Kevin Mackie believes the winners from Saturday’s Buckie Thistle v Brechin City Highland League title decider should gain automatic promotion to League Two.
The Brechin chairman will watch his side’s enthralling encounter at Buckie knowing a win will seal the championship for the Angus side.
A draw will be enough for rivals Buckie but regardless of who wins, Mackie feels they are hitting the brick wall of an ‘unfair’ play-off system.
The victors from the Highland League shoot-out will face Lowland League title winners Spartans in a two-leg pyramid play-off semi-final on April 29th and May 6th.
And the side that emerges victorious from that has one final hurdle against club 42 – League Two’s bottom side – over two legs to book a place in the SPFL.
“We are ready for what happens if we win or lose on Saturday,” Mackie told Courier Sport.
“Our feet will stay firmly on the ground and don’t have all our eggs in one basket.
“We will be prepared for the Highland League if it doesn’t work and will look to strengthen and go again.
“If we did have success or Buckie did then neither side is guaranteed to make it past Spartans.
“Beyond that, the winner of that tie has to do it against the bottom side in League Two.
“It is heavily weighted in favour of club 42, heavily weighted. The system is so unfair.
“Last year it was Fraserburgh that hit the wall after winning the league. This year it could be Buckie or ourselves.
Ambitions
“It’s so unfair that the champions of the Highland League, whoever that is, doesn’t gain automatic promotion.
“Cove Rangers know all about it. They were stuck in the Highland League despite winning several titles before they got out.
“No disrepect to whoever club 42 as I’m sure they are ambitious in their own right.
“But there are a lot of clubs in the Highland League who have real ambitions to kick on. The system makes it so difficult for them to do so.
“Teams should be rewarded for winning the title – whether that’s the Highland League or the Lowland League but they aren’t.”
Kevin Mackie: All eyes on Saturday
🗣 “𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆 – 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆."
Chairman Kevin Mackie and Manager Andy Kirk look ahead to Saturday's decider.https://t.co/u0jwTKJ1tU
— Brechin City FC (@BrechinCityFC) April 20, 2023
Mackie may feel the system favours the SPFL clubs but he knows his side have a huge game to win on Saturday.
An estimated 750 Brechin fans travelling to Victoria Park but the Angus side must win at Buckie or the title will belong to the hosts.
Mackie added: “We can’t even think about promotion yet.
“If we think beyond Saturday’s game then we deserve to get beat.
“Buckie have had an exceptionally good season and deserve real praise.
“We are going up there hoping to get a win but there’s absolutely no danger that we are taking anything for granted.”
Conversation