Highland League will have no relegation play-off this season as no eligible teams from North Caledonian League, North Region Premiership and Midlands League can win their respective championship
ROTHES have been guaranteed their Highland League status for next season after it was confirmed that no relegation play-off will take place after the end of the regular campaign.
No eligible teams from the tier six divisions, North Caledonian League, North Region Premiership or the Midlands League, can now win their respective divisions, ensuring the Speysiders will remain in the Highland League for the 2025/26 campaign.
Lochee United, who were the last eligible team remaining last weekend capable of forcing a play-off, saw their chances of winning the Midlands League end when they lost when they were hammered 5-0 by Broughty Athletic.
Lochee United can now no longer win the Midlands League as they are 11 points behind leaders Dundee North End with three games remaining.
Currently, only three teams in the north tier six divisions are eligible for promotion to the Highland League due to holding an SFA entry licence.
Golspie Sutherland are the only team in the North Caledonian League eligible for promotion. But they finished in fourth place in the NCL, 19 points behind league champions Invergordon.
Two teams in the Midlands League are eligible for promotion, but neither Dundee club Lochee United or Fife outfit Tayport are in contention to win the division this season.
No teams in the North Region Junior Premiership are currently eligible for promotion to the Highland League.
Rothes finished bottom of the Highland League after recording just 11 points and were six points adrift of Strathspey Thistle who finished in 17th. They finished their campaign on Saturday losing 7-2 to champions Brora Rangers.
Only Banks O’Dee have ever been promoted to the Highland League since the play-off was introduced, 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 to the Highland League until November, when they lost their SFA entry level licence, as it was refused due to no working floodlights at Claggan Park.
North Caledonian League champions Invergordon are currently not eligible for promotion, but are looking to put themselves in a position to become a Highland League club in the near future.
Earlier this month, they received planning permission from Highland Council to carry out development works and improvements at the Recreation Grounds to make them eligible for an SFA Entry Level Licence.
The approved plans include the erection of a boundary fence, installation of floodlights and the erection of a spectators’ stand at their park.
Planning consent now gives the club the green light to begin work to meet their target of making the ground “license-ready” by 2026 – readying the club for promotion to the Highland League, should the opportunity arise.