Trivia buffs will revel in the first Highland League play-off going down in history as being a tie which was decided without a ball being kicked.
An astonishing sequence of events on Friday ended with Superleague champions Banks o’ Dee winning promotion to the Highland League at the expense of Fort William after the visitors withdrew from their scheduled first leg trip to Spain Park.
It was a sad end to Fort’s time in the Highland League with the club’s campaign coming to a close as it began in calamitous fashion.
From Claggan Park being deemed too dangerous to host games on the eve of the new season to issues with player eligibility and further concerns about the pitch ahead of the second leg of the play-off, Fort’s final campaign has been a dispiriting one.
But off-field issues should not detract from the incoming junior club Banks o’ Dee.
Dee will make the Highland League stronger
While Fort, despite their best intentions, have languished at or near the bottom for years, Banks o’ Dee will have significantly loftier ambitions in terms of the contribution they hope to make to the league next season.
Dee were unsuccessful in their application to join the Highland League in 2009 and declined an invitation to apply a second time following Cove’s promotion to the SPFL in 2019.
But now, in 2022, their dominance of the junior scene has led to Dee moving up the Scottish football pyramid to a new challenge.
Dee have a track record of success
The 2020-21 season was declared null and void due to Covid-19, but you have to go back to April 2015 for the last time a club other than Banks o’ Dee were champions, with that honour falling to Hermes.
All the ingredients are there for the club to be a success.
A fully licensed member of the SFA since 2014, Dee’s participation in the Aberdeenshire Cup and Aberdeenshire Shield, not to mention the Scottish Cup, has all been part of their growth.
This season Dee’s cup exploits against Highland League clubs culminated in Jamie Watt and Roy McBain’s side winning the Aberdeenshire Cup and the Aberdeenshire Shield for the first time in the club’s history.
A mixture of youth and experience, not to mention a track record of winning, will make the Aberdeen side a formidable addition to the Highland League next season.
Established order at the top will be challenged
Barring a stunning comeback in the second leg of their SPFL pyramid play-off semi-final against Bonnyrigg Rose at Bellslea Park on Saturday, it looks likely Highland League champions Fraserburgh will be back to defend their newly won title next season.
Buckie Thistle are already strengthening the squad, while Brora and Brechin City will also have eyes on the title.
But it is not a stretch to expect Banks o’ Dee to be added to the list of title challengers.
They might need a season or two to adapt to their new surroundings, but it would not come as a shock to see the newcomers hit the ground running.
After all, one glance up the road from Spain Park to Balmoral Stadium shows how quickly progress can happen.
Cove Rangers are in the second tier of Scottish football after just three seasons in the SPFL.
Banks o’ Dee will undoubtedly take inspiration from the progress being made by Cove.
With a fine set-up and a sound financial footing, it will not come as a surprise if their stay in the Highland League is a short one.