Edinburgh City

[tamthebam]

Having heard Neil Doncaster on the radio regarding licensing I had a word with one of the committee on Saturday. It seems to be a minor point. 

The rag possibly should be asking why a team like Airdrie don't have a Bronze licence being a bigger and more successful club than Edinburgh City. Perhaps it's because Airdrie have more vociferous fans.

I'm beginning to feel like a Meadowbank Thistle fan again in that it feels the rest of the League and most of the media want to see the back of us. Any fat b*****ds want to take us over and move us to West Lothian? 

[Ginaro]

16 minutes ago, AllyMonc said:

Sorry - have been given Bronze or a waiver for the upcoming season. Assume the status would only update once the process is complete - i.e. it's not a rolling thing

You've been given a derogation by the SFA but awarded Bronze, or you're still going to be entry but the SPFL have granted a waiver/period of grace under rule D6 on the membership criteria?

[AllyMonc]

5 minutes ago, Ginaro said:

You've been given a derogation by the SFA but awarded Bronze, or you're still going to be entry but the SPFL have granted a waiver/period of grace under rule D6 on the membership criteria?

We haven't been given anything. We're entry (as are others). We are in discussions with the SPFL to ensure we can play next season. I don't know (or care really) how we get that approval, I just hope we do. 

 

Statement due shortly apparently 

[AllyMonc]

Statement out now. Essentially, chill out everyone. 

 

I know Buckie were in discussions as well but there's obviously questions around how keen they actually were, whereas we're absolutely mad for getting the license. 

 

For such a small club we don't half punch above our weight in terms of drama

 

https://twitter.com/EdinburghCityFC/status/1787855383186329940?t=ZMWVzh4H2MV7nxqY5eJDSA&s=19

[Burnieman]

8 minutes ago, AllyMonc said:

Statement out now. Essentially, chill out everyone. 

 

I know Buckie were in discussions as well but there's obviously questions around how keen they actually were, whereas we're absolutely mad for getting the license. 

 

For such a small club we don't half punch above our weight in terms of drama

 

https://twitter.com/EdinburghCityFC/status/1787855383186329940?t=ZMWVzh4H2MV7nxqY5eJDSA&s=19

 

Well that clears it up, "fingers crossed we get a licence", not a lot different from Buckie who were in discussions a day or two before the decision.

[Carmel Wafer]

Tin hats on 

[tamthebam]

20 minutes ago, Carmel Wafer said:

Tin hats on 

I've got mine. 

It's electric too. 

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, Burnieman said:

 

Well that clears it up, "fingers crossed we get a licence", not a lot different from Buckie who were in discussions a day or two before the decision.

Buckie didn't apply for a period of grace, City did and got it, big difference.

[Dunning1874]

You'd think if an application for a grace period had been made by 31 March in the event of a licence later not being awarded - something Buckie failed to do - they'd have explicitly said that in the statement as saying so shouldn't interfere with licensing process in any way? Entirely possible that they have and this is much ado about nothing, but that statement doesn't clear anything up.

Edited May 7 by Dunning1874

[welshbairn]

5 minutes ago, Dunning1874 said:

You'd think if applications for derogations had been made by 31 March in the event of a licence later not being awarded - something Buckie failed to do - they'd have explicitly said that in the statement as saying so shouldn't interfere with licensing process in any way? Entirely possible that they have and this is much ado about nothing, but that statement doesn't clear anything up.

SPFL clubs didn't have the March 31st deadline, their period of grace was carried forward to July 1st automatically. I think City must have applied for theirs in 2023.

Edited May 7 by welshbairn

[Dunning1874]

5 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

SPFL clubs didn't have the March 31st deadline, their period of grace was carried forward to July 1st automatically. I think City must have applied for theirs in 2023.

This is possibly (likely) me misreading this, but is that definitely what this means?

Normally you're required to comply with requirements for the following season by 31 March. This has automatically been extended to 1 July for all SPFL clubs, so if they've got the bronze licence by 1 July then no problem. That's clear.

However, does that mean that if you fail to obtain a bronze licence by 1 July, you are still okay to apply for a further extension of the grace period beyond 1 July? That didn't need to be done before 31 March for clubs who aren't compliant by 1 July?

As said maybe Edinburgh City have done this anyway in which case it's academic, and my reading comprehension is possibly the issue, but the statement only addresses that they believe they'll get the licence (despite having 499 seats when the requirement for bronze is 500?), nothing said about what'll happen if they don't.

[welshbairn]

1 minute ago, Dunning1874 said:

This is possibly (likely) me misreading this, but is that definitely what this means?

Normally you're required to comply with requirements for the following season by 31 March. This has automatically been extended to 1 July for all SPFL clubs, so if they've got the bronze licence by 1 July then no problem. That's clear.

However, does that mean that if you fail to obtain a bronze licence by 1 July, you are still okay to apply for a further extension of the grace period beyond 1 July? That didn't need to be done before 31 March for clubs who aren't compliant by 1 July?

As said maybe Edinburgh City have done this anyway in which case it's academic, and my reading comprehension is possibly the issue, but the statement only addresses that they believe they'll get the licence (despite having 499 seats when the requirement for bronze is 500?), nothing said about what'll happen if they don't.

Yeah, I think the July 1st deadline is absolute, unless a majority of SPFL clubs vote to give them more time.

[Burnieman]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

Buckie didn't apply for a period of grace, City did and got it, big difference.

The period of grace ends 1st July.  The comparison with Buckie was that, like EC, they were in discussions with the SPFL/SFA right upto the deadline and still received a kick in the knackers, so ongoing discussions are in themselves not a sign you're going to get the licence.

Edited May 7 by Burnieman

[AllyMonc]

Have done a bit more reading as I’m getting the tea on. From what I can see the 1st July deadline isn’t the one we need to worry about as we’ve applied for a derogation by the 31st March deadline and our application for that is to be considered next week. 
 

The 1st July deadline is for clubs who just need to do a bit of remedial work to get from Entry to Bronze - employ a club doctor for example, and confirm by 31st March that they’ll have that sorted by 1st June.

 

I’ve had a look at the jump from Entry to Bronze and it’s not that arduous - need a doctor and a therapist, safety officer etc. but suspect that’s doable. Meadowbank, as bad as it is, seems to be okay - it’s not about supporter experience, if it was (and maybe it should be) then that’s a different story.

 

Youth section can remain as N/A I think.

 

The biggest hurdle I can see (and what I assume we’ve asked for a derogation for) is the requirements around financial reporting and a signed auditors opinion. Unfortunately the mob that signed off big Donald Trump’s media company accounts have been struck off as I can’t see anyone else putting their name to it. We posted micro accounts as at 31st May 23 which was fine for Entry but clearly not for Bronze. The next accounts would not be due until late Feb 25 covering the period to 31st May 24 (you get 9 months to file basically).

 

So, the next set of accounts will be fine (well, they’ll meet accounting standards) but the accounts we filed at Companies House on 29 Feb this year won’t get signed off, aren’t of sufficient detail and relate to a reporting period under the previous regime so little or nothing the current lot can do if they don’t have the detail.

 

This is just me trying to make sense of things while I layer my veggie moussaka so could be miles off.

 

It’s also probably the best case scenario so on that basis unlikely.

[To B or not B]

I think the financial side of things may screw them.

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, Burnieman said:

The period of grace ends 1st July.  The comparison with Buckie was that, like EC, they were in discussions with the SPFL/SFA right upto the deadline and still received a kick in the knackers, so ongoing discussions are in themselves not a sign you're going to get the licence.

With Buckie they were automatically out of the play offs when they didn't apply to the SPFL before March 31st, it wasn't just about licensing. Looks like communication between the SFA and SPFL was insufficient as it was clear that those talks were pointless in regards to the play offs, that boat had already sailed. For City they make perfect sense with the July 1st deadline. 

Edited May 7 by welshbairn

[Burnieman]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

With Buckie they were automatically out of the play offs when they didn't apply to the SPFL before March 31st, it wasn't just about licensing. Looks like communication between the SFA and SPFL was insufficient as it was clear that those talks were pointless in regards to the play offs, that boat had already sailed. For City they make perfect sense with the July 1st deadline. 

Yeah I'm aware of all that, but my point is that talking with the SPFL/SFA right upto the deadline isn't an indication of meeting requirements or not.

[craigkillie]

3 hours ago, welshbairn said:

With Buckie they were automatically out of the play offs when they didn't apply to the SPFL before March 31st, it wasn't just about licensing. Looks like communication between the SFA and SPFL was insufficient as it was clear that those talks were pointless in regards to the play offs, that boat had already sailed. For City they make perfect sense with the July 1st deadline. 

I don't think this is true. Had their bronze license been approved by the SFA then they would have been able to play in the play-offs. It was only when they ended up not getting the license that they needed to have the grace period which they didn't apply for.

[welshbairn]

6 hours ago, craigkillie said:

I don't think this is true. Had their bronze license been approved by the SFA then they would have been able to play in the play-offs. It was only when they ended up not getting the license that they needed to have the grace period which they didn't apply for.

Only if their bronze license had been approved in full before March 31st.

Quote

The SPFL Board has granted a period of grace to 1 July 2024 to all SPFL Clubs that currently do not
have a Bronze Standard Scottish FA Club Licence to provide sufficient time for this to be achieved
before Season 2024/25. Candidate Clubs will be required to have a Bronze Standard Scottish FA
Club Licence by 31 March 2024 or have secured a waiver, relaxation or period of grace by
application to the SPFL Board. All Clubs and Candidate Clubs should ensure that they are compliant
by 31 March 2023 in order to participate in the Pyramid Play-Off Competition at the end of Season
2023/24. Clubs and Candidate Clubs should contact the Scottish FA Club Licensing department
with any questions they have regarding their application and/or the requirements to meet the
Bronze Standard. Clubs and Candidate Clubs who may not have a Bronze Standard Scottish FA
Club Licence by the relevant date noted above must make an application for waiver, relaxation or
period of grace not later than 31 March 2024.

I'm not sure if Buckie missed any other deadlines:

https://spfl.co.uk/admin/filemanager/images/shares/pdfs/Membership Criteria Letter 2024-25 31 October 2023.pdf

[craigkillie]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

Only if their bronze license had been approved in full before March 31st.

The SFA statement noted that Highland and Lowland clubs had an accelerated audit process to give them a chance to be ready before the play-offs. It was only when they still failed to meet Bronze at that stage that the play-off was cancelled. If it was a case of March 31st being the cut-off, then the SFA would have been able to make their statement as soon as Buckie won the league.

Edited May 8 by craigkillie