Admission
Gala Fairydean have been rejected from the Scottish League at each time of asking, despite having a setup and facilities arguably better than some of their opponents. Other teams that have fallen at this hurdle include Whitehill Welfare.
Scottish club Gretna, who had previously played in the English Northern Premier League, were admitted in 2002 to replace the defunct Airdrieonians. Shortly afterwards Airdrie United who came second in the process when Gretna were chosen to fill the gap created by Airdrieonians' demise, simply purchased ailing side Clydebank, renaming then and moving them to Airdrie.
Each season the winners of the First Division are eligible to be promoted to the Scottish Premier League providing their stadium meets certain criteria. As of March 2005, these criteria include priority tenancy or ownership of a stadium with at least 6,000 seats, and an undersoil heating system for the pitch. Falkirk's failure to meet these demands resulted in their being refused promotion despite winning the First Division in 2002–03; at that time, the SPL required 10,000 seats for its member clubs. They have since built a new stadium with an all-seater capacity of 7,000, and prompted by a campaign by Inverness Caledonian Thistle, the SPL reduced its seating requirement to 6,000, making them now eligible to join the SPL, having won the First Division again in 2004–05.
In 2008, the SFL again required a new team as a result of the demise of Gretna. Annan Athletic, previously of the East of Scotland League, were voted to join the Third Division in time for the 2008–09 season. There were 5 bids in total for the position, with unsuccessful bids coming from Spartans, Cove Rangers, Preston Athletic and Edinburgh City.
Promotion and relegation between the First and Second Division, and the Second and Third Division, are currently decided using a combination of automatic movement and playoffs.
Read more about this topic: Scottish Football League
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—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
“The admission of the States of Wyoming and Idaho to the Union are events full of interest and congratulation, not only to the people of those States now happily endowed with a full participation in our privileges and responsibilities, but to all our people. Another belt of States stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
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