Reconstruction of Lowland League means Midlands League will no longer be a feeder division for the Highland League
CLUBS from Fife and Tayside are no longer in contention to be promoted to the Highland League.
The Midlands League is switching from becoming a tier six feeder league for the Highland League to the Lowland League East which will be established next season.
Last month, Lowland League clubs agreed to split the division into an east and west section of 16 teams each.
The Midlands League, which features teams from Tayside and Fife, will become part of the Lowland League East ladder along with the East of Scotland League.
The Lowland League West ladder will feature West of Scotland League and South of Scotland League as tier six divisions.
The Highland League will now only have two feeder leagues operating below, the North Caledonian League and North of Scotland Football League.
The Midlands League was established in 2021 as a tier six division and last season featured 20 teams from Angus, Perth and Kinross, Dundee and Fife. However, only two clubs from the division had the required SFA entry licence to be eligible for promotion to the Highland League.
They were Tayport from Fife who finished fourth and Lochee United from Dundee who finished fifth. However, neither team won the championship to force a play-off with Rothes who finished bottom of the Highland League last season.
Highland League secretary John Campbell confirmed there will be only two feeder leagues for the Highland League next season.
He said: ”The plans that are in place are that there's three tier five leagues with the Highland League being one along with the Lowland League East and Lowland League West. Each of the three tier five leagues will have two feeder leagues.
“There will be two feeder leagues into the Highland League from next season.”
Any team from the North Caledonian League and North of Scotland Football League wishing to be promoted to the Highland League must win their respective competition and hold an SFA entry level licence.
At present, Golspie Sutherland from the North Caledonian League are the only team who hold an entry level licence.
While no team in the North of Scotland Football League, which features teams from Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray along with Nairn St Ninian meets the eligibility criteria.
There has never been an actual Highland League relegation/promotion play-off match since it was introduced in the 2021/22 season.
Only Banks O’Dee have ever been promoted to the Highland League, after they won the 2021/22 North Region Premiership.
They were scheduled to play a relegation play-off against Fort William, who finished bottom of the Highland League that season.
Since then, none of the champions in each of the tier six divisions have been eligible for promotion to the Highland League.
Fort William were eligible for promotion back to the Highland League until they lost their entry level licence in November.
Its application was rejected as a result of its floodlights no long working at Claggan Park due to weather damage. It has not regained its entry level licence and remain ineligible for promotion.
Current North Caledonian League champions Invergordon are also ineligible for promotion to the Highland League, but have announced their intention to meet the requirements for an entry level licence in the future.
Brechin City have also confirmed they will be transferring from the Highland League to Lowland League East next season, if they fail to win promotion to League Two this season.
Brechin remain the only team to ever be relegated to the Highland League from League Two, after losing a play-off final to Kelty Hearts in 2021.
They have won the league once in 2022/23, but lost in the League Two Play-Off Semi Final to The Spartans.
From next season, each of the winners of the Highland League, Lowland League East and Lowland League West, should they hold an SFA bronze level licence, will face the team which finishes bottom of League Two for a place in the division in the play-offs.