Brora Rangers to face Kelty Hearts as SPFL confirms pyramid play-offs will go ahead

Brora Rangers have been declared Highland League champions in the past two sasons

Brora Rangers and Kelty Hearts will face each other for a shot at promotion to the SPFL after the league confirmed the pyramid play-offs will go ahead.

Brora and Kelty were declared champions of the Highland and Lowland Leagues at the end of March after playing three and 13 games respectively.

The winner of their semi-final tie will face League 2 bottom club Brechin City.

The SPFL and Scottish FA sought legal opinion to clarify Brora and Kelty were "correctly identified as champions".

Having established their coronation complies with the rules and that both clubs meet SPFL criteria, the governing bodies have finally ended weeks of uncertainty over the pyramid play-offs.

Brora will host Kelty in the first leg on 4 May, with the second leg taking place in Fife four days later.

Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell says the pyramid is of "huge importance to the integrity of open competition" and he expressed delight that "the decision by the judge corresponded with the view of the Scottish FA".

SPFL counterpart Neil Doncaster added: "We are 100% committed to the principle of the sporting pyramid but were understandably keen to ensure that any decisions reached were both fair and in accordance with the rules and agreements of all four organisations.

"We therefore worked with the Scottish FA to conduct an arbitration in front of a senior judge and are very pleased that the position has been definitively clarified."

Brechin were condemned to finishing bottom of League 2 after losing 3-0 at home to Annan Athletic on Thursday.

What's the background to the saga?

All SPFL play-offs were scrapped last season - with Brechin bottom of League 2 and Kelty and Brora champions of their respective leagues on a point-per-game average - when Covid-19 brought Scottish football to a halt in March 2020.

After the Highland and Lowland Leagues were again curtailed by Covid concerns this term, Brechin complained that a pyramid play-off would be "fundamentally unfair" given the paucity of matches played by Brora and Kelty.

Brechin did, however, propose including both sides in an extended division from next season.

Having had their leagues shut down prematurely in January, both Brora and Kelty were given permission to resume training earlier this month, with Covid testing in place.

Kelty last played on 9 January when they lost to Stranraer in the Scottish Cup. Brora's run in the same competition was also ended by Stranraer, on 3 April, after a stunning victory over Championship winners Hearts.