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Annan and Spartans lead list of candidates to join SFL

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Published Date: 14 March 2008
By Duncan Smith
IF GRETNA do go to the wall there will be no shortage of clubs hoping to take their place in the Scottish Football League.
The country's most ambitious non-league outfits are already watching the situation develop on the English border with great interest.

Six years ago, when the then Unibond League club Gretna were voted in to replace Airdrieonians, the unsuccessful
applicants were Huntly, Cove Rangers, Gala Fairydean, Edinburgh City and Preston Athletic, who proposed to change their name to East Lothian Athletic.

If another vacancy arises, most of those clubs, plus East of Scotland heavyweights Annan Athletic and Spartans, would all be expected to throw their hats into the ring once again. The best equipped Highland League clubs, Inverurie Locos and Deveronvale, as well as Whitehill Welfare from the East of Scotland, would be other potential contenders.

Following the Gretna saga, another club from a small Dumfriesshire town may not seem the obvious contenders to replace their near neighbours, but Annan insist they would be a good addition to the SFL.

Annan chairman Henry McLelland said: "We are one of several clubs monitoring Gretna's situation very closely. It has always been our ambition to join the SFL and we have never deviated from that. I feel very sorry about what is going on at Gretna and hope they don't go bust, but if something did happen, we would be interested in applying to join the SFL."

Spartans, who have claimed a number of lower division SFL scalps during highly successful Scottish Cup runs in recent years, hope to have their £3 million new complex at Ainslie Park in north Edinburgh, which has been designed to meet SFL requirements, ready by August and have already declared their intention to apply as soon as an opportunity presents itself. "We hope Gretna survive," said Spartans chairman Craig Graham. "We still believe a pyramid system is the best and fairest route into the SFL, but we are ready to apply."

Although junior clubs took part in the Scottish Cup for the first time this season, they have consistently failed to show any interest in joining the SFL. One possible exception could be Clydebank FC, created by the supporters group from the ashes of the club taken over by Airdrie United in 2002. They have since transformed themselves into a successful junior side with a big support, but an inadequate ground means this summer would be too early for them to make the step up.

It remains possible that the SFL will be looking for two new member clubs by the end of the season. East Stirlingshire are currently bottom of the Third Division, as they have been for five seasons in row. New rules dictate that they would have to reapply if they finish there again.

CONTENDERS

Annan Athletic (East)
Cove Rangers (Highland)
Clydebank FC (Juniors)
Deveronvale (Highland)
Edinburgh City (East)
Gala Fairydean (East)
Huntly (Highland)
Inverurie Locos (Highland)
Preston Athletic (East)
Spartans (East)
Whitehill Welfare (East)




Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 13 March 2008 11:02 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Gretna FC
 
1

Anglo Jambo,

Chorley 14/03/2008 01:07:27
This is becoming joke. Is there not enough cubs in league at present without adding any more. Even if Gretna fails 41 is too many. Based on population English League would have to have about 10 senior divisions.
2

Anglo Jambo,

Chorley 14/03/2008 01:15:04
1*

36 teams would be more than enough, and if East Stirling fall then they shouldn't be replaced either.
3

USA Hibee,

brandon 14/03/2008 03:15:40
Well i guess there will be more teams applying for league places when Mad Vlad dumps Hertz.
Just a thought.
GGTTH
4

Lion-O "Lord Of The ThunderCats,

14/03/2008 08:26:09
If there are 11 teams with ambition wanting to join the SFL then why don't we go the whole way and end the cosy boys club that is the third division?

Get the pyramid in place and relegate the bottom two clubs in the third division each season and get teams in who actually WANT to progress up the leagues rather than just be used as a vehicle for some OF fan with money to get into the corridors of power at Hampden.

#3 Just summed up most Hibs fans with that post. Why are you obsessed about Hearts and why feel the need to comment on them on a story that deals with entry into the SFL?
5

Life long jambo,

Edinburgh 14/03/2008 08:27:00
No, no, no. There are too many teams in our league set-up already. Its time to reduce the number of senior teams. Twenty senior teams would be more than enough.

There is too much reliance on tv money and wealthy benefactors (including Hearts), to keep clubs afloat. Clubs have to start living within their means - just like most of us have to do on a weekly/monthly basis.

IMO money has ruined the game. However, its a carrot dangled out there and many teams try and spend money they cannot afford in the hope they get on the gravy train of champions league football. And no disrespect to Celtic, but even they have been shown-up in football terms when they have got into the later rounds. The rich clubs are going to get richer and the best players are always going to want to play for them because they can pay the irrationally high wages.

Scotland is a population of circa 5 million people - primarily in the central belt, Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee and Perth. Unfortunately too many people don't support there local teams, but the Old Firm instead. Forty senior clubs in Scotland are just not viable.

6

Rambo_the_Jambo,

Edinburgh 14/03/2008 08:48:59
# 3 USA Hibee,brandon

F. Off you pathetic hobo w..ker

If that is the best you can come up with on a non Hearts story you are a very sad individual wit a limited intelligence.

Next time you think you are being funny try thinking of something that is actually funny, not some tire old Vlad joke that is past its sell by date.
7

Rambo_the_Jambo,

Edinburgh 14/03/2008 08:49:32
............with a limited intelligence

8

GrahamL,

14/03/2008 09:33:50
Instead of looking for a new 42nd team, we should be using the mess around Gretna as the impetus to review the whole football league structure. Personally I'd divvy up the the 3rd division teams to whichever leagues suit them, set up 2 leagues of 16 teams and have promotion/relegation from league 2 to the non-leagues. Somehow. Would need a bit more thought, but the Gretna story shows us that it's far too easy to grow beyond your means in Scottish football these days. There are far too many teams, and too many divisions for the size of the country.
9

TRAM MAN,

Edinburgh 14/03/2008 10:20:14
16 team SPL, 16 team Div 1 and a regionalised pyramid structure below that. That's the way forward.
10

Reeky,

Under the desk 14/03/2008 11:00:09
Scotland should only have 2 nationwide divisions, like most other European countries, with the remaining clubs divided amongst regional leagues in a pyramid system.

Having the likes of Albion Rovers travel to Elgin City for a midweek game (as happened a couple of weeks ago) in front on 300 fans is ludicrous.

As for the above article, Whitehill Welfare dont have the facilities to apply, neither do Clydebank
11

Florentine_Pogen,

14/03/2008 11:33:41
Rambo, your a star !!! Rambling on about "intelligence" yet you need 2 attempts to spell the word "with"......

Oh, ma sides........
12

Florentine_Pogen,

14/03/2008 11:34:26
Rambo, you're a star !!! Rambling on about "intelligence" yet you need 2 attempts to spell the word "with"......

Oh, ma sides........
13

Montford's Jaicket,

Hanging around 14/03/2008 16:13:23
I like the idea of a pyramid structure; too much dead wood hanging around the bottom of Div 3.
#10, your idea sounds like a winner to me. Hopefully Gordon Smith is also a fan of the pyramid struture and will put pressure on the clubs to change sooner rather than later.
One big snag in the 16/16 2 division structure is the SPL, but no reason why there couldn't be an amalgamation into one association. Let's be honest - there is one big snag. The top 12 don't want to have to share their pie with the wee clubs and bringing in more teams just means fewer crumbs each. The lions' share - as ever - will be expected by the big 2 but I suspect the other 10 will not be voting for a re-structure too soon now.
14

Montford's Jaicket,

Hanging around 14/03/2008 16:19:35
Radical idea - since there are 9 of the 11 listed above who are realistic contenders with available facilities, why not hold a one-off mini-tournament? All 9 names drawn from a hat into three groups of 3, each team plays one game at home and one away. Top of each group - plus best runner-up (or East Stirling if you want to give them a last chance to redeem themselves) - go into a hat, drawn in pairs for 2 play off games at Hampden. Winners of those two games go into the league.

 

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