SCOTLAND’S Lowland League clubs voted to REFUSE future invites to SPFL cup competitions if places are ‘to be solely allocated on the clubs former status as an SPFL member’.
There’s fury amongst clubs after former league members Cowdenbeath were granted a Viaplay Cup invite the season before last despite finishing FIFTEENTH in the Lowland League table.
Lowland League outfit East Kilbride have reached the semi-finals of the SPFL Trust trophy[/caption]
K Park at East Kilbride[/caption]
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster[/caption]
And there was more confusion this year when six hand picked Lowland League clubs were invited to take part in the SPFL Trust trophy even though other clubs had finished above them in the table.
It’s a messy old business, with invites to the old Viaplay, now Premier Sports Cup guaranteeing clubs a minimum of £20,000.
And now the Lowland League board have revealed that they voted back in October AGAINST accepting future invites unless places are allocated to teams in relation to ‘their efforts and achievements on the field of play’.
That’s despite current Lowland League invitees East Kilbride having reached the SEMI FINALS of the SPFL Trust trophy.
They wrote in a statement: “The Board of the Scottish Lowland Football League (SLFL) can confirm that our members voted by majority in favour of refusing future invites to SPFL cup competitions if places were to be solely allocated on the clubs former status as an SPFL member.
“We informed the SPFL of this decision in October.
“This week we noted an SPFL briefing, which was issued to all clubs in the professional game, this provided clubs with only part of our response.
“In the interests of fairness and transparency we would like to take the opportunity to publish our response in full.”
“It stated: ‘SLFL clubs have now voted upon the proposal you submitted and based on the decision of the majority the Lowland League’s official agreed position can now be confirmed as being that its clubs do not wish to be considered for invitation to the SPFL’s cup competitions if the SPFL chooses to issue such invitations based on clubs’ former membership of the SPFL.
“’The League’s preferred position remains that invitations should be based upon sporting merit in line with UEFA commitments.’
“While we respect the SPFL’s right to select participants to their cup competitions as they see fit, we firmly believe that these places should be allocated to teams based on their efforts and achievements on the field of play, and not because they are former members of an organisation.
“Earlier this year UEFA published their Strategic Vision and for 2030 it states: ‘UEFA seeks a competitive balance where qualification and opportunities are based on sporting merit.’
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