BILLY BREMNER MEMORIAL JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN
Date: 5th June 2023
D Day for Scottish Football
Fans Ask Clubs to Reject Conference League Proposals and Ask SFA for Bigger and Better Thinking.
Background
At the SFA AGM on Tuesday June 6th Scottish SFA Members are being asked to vote through ‘Resolution 6’.
If passed this would allow certain invited SFA members to pay an annual fee for their Colts teams to form the backbone of a newly invented level 5 league. This league would effectively relegate over 250 SFA members instantly and further distort the pyramid.
It is also seen by many as the first step towards a plan to elevate certain members Colts teams into the SPFL proper.
The plan has been done without any fan consultation behind the usual closed doors and as
the news has trickled out there has been a huge reaction from supporters and many clubs.
Most clubs below the Premier League have consulted their fans and like Clyde with an 88% vote against, which is typical, gone public against the plans and will vote no.
But the lack of action by our Premier League clubs has been concerning and the subsequent silence on their intentions has been deafening.
Fans are fed up with the politics, hidden links and secret deals in Scottish football.
There is no current public support apart from that from the clubs with B teams currently paying to play as one-off guests in the Lowland League.
As the fan and club rebellion has grown The SFA have been lobbying hard.
After the recent West of Scotland League meeting attended by Ian Maxwell, SFA CEO, Glencairn FC said, It’s fair to say that Mr Maxwell departed from the meeting in no doubt about the feeling against this proposal from the WoSFL clubs. The same in capitals ‘NO’ message was indeed given direct to Mike Mulraney at the parallel East of Scotland League meeting.
Bonnyrigg FC said, “The proposal turns Tier 5 into a ‘slot for hire’, That can’t possibly correlate with either sporting or pyramid integrity. We won two leagues and six play-off games to reach the SPFL and while we have made new friends in the season past we can’t forget our old ones we played alongside for the bulk of our 142 year existence”.
Brora Rangers, whose director David Dowling was part of the SFA team who created the plans held a fans meeting and afterwards said, “After the well-attended supporters meeting last night, the directors have determined unanimously that we will vote against the SFA proposal”.
The ‘No To B Teams’ Twitter feed has up to date information as more and more clubs confirm their opposition and Raith Rovers whose late chairman Turnbull Hutton sparked the last big rebellion by clubs have come out publicly saying after fan consultation they will vote no.
The #NoConferenceLeague video encapsulates the fan and club rebellion.
“250 + clubs don’t exist to develop players for the richest two”.
Andy Smith Chair at the Scottish Football Supporters Association said,
“I really hope that this daft idea based on the self-interest of just 2 or 3 members gets the bloody nose it deserves on Tuesday. The main difference between the clubs coming out and saying no and the SFA is that many clubs have been talking to their fans and communities, something the SFA and SPFL never seem to do.
Fans know that Scottish Football needs change and changes and are more than happy to help, but we need to have a plan and a programme and that starts with asking the right questions, not the usual railroading nonsense.
We need some Bigger Thinking and Scottish Football needs to realise that Common Good will always outtrump the same old, same old Self Interest.
Fans are the real stakeholders and we ask all our Clubs to vote No to this nonsense.
We really need more and better from those who run the game and not the ‘Lose Lose’ position we are facing.
For more information or to discuss this further contact
Andy Smith Chairman of the Scottish Football Supporters Association on 07796 697156
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Posted in: Latest News
Tags: resolution 6, Scottish fans, Scottish football, SFA, SFSA, SPFL