gaz5

Surely that's nothing to do with the SFA? The Lowland League stipulate their entry requirements in the same way the SPFL, EoS, Juniors etc. stipulate theirs. The only role the SFA play here is granting (or not) membership. That SFA membership is a requirement for LL entry is surely no more under the SFA's control than the playoff rules or Colts teams in the SPFL? Seems a bizarre one, on the surface of it.

I think when we can get to 16, same as the premier, is be comfy with that. My concern is that would only leave 8 in Teir 8 if no one applied. I don't think 12 team league's is enough, 22 games isn't enough and playing each other 3 teams undesirable as well. Ideally we would go to 3 Tiers when we have 32 teams, 16 each. Keeps it consistent from LL down, especially if the West did come in as a Unit and creates a greater argument for a 16 team Tier 4 (which I'd also prefer to 10). Again, just my inner monologue there though, will play in whatever setup exists to play in..[emoji846]

Agreed. My working assumption since nothing came from the AGM is that at this stage it will be conferences again, based on numbers. As you were, if your will. A proposal would need to be voted on, to agree a new structure different to the one already in use? I'm not fussed either way, I realise I'm in the minority, but with only 24 teams in Teir 7 I wrote like the conference's. Dare I say I actually prefer it to a traditional flat league structure. [emoji846] These views are my own and I realise not everyone will agree. [emoji39]

I think it's more to do with the fact they didn't state that up front. Many of those teams were probably comfortable with a transition year knowing they would be in Teir 7 for next year and could plan appropriately without chasing last season. Not everyone will have aimed for a top 6 finish like say Crossgates did for example (and fair play to them, that was their right and they did brilliantly), but equally had teams known in advance they would have dropped 2 league's for finishing in a certain position they would likely have planned "differently". Couldn't decide that after the session has started. Also going straight to Teir 8 would have been less appealing for new applicants, who you still want it to be an attractive proposition to. All in all, I think most people would say the EoS have got it spot on. Premier League looks brilliant, conferences look brilliant, everything is clear and well thought out and teams, as we can see on their social media, are planning appropriately.

Was the notice period quoted in those claims? If they have a 25 year lease as was quoted above and are only say 5 years in, even with a mid lease break clause they would have plenty of time to sort things out. Big difference in notice of a month and notice of 10 years. [emoji846]

To be fair to Whitehill, they are in a shitty position, but if they do go down it won't be connected to Selkirk at all, it'll be because Cove went up and Berwick came down in their place. Way things unfolded, Whitehill would have been relegated regardless of Selkirk's demise this season, based on finishing second bottom and an additional Lowland area team added from above through the playoff. Licence nonsense has been an unfortunate sideshow that it really shouldn't have been because of the SFA. That certainly isn't Whitehills (or Bonnyriggs) fault and that's what causing their unnecessary uncertainty. Certainly needs to be resolved for both clubs pretty damn soon!

He already dropped the North, as everyone knows, showing his "all or nothing" mandate to be convenient bullshit when it came to the West and East. Think pretty much everyone involved can see that not dropping the East in the same way he did the North was a calculated move to ensure that the Juniors wouldn't lose anyone. That's for Junior clubs who are pissed at another wasted year, particularly those in the West, to take up with TJ at the AGM. Personally, I don't think it's worth the effort any more. Set up a WoSFL and let any West clubs who want to apply for 20/21. Juniors can stay junior if they want, no one has to do anything they don't want to, TJ can retain whatever is left of his empire in the SJFA.

Under 20's Trial Day 2019! Saturday June 22nd | 10:30 Kick Off Were you born in 2000, 2001, 2002 or 2003? Are you interested in being part of a successful development squad in season 2019/20? Why not come along to our Trial day! In 2018/19 Under 20's players made 38 First Team appearances during the season, 15 players involved in First Team squads, 9 making their debuts in those games and 7 starting First Team games. During the season, 3 have been promoted to the First Team squad. If you are interested in the pathway and want to come along, contact development.manager@dunipacefc.com to register your interest. The game will take place directly prior to the First Team's opening pre-season friendly, so make it a day and stay to watch that game afterwards!

Dunipace Schedule:

Cool. What's the idea behind the permit system and not allowing games outside of July? We've filled the two dates now, just curious.

Genuine question, do you need a permit from the juniors if its not between 2 junior sides? In the Senior game you don't need a permit for any friendly. I ask as I see Irvine have also announced 2 dates in June and both are against non juniors, so wondering if that's the "workaround".

Both dates taken. [emoji106]

Both dates taken. [emoji106]

Both dates taken. [emoji106]

Personally, I think it's an awesome solution to a unique problem and I'm really looking forward to it. Totally agree 22 league games would have been too little and playing everyone in your own conference a third time less desirable than everyone in the other once. As a concept, I really, really like it. It's different, but it's well thought out, well presented, clear and importantly disadvantages no one. Hats off to whoever came up with it. When I was running through the potential options I certainly didn't think of this one, but it's better than any I had come up with. Obviously only my opinion though. [emoji846]

Dunipace. All of our fixtures were scheduled up in s fixture list at the start of the season, we have a 4G park and only had one game off during winter. Our season ran to schedule. We weren't the first team finished in the EoS either, there were at least a few before us who had equally good runs of fixtures being on. There was also no junior cup to hold up the fixture list and we played a few midweek games under our lights. I think the last game in our conference finished 2 weeks after us maybe? As was highlighted above, mainly cup games after that in EoS. The scheduling really has been a breath of fresh air, all our players have loved knowing when they were going to finish and actually being able to have an "off season".

In your opinion. [emoji6] FWIW, pre season isn't run the chuckies off players these days, well ours certainly isn't. Our schedule contains the same number of "pre season" sessions as most other clubs, but we have more games (8 or 9) to prepare tactically, which players like, and more technical sessions prior to the league starting. If it's all the same to you lads, I'd rather not pump the boys for 4 weeks and wait till the season starts before we're into technical training. Plus we've been finished since April 9th, so the lads get a full 8 week break. Not like when we were in the juniors and had to start later because we were playing 3 games a week till middle of June and it was 2 weeks off before starting again.[emoji39] Our pre season is 6 weeks, building up to our tournament. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Sorry, to clarify, when I say next season I mean 2020/21. Last season finished for us 6 weeks ago and pre season starts a week on Saturday, so I'm already into 2019/20 as this season in my head and 2020/21 as next season. [emoji846]

Almost as strange an argument as equating winning the West Region Premiership with the actual premiership? Answer is the Champions League though. It's all become a bit tiresome, there are clearly a lot of junior fans and clubs who are not interested in the pyramid and that's absolutely fine, no one is saying it isn't. No one is trying to force the juniors into the pyramid, if clubs and fans dont want to join, don't, stay in the juniors. This has never been an argument about forcing people to join, the argument has always been around how the juniors join (if that's what they want to do). The answer was never "however the hell we like", as the SJFA painted it. TBH my view on things has shifted somewhat in the last year. My starting point, having played junior for 10 years, was the hope that the juniors would all move over. Easy in the West and North, joining the EoS and a new Tayside league in the East. It's become more clear as time has passed that the juniors themselves dont want a mass move over. There are clubs and fans in all regions who just have no interest in it. That's fine. New WoSFL for next season, anyone who wants to join can join that or the EoS and everyone who doesn't stays Junior. Then we can all move on with our lives.

FYI - the contractors at Westfield were very good at running exactly to date. At one stage we were around 2 weeks ahead of schedule as well, but that was eaten up waiting for the specialist crew coming in to lay the carpet. They are brought in specifically for that bit, apparently that's what they do all over the country. As they were/are booked solid, they couldn't come to us earlier, only on the initial schedule they were booked for, so we lost the two weeks on the park even though the surrounding work kept going. Not to say that will be the same at Newton, just letting you know that was our experience given its the same contractors. All in all, they were excellent and hit the initially scheduled end date.

I'm not sure how you figure winning a league, then winning a league playoff, while meeting the requirements of licensing at the time you applied (having had to wait an additional 6 months due to an SFA ban on new applications), is over exuberance. Particularly when the only thing that has stopped them from getting the licence required and being promoted, on merit, is floodlights and the team that has been reprieved relegation as a result have no floodlights. Bonnyrigg earned their Lowland League spot, just like Kelty who you give as a "good" example. The only difference between the two clubs is the SFA delayed Bonnyriggs application then shifted the goalposts mid process on them. Had the SFA treated Bonnyrigg like Kelty, they would have been licenced long before the Lowland League deadline and requirement for floodlights coming in. Bottom line is these mooted changes, if they are in any way accurate in the end up, are nothing more than protectionism and the SFA showing a lack of backbone when it comes to dealing with the SPFL and standing up for their own documented goal of supporting and developing football at all levels of the game. It's easy to understand why the SPFL clubs don't want any more mouths to feed, but you'd think a governing body who are supposed to preside over all things football in Scotland, of which the SPFL is just one part, would at least be able to deliver against their own articles of association. Clearly they thought 200 members was ok when they put that in there, now less than half of that is enough?

No requirement to have floodlights for Teir 6 any more than there is a requirement to have them in the juniors, as you well know. That said, at least if you have them in the EoS you've always been allowed to use them. [emoji85]

Correct.

That graphic comes from Dunipace Twitter & Facebook, rather than EoS, but it's an accurate representation of the EoS league format. A few clubs have made their own images to cover the official doc. There's further info re: cup arrangements and dealing with different relegation/promotion scenarios above in the full doc. All in all, EoS again stepping up. Looks excellent.

I'd imagine with a fair spread of floodlights across all 3 sections we'll see at least a few rounds of midweek games to ease the reliance on Saturday fixtures. Makes sense to use the facilities clubs have. I think it's a great setup and really looking forward to it.