The landscape of Scottish football has been redrawn and senior clubs from Angus will play in the Highland League if they are relegated from League 2 from next season.
Montrose, Arbroath, Brechin City and Forfar Athletic will join clubs based from Aberdeen to Wick if they lose their league place when the relegation play-off comes into effect.
Only Wick Academy and Clach meet the current criteria for admission to the SPFL.
But the prospect of Wick making a 500-mile round-trip to play a Highland League fixture could become a reality after the geographical line was drawn at Dundee, either side of the River Tay.
New Wick chairman James Innes said: “If any of the Angus clubs join the Highland League we would just have to accept it and make them welcome.
“We are used to long journeys, as are Brora Rangers, but I would hope it would only be a once a season trip.
“We drew 4-4 against Brechin in the Scottish Cup in 2009 at Harmsworth Park and the replay the following Saturday was postponed when we were half an hour from Glebe Park.
“We had to go down the following Tuesday night and unfortunately we lost the tie 4-2.”
The Gable Endies, who finished sixth last season, will be joined in League 2 next season by Arbroath after their relegation and former Highland League club Elgin City, who finished eighth.
The other seven clubs in League 2 would join the Lowland League if they finished bottom and lost the play-off.
Should they meet the promotion criteria, the Highland League champions would meet the winner of the Lowland League with the victor facing the club which finishes bottom of League 2 to decide which club would play in the fourth tier in the following campaign.
Highland League president Finlay Noble, pictured,who along with secretary John Grant was instrumental in rewriting his league’s constitution, said: “On January 31 each season, the clubs in contention must make an application to join the SPFL.
“Should their title challenge falter by March 31 the clubs would be permitted to withdraw their application.
“If a team won the league and did not meet the specific SPFL criteria, they would not be permitted to take part in the play-offs.
“Clach and Wick Academy are the only clubs in the league who currently hold the required bronze level standard.
“The requirements range from the quality of the floodlights to the provision of club doctors and physiotherapists.”
He added: “In addition, if in the future any of the Tayside junior clubs such as Lochee United or Broughty Athletic wanted to go down the route of getting full membership and club licensing, and become involved in the pyramid-system, they would also apply to come into the Highland League.”
In another change to the competition rules Highland League clubs will also be permitted to name seven substitutes for matches next season.