Dave Edwards: Conference League will do untold damage to grassroots football in Scotland

Highland League stalwart Dave Edwards has his say on the controversial Conference League proposal.

You may think, what makes me qualified to voice an opinion on this most contentious of subjects?

Well, my first ever memory, at the age of five, 65-years ago, was of Tommy Martin, the captain of my local football club, Rothes, and legendary Rothes, later to be Elgin City striker, ‘King’ Willie Grant, holding aloft the Highland League championship trophy for the only time in the club’s history.

At the age of ten I was appointed assistant groundsman at Rothes’ Mackessack Park, and on leaving Elgin City in 1972, I also played in goal for my home town team, Rothes, before joining local junior club, Rothes Decimals. After moving to Aberdeen I also played in the junior ranks with St Machar before finally joining West of Scotland amateur club, Rhu Amateurs.

In addition, I reported on the Highland League for 12 years on Moray First Radio, and was the Press and Journal’s full-time Highland League correspondent for 23 years before retiring three years ago – however I’m still in the saddle as it were, as a freelance reporter for the P & J.

My 60-year association with Highland League football, I think, entitles me to state my case – without a shadow of doubt, if the SFA member clubs, and of course the various associations, who also have a vote at the national associations AGM in June, vote in favour of this proposal, they are in effect relegating every club below the current League Two level, some of whom may not survive the undoubted financial blow, and go the same way as the late lamented Third Lanark, Clydebank and Gretna.

Yes, Rangers and Celtic, along with Hearts, and possibly the other club I support, Aberdeen (although I hope against hope that the Dons’ board will see sense and pull out), will form part of the so-called Conference League, along with four teams from the Lowland League and just two from the Highland League.

Of course the potential ‘lucky’ or ‘ambitious’ clubs accepted into this new league will look to share in the £100,000 invested by the four ‘B’ teams every season for the next five seasons, many will see it as a ‘pot of gold’ – but remember, they are not being promoted on merit, they are progressing through the back door.

There is no doubt that the SFA are pushing this, I know for a fact that when this was first mooted, only a few months ago, the Highland League were given three options, none of them very palatable, and no, the ‘status quo’ wasn’t one of them – that, in my book, is quite scandalous.

It was a case of Hobson’s choice, or in other words, no choice at all – so shame on whoever at the SFA has thought up this hair-brained scheme which, in my humble opinion, could, and would do untold damage to grass roots football as we know it in Scotland.

There is much more I could say, as I am passionate about lower league football, and the Highland League in particular, but I will leave it for others to also state their position.

In conclusion, I urge all of those with influence, be they supporters, sponsors, officials or even players, to lobby their own clubs and hopefully, working together, we can stop this madness!

Agree with Dave? Sign our petition here: https://chng.it/mn56qSVmTF