RobM

And that could potentially happen almost every season given the majority of clubs are central belt. Why should the HL face a less demanding position than the LL? That level in the pyramid, if you relegate willy-nilly (beyond the bottom 2/3 down) creates an uneven balance in what clubs have to achieve which won't be down to ability but geography.

Think the move from the regional FAs and Leagues at the Lowland level to the SFA is often where the problems start.

They talk about Non League in England, they sell a paper called Non League that covers the bottom to where the league starts, happily and informitavely. Can't reallly see the issue with how the levels are framed and named, the issue is workable structures.

Highland and Lowland are 18. Could become 20/21 in LL if, not inconcievably, Albion, Cowden and Stirling took the plunge with 3 down. with HL either cut in size or looking for new recruit(s) to cover for the reduction on their side That's not nonsense to see a disparity there. English pyramid below the national league is in a constant state of flux but they had developed a starting framerwork at least.

Sorry, should have been play-off a level up. Can't see how we can cope if we're looking to promote one from LL and HL and we had to place, say, Cowdenbeath and Albion Rovers in the non-league structures. SoSL probably isn't at a level with the EoS and WoS as well, St Cuthberts in the LL would be something of a farce at the moment. Organisation as it is currently isn't really helping anybody but then neither is Brechin having a 215 mile trip to Wick. We're always going to have to compromise to some degree in Scotland, can't see even the bigger clubs being happy with a national league to feed into the SPFL and really that's probably the only seamless way of achieving a true pyramid.

Always going to be a problem but more so when there is no regionalisation in the SPFL. Where do the teams relegated get allocated? Bit of a stretch last year for Brechin to be regarded as 'Highland', don't know how the club/fans have felt about playing there this season. It's one step up from non-league in England's pyramid, from National league into the EFL, we don't have a national league, would say that a straight set of play-offs for SOSL, WoSL, EoSL and HFL with the winner going up without the need for compromise of a play-off against SPFL bottom club is likely the best solution for now.

Problem is that you can set up LL East and West to feed into a premier meaning you could automatically guarantee promomotion/relegation spots from the SoS, EoS and WoS but there's always going to be playoffs between LL and Highland League unless clubs feel a top feeder league which could stretch from Wick to Lockerbie is a goer. No ideal solution at the moment.

Linesman got it wrong, he should have got it right. Them's the margins and the breaks and I do have sympathy with the linesman, undoubtedly a difficult job but it is an annoyance when your team falls victim to duff calls twice in one game. Being sarky about it isn't helping.

Nice one, probably still try and get up soon, rather wait for a game Michael McKenna is available, started off with us and his dad and family are featured a lot in Athletic's recent history. Thanks mate.

Sorry, wasn't very clear, will Arbroath ground share or can they use Gayfield.

I've never been to Gayfield and it's one of only 3 SPFL grounds I've got to get to. What are Arbroath doing if they go up? Wouldn't want to miss it when I've been in Arbroath so many times but there' been no game on. Mulling over coming up on Wednesday.

The positive is that in this division PTB, in fiba' terms anyway, nobody ever turns up to a guaranteed three points, it's very well matched the premier.

Don't think anybody had an issue with the venue, the EoSFA and league are implicitly fair to me, we benefited last year given we had an easier trip up to Nitten, less convenient for Oakley, no argument on my part at all if we have to face Oakley at a neutral ground again it should be a Fife ground. Crossgates benefit here at Leith's expense to some degree but all credit to Leith, no complaints and in fact here there's Leith guys saying they're happy with it here. EoSFA are a great organisation for the clubs and try to take into account supporters as well, had my doubts when we moved over but all been eclipsed. We are far better off in the EoSL and it's difficult to see a position happening where we'll play at a ground nearer to our opponents and then be asked to do the same if the same fixture were to require a neutral ground again a couple of years later, I'd expect some balance. Want an example of this being idiocy then you'd only have to look back to us being allocated Rugby Park by the SJFA for both Scottish finals in the Juniors, RP just about has an Auchinleck postcode FFS, 20 minutes with yer bus pass! Difficult to see the EoSFA being that thoughtless, disappointing today but faith in the EoSFA making this a success when it is played, I'll be there, up the Leithers! (Best wishes to Crossgates as well mind).

Wouldn't be betting against Hill o' Beath yet after watchng today's game. Decent performance and the keeper in particular kept them in it with a great save when we were pushing them. Not entirely sure why they've been getting doings having watched that.

Wouldn't rise to it CJ. Committee's OK'ed you to go along and do a specifc task at games, none of his business, he's at the wind-up.

You miss the 'I don't know exactly what happened' comment?

The amount of work CJ puts in around the club I'd be pretty comfortable with him attending games, he's all but a commitee member other than he doesn't have a vote in meetings etc. Many clubs would be happy to have a guy like him around their club. I don't know exactly what has happened with the positive Covid test so can't definitively answer what has occured but I'd be massively surprised if any guidelines were'nt followed as we've got an honest and attentive committee and one that has a goood relationship with the EoSFA (as pretty much every club seems to) that they wouldn't want to risk by even pushing the boundaries here. As usual here (been guilty of it myself) rumour fills in any gaps that a club wants to keep in house, as has been said, unofficial site, everybody's entitled to put their thoughts forward, doesn't invest them with any truth though.

Fair play.

Only that Halfwit8 is an erse.

Grow up.

Wouldn't defend the SFA in the slightest. We have never had any difficulties in the admin from the EoSL at any time as far as I can make out, they've been immaculate, soon as anything falls under the auspices of the SFA though...... Every point in your secnd paragraph there I'd agree with.

Just not really wanting to cast aspersions on another team particularly when the weather was brutal up there last Friday (we heard from somebody now staying up that way that it was hellish), ,maybe being too trusting but they've had a midweek game cancelled as well, kind of balances things a wee bit.

All undoubtedly brutal but with the nature of this seasons tournament with Wick and ourselves entering in December there was a good chance that fixtures would fall to the weather. If we had to play away at Wick in a regular season then it would be in August, lot less likely to be called off. Fair chance Cowden could be called off Boxing Day as well, not unknown for a frost to bite in Fife in December.

Niot at all, the WRJFA/JFA bend over when Auchinleck demand, hardly news right enough.