New East Kilbride boss Mick Kennedy says his views on the proposed Conference League in the Scottish football pyramid setup haven't changed after claiming anyone who supports the idea should be "ashamed".
The new Conference containing Premiership B teams would slot in between League Two and the Highland/Lowland Leagues, creating a new fifth tier for the start of the 2024/25 season and put another barrier in place for ambitious clubs in the tiers below to reach the SPFL.
Member clubs, including Kennedy's new employers, will vote on whether to approve the plans at the Scottish FA's AGM in June.
But reports suggest the majority are in favour of the proposals, which only needs 51 per cent of the vote for the motion to pass instead of the statuatory 75 per cent in the SPFL, as the Conference would be run as a seperate entity.
It comes after Lowland League clubs voted to allow B teams into their setup for a third consecutive season earlier this month.
In the new Conference, three teams each from the Lowland and Highland Leagues would feature, alongside Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and Hibs B teams.
Last month while he was still boss at West of Scotland Premier Division side Darvel - who would drop from tier six to seven in the pyramid - Kennedy vented his disgust at the proposals, tweeting: "Only in Scotland would league reconstruction to progress our game relegate over 200 clubs, anyone who supports this should be ashamed.
"There's a reason the new conference requires no voting power, because they already know it's wrong on so many levels.”
And when asked about his views now he has joined East Kilbride, he says he stands firm on that, but suggested he has sympathy for the situation Lowland League clubs were put in.
Kennedy told Lanarkshire Live Sport: "I think everybody knows my views on this. I'm always very open and honest that I am not a great believer in B teams being parachuted into the middle of a competitive pyramid system.
"That view has not changed.
"I haven't really spoken to anyone at East Kilbride about it yet.
"But it has been particularly difficult for clubs in the Lowland League in terms of the voting.
"They voted to allow the B-teams in this year, but it looked like it was a case of do that or they'll just put the Conference League in at the start of next season, which probably wouldn't be the best outcome for anyone.
"I don't believe the Conference is the best outcome in terms of progressing our game forward in this country.
"But it looks like that decision has now been made and it will be implemented, irrespective of what other people's views are.
"We just need to manage the situation as best we can now.
"I just feel if there was a real need to improve the game - and I think everyone is of the opinion that the structure does need to be looked at - I don't think any of the players, fans or clubs would really think this is the best outcome.
"Ultimately, that looks like what will happen now so we just have to work within that structure."
The Conference League will be funded by the Premiership clubs each paying £100,000 to be involved, and as a seperate company to the SPFL, it would have its own commercial rights.
For now, Kennedy says he and his assistant Si Ferry are focused on trying to get two-time Lowland champions East Kilbride promotion to League Two next season, before the Conference would be implemented.
He added: "My aim and focus so far has been on the team, trying to get a full overview and analyse where it has gone wrong over the last year [EK finished sixth in the Lowland League this term], and how we can improve things.
"The club has been very well backed over the last 10 years so we need to sit down and look at why they haven't been able to progress through the pyramid system.
"We'll need to put a plan and strategy in place to try and do that."
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