Brechin City have been told “dry your eyes” after launching a bid to deny Highland League champions Brora Rangers or Lowland League Kelty Hearts the chance to meet them in the pyramid play-offs.
According to a report, the SPFL’s bottom club have written to the league governing body’s board, claiming it would be “fundamentally unfair” to make them compete in the pyramid play-offs against Brora and Kelty, who were declared league winners after three and 13 games, respectively.
Instead, the League Two strugglers, who also finished rock-bottom when the 2019/20 season was curtailed due to Covid but were handed a reprieve, want reconstruction.
Brechin have demanded League Two be expanded from 10 to 12 teams, giving Brora and Kelty the chance to step up, while protecting themselves from exiting the Scottish league set-up.
However, their attempts have been met with widespread ridicule online, with East Stirlingshire – who were the first team to drop out of the SPFL in 2016 after the pyramid system was introduced – slamming the Hedgemen.
Now-Lowland League Shire tweeted:
There is nothing “fundamentally unfair” years ago clubs voted for a pyramid. We even voted for it 😬 We were the 1st club 42 and took our medicine, embraced the Lowland League and rallied @OfficialBRFC did the same. Dry your eyes @BrechinCityFC you are bottom for a reason. @spfl https://t.co/oFcCKjoQwF
— East Stirlingshire FC (@TheShireFC) April 20, 2021
Despite Brechin’s objections, earlier today, Brora tweeted a statement from chairman William Powrie which said they have “met all the necessary due diligence and ground criteria for entry into the SPFL” following an SPFL meeting yesterday.
However, it is still unclear when the Highland League champions will begin their pyramid play-offs campaign, which will see them play a two-legged semi-final against Kelty before the winner takes on Brechin home and away for a place in the SPFL.
Chairman’s Update – Pyramid Play Off pic.twitter.com/dYlZn8xuQX
— Brora Rangers (@brorarangers) April 20, 2021