Picture: Lyn MacDonald. Image No. 031274
BUCKIE Thistle vicechairman Raymond Cardno says talks are yet to begin at the club with regards to what should be done about Cove Rangers’ promotion and the void it leaves in the Highland League. Highland League champions Cove thrashed League Two club Berwick Rangers 7-0 on aggregate to secure their place in the Scottish Professional Football League next season. That leaves 17 sides in the Highland League for 2019/20 campaign. However, an 18th might be found before it gets under way. Speaking to the Banffshire Advertiser, Mr Cardno said: “We have only known since Saturday that Cove were getting promoted – and well done to them on achieving that. “My Buckie colleagues and myself haven’t thought too much about it. We will be speaking about it in the near future.” Highland League secretary Rod Houston said there has been “informal discussions” and an AGM will take place on Monday, May 27. Houston added that an Inverness Colts side entering the league was “one of the options”, along with the league going ahead with 17 teams. With their convincing play-off victory, Cove have become the first Highland League team to gain promotion on the pitch. Buckie also reached the play-off, after being crowned champions in 2017, but many felt the Jags weren’t interested in promotion. Cardno said any prospect of promotion is too far in the future to discuss. “That is something which hasn’t been discussed at all,” he said. “But, if a team has won the title, they won’t be going into the play-off not wanting to win it. “The one thing we want is that the winners of the Highland League and Lowland League match are automatically promoted and that the club that finishes bottom of League Two go down automatically.”