stanley

Bonnyrigg going up and potentially going back down doesn't change the principle that the top teams should go and bottom teams go down. That's just one example. Cove Rangers are in the Championship, Kelty and Edinburgh are in League One so the promoted teams have done well so far. Whether or not they do well when promoted doesn't change the fact that they should be able to go up without a playoff against the bottom of League Two and that, generally speaking, teams are likely to improve upon promotion or, at least, have a higher budget (although that doesn't mean they'll do enough to stay up). The three relegated teams (especially East Stirling and Cowdenbeath) also struggling this season and none are anywhere near contending for the title.

No teams in the league are licensed.

No chance IMO. Unless existing WoS clubs switch over (not going to happen) then what is the source for new clubs? If they accept a large number of non-Dumfries and Galloway clubs then surely the existing members wouldn't be happy and would be better off merging with the WoS as a regional league at the bottom of the pyramid.

I get that East Kilbride might have been expected to kick on and reach the SPFL by now, I think it's a bit harsh on them. They've finished 8th, 2nd, 5th, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 7th, 2nd, 4th (2nd without the B teams) and are currently 6th (4th without the B teams). They've consistently been one of the strongest teams. They might have missed their chance at promotion with the gradual promotion of ex-juniors from the WoS/EoS but they have, at least, remained one of the strongest teams so far.

Hard to compare HL to LL but I reckon Brechin are probably favourites at the moment based on their form.

The champions don't even need to be "better" right now than the bottom of League Two. Being promoted/relegated will have an impact on crowds, budgets etc. so it's natural to assume that a promoted side is likely to improve their squad etc. the following season. The basic principle should be that the bottom team of each league is guaranteed relegation (not the case currently in League Two and not even in the Lowland League).

1979/80 - first season Election system in place until 1986/87 so no automatic promotion (not one team was elected into the league during this period). The election system continued what had been in place pre-Conference except that now there was a national non-league division. 1986-87 - automatic promotion. Scarborough were the first team to go up. A few teams in the following years were denied promotion due to ground issues (Kidderminster 93/94, Macclesfield 94/95 and Stevenage 95/96). 2002-03 - two automatic promotion spots. Champions go up and then a second team via the playoffs (playoffs being against other National League teams rather than with League Two teams).

East and West winners go up automatically, 2nd place in East and West plays off for third promotion spot.

Good news. Scottish AFL only has 14 clubs. One less league in the west as well can only be a good thing. Just need a merger with Caley and Greater Glasgow at some point in the future as the numbers decline further.

Good luck. Whether people like or dislike the Broomhill/BSC situation (which seems entirely different from this one), I think it should always be encouraged for people to start a team in their community; particularly when none currently exist.

Stirling amateur league is massively struggling for numbers (with another two moving on next season) so will be desperate for new clubs.

Did they not fold at some point?

The main issue for me is it takes longer to find fixtures/results/tables now than it did on the old site. When you click on 'results', 'matches' or 'standings', you should be able to select premier division, first division etc. from the drop down menu. Having to constantly go back to the top, select a new division, go back on standings etc. makes it very difficult and more time-consuming. Being able to select "all" on the matches pages doesn't help at all as the fixtures are in a jumbled mess without even being labelled by division.

Yes, I agree. The system I was talking about in England was from a few years ago. They had a proper pyramid system in place but slightly different promotion rules to help ambitious clubs meaning that they didn't need to finish as champions in tier 9. Scotland should certainly abolish the distinction and the amateur leagues should move in below the current senior leagues (and simply merge the west leagues). We're years behind England on most of this stuff (decades, in fact when it comes to non-league promotion) so it might take a while before that happens...

They had a system in England where the clubs in Level 9 would apply to Level 8 each year for promotion (level 8 was the bottom tier of Northern Premier/Isthmian/Southern leagues). The teams would then had to meet certain criteria and the top eligible team would be promoted as long as they were in the top 3 (or possibly top 5, I can't remember exactly). If the amateurs were able to merge leagues eventually or, at least, have a top division for north/Tayside/west/east then they could do something similar. They'll have to do something in the amateurs eventually as the numbers are shrinking every year. They're down almost 50% of clubs in the last ten years.

Quite annoying to use when trying to look at fixtures and tables as you keep having to change the division and then go back to tables etc. As mentioned above, EoS site is much more straightforward.

What's going on with Livingston United? Going well then lost 11-1 to Bo'ness Athletic and 5-0 to Harthill today (a team with just 5 points from 18 games before today).

Between 0 and 2 depending on how promotion/relegation between League Two and HL/LL goes.

Do it now through choice and with some control over it or wait until the numbers dwindle and leagues fold forcing clubs to move to other leagues. The Scottish AFL will go next in the west and the Central Scottish/Caley might take on some of their clubs to support their gradually reducing numbers of clubs.

Tuned into Sportsound for "Scottish Cup 3rd round coverage". 40 minutes of chat about Rangers so far. Waste of time, turned it off again. Good chance to promote non-Premier teams, to talk about all the potential shocks and instead it's endless Old Firm coverage.

Stirling & District would count as an EoS League (Dunipace, Sauchie, Camelon, Syngenta all in the EoS). The majority of the league would be EoS if they turned senior. Biggest losses from 2014 - 2022 (numbers are the latest I found a few weeks ago, already a few clubs folded during the season) Midlands: 53 - 12 Scottish AFL: 52 - 15 Stirling: 45 - 11 Lothians: 73 - 46 Aberdeenshire: 85 - 59 Ayrshire: 57 - 37 Strathclyde Churches: 40 - 21 Glasgow & District Saturday Morning: 31 - 0 (although some will have joined the Saturday Morning League which is the only league to have expanded over the past few years) Paisley: 28 - 0 West of Scotland: 20 - 0 Lanarkshire: 20 - 0

I'd say they are all suffering significantly but the west is affected more simply because it has more clubs and more leagues. The simple fact is that the numbers are declining every single year and will continue to do so. It is logical to merge the leagues in the west as they are covering similar areas but the problems of clubs disappearing will continue regardless. Over 40% of clubs gone in the past eight years (and the decline will have gone on for years before that). Continue at the current rate and we'll lose another 200 clubs over the next 8 years and be down to just 300. 200 clubs in the east in 2014-15 in six leagues. 119 in 4 leagues now. 40% of clubs gone and the Churches League no longer part of the SAFA (the two Fife leagues also merged). 437 clubs in the west in 2014-15 in 13 leagues. 249 now in 8 leagues 43% of clubs gone and Glasgow & District Sat Morning, Paisley, Lanarkshire, West of Scotland, Dumfries leagues all gone. 116 clubs in the North of the Tay region in 2014-15 in three leagues. 65 now in the same three leagues. 43% of clubs gone. 85 clubs in the Aberdeenshire League in 2014-15. 59 now in the same league. 30% of clubs gone. The stats are very similar for every region (Aberdeenshire lower but only one league covered). A few clubs have already folded this season and we're only in November.

Elgin and Forfar both struggling so they could get it if the playoff results go their way.

Either they amalgamate by choice soon or they'll end up having to amalgamate through lack of numbers years down the line. Scottish AFL down to just 15 teams (had 50+ in 2015) and Stirling down to just 11 (40+ in 2015) look like the next leagues to struggle badly. The two Saturday morning leagues in the west have already merged meaning they've already lost Glasgow & District Saturday Morning, Paisley, Lanarkshire and the West of Scotland League from the west alone in the past five years. Midlands League up north looks to be on its last legs too.

Definitely not Pollok's first time in the Scottish Cup.