Two clubs from the SPFL in order to bribe the Lowland League into accepting Premiership colt teams into their league next season.

“The manner in which they have gone about this is just not acceptable. Clubs in Leagues One and Two are not here as bargaining chips for Premiership clubs and our fate won’t be decided in grubby backroom deals behind our backs. I can tell you now that reconstruction will not happen under these circumstances. I feel sorry for the Lowland League clubs who have been deceived into thinking this was likely.”

Celtic won’t care at this moment in time whether the Lowland League clubs will get the reconstruction they have been assured of, or whether Maxwell et al have made promises they may not be able to deliver on. But come next year Celtic could well be back to square one with the Lowland League, and if those clubs by then have seen they’ve had the wool pulled over their eyes, the chances of a third year in the Lowland League may well be a tough sell once again.

It’s been an unsavoury approach to negotiations from all clubs involved, after all threats and ultimatums – alongside the possibility of empty promises- is not the starting point for a healthy and ongoing relationship.

As such it may be a wise move for Celtic to start thinking about alternative options for the season after this, because it would appear an already strained relationship between the top flight clubs and the Lowland League may be an arrangement that won’t go beyond the upcoming Lowland League campaign.

Niall J