The granite-faced Scottish Football Association is threatening to ruin one of Scotland’s smallest but best-run clubs, Brechin City, all because the club’s field width doesn’t conform to UEFA specifications. Third-tier Brechin, needless to say, has never played in European competition, and likely never will.
The team faces “crippling fines or huge reconstruction costs” if it doesn’t widen its field by three meters, writes Chris Hardy. Brechin is currently appealing the SFA’s hard stance, a result of the body’s club licensing system introduced in 2002 that included European field-size requirements for clubs intending to participate in European football.
Brechin is owned by season-ticket holders and not by shareholders. Former director and season-ticket holder Bob Black said it seems like City has been singled out. “A common-sense approach would be for existing grounds to be allowed to continue as they are while new grounds need to comply. If Brechin ever move to a new ground then they would have to comply with the pitch criteria, but to ask them to spend thousands altering a pitch that has been played on for over 100 years with no major complaints is a piece of nonsense.”