bendan

It's only ever supporters of the juniors that claim this.

Yes, you really have to wonder what the PWG have been doing for the last four or five years. All of the current events are the result of Kelty making the move. The SFA and SJFA are simply reacting to events rather than proactively shaping the future. Doesn't reflect well on either organisation.

I like the way they refer to Ormiston as an 'extreme place'. Google has it as a 56 min drive away.

But what's the point of the deferral, other than to cause uncertainty at a key moment. I don't see any logical link between the deferral and allowing the PWG to meet. There's no reason why licence applications can't be accepted while the PWG consider changes to the pyramid setup.

I'm still not sure why the SFA board put the temporary block on licence applications in place. What is the point, other than to deliberately create uncertainty?

I think most people agree on this ... for different reasons, obviously.

How was it essentially an east league before any places had been allocated? It became essentially an east league after no teams from the west applied.

So you are agreeing, but then explain why you disagreed ...

He said they 'have more in common with' HRA than with St Mirren etc. That isn't the same as saying 'on a par with'. I bet if you looked at annual budgets, and average attendances, Auchinleck would be a lot closer to HRA than to St Mirren.

The reason those teams are at tier 5 is because no junior teams wanted to join when it was set up. Now they'll have to join below, but after a few years, the better teams will have found their way up and the weaker teams will have dropped down. It's fair to say, though, that most junior teams would struggle to match LTHV on the park.

Carnoustie Panmure think this is way beyond their capabilities.

Is there actually a majority in favour of entry at tier 6? I've forgotten the survey result.

Tynecastle will also be having problems with freshness, but without the carrot.

Surely there are loads of problems. Will the juniors accept relegation from the LL into the West (or East) Superleague? Will a majority of juniors accept going in at tier 6?

I agree. As you say, they'll find their level, which won't be particularly high without any support. I don't think it's for the SFA to insist that a team must be associated with a particular location in order to get a licence, as long as they have a ground to play at and meet other criteria. We should be open to all kinds of models as long as basic criteria are fulfilled.

https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/media/2881/scottish-fa-club-licensing-manual-2018.pdf

Because you need more than that for the licence. Fine if you don't want to be licensed.

Aren't there quite a number of requirements that are not related to the ground? I'm sure LTHV meet them, but in the case of a new club, you can't simply get 11 players together and rent a compliant ground.

To be fair, it shouldn't be difficult to have the juniors move over at tier 6 in the West and North, though the issue of where the SoSL sits needs to be considered and the HFL have to accept promotion/relegation. In the East it's a lot more messy, and by the sounds of things, an amicable agreement between the EoS and SJFA East might not be easy to achieve.

There is a difference between people at the top table scaremongering and punters on an internet forum doing so.

When discussions took place when the pyramid was first established, that was the SFA's plan. (And if I recall correctly, the SJFA were unhappy with that, as they felt the juniors should be at tier 5) Interpreting that as a promise that at any time in the future the juniors could simply attach themselves at tier 6 seems a bit optimistic. It seems a bit more complicated now.

Great post. I can understand the attractions of junior football, and I'd hope some of those features can be brought over in any movement to the pyramid. I think you're absolutely right that SPFL 1&2 aren't very appealing leagues, and it's hard to see why leagues at that level can't be larger to avoid repetition of fixtures. Questions like cost of entry and food is really up to the clubs, so you'd hope the entry of fresh blood might shake things up.

I think this is the basic problem, and it has always seemed more prevalent in the West of the country. There are few places on earth where change and development are viewed so negatively.

Fair enough, but it seems it was a failure to meet the criteria that saw them rejected. It was also before the SoSL had committed to the pyramid.

They voted to accept clubs, having assessed whether they met the requirements. Obviously they could have rejected them, but to fulfil their commitment to the pyramid, they would have needed objective grounds to do so. I'm not saying you are wrong on Gretna 2008, but do you have evidence of that? My recollection is that Gretna 2008 wanted to join the EoS.