FairWeatherFan

Well, nobody is hated. An important thing to consider about the Highland League is that it isn't a single hive mind. There's differences in opinion and with Cove Rangers promoted the supposed 'pro-pyramid' / 'SPFL minded' clubs have lost an ally. As a league they are open to application. Last year they actually invited Banks O'Dee into the league but were rejected by the club and they listened to an application proposal from Inverness CT for a 'colts' side to enter. You can probably understand why the 'colts' idea never went anywhere. They've discussed two divisions but at the time it would have been 2x 10 divisions playing 18 games. That was rejected as you can understand due to the massive reduction of games and smaller gates for any 2nd Division side. Fact is if people actually apply to the League they'd get listened to. They've also been working on this pyramid proposal to get the NCL into it and would probably take the North Juniors in. But it wasn't that long ago (Nov 2018) that the North Juniors said they weren't interested. As for Tayside. The Highland League helped make the pyramid. They had reps on the SFA committee, Professional Game Board (which was only SFA, SPL and SFL at the time) and Non-Professional Game Board so they shaped it more than most. I don't think a number of clubs would be happy with it, but they'd get on with it. Its never been a Highland League rep that's complained about the possibility of Montrose, and Brechin City being relegated into the League or a Tayside club applying.

Just as its the most active thread in the Junior section this seems like a decent place to get an answer. Having a quick look around Armadale got their floodlights back in the 50s. Non-League Scotland doesn't credit the club with floodlights http://nonleaguescotland.org.uk/armadale.htm When did the old halogen floodlights fall into disuse? Cheers!

Yes, usually. But they are only invites.

Wouldn't be shocked to see Kelty & Brora invites leaving the Colts out for the year since there's no reserve league. Keeps the number at 32 with no random byes. Or they could leave out the Colts and non-league sides. Give the 2019-20 finalists the byes for the first round. Then on that first round weekend have the 2019-20 Final on the Sunday.

The home work assignment for all the leagues was to discuss and get feedback on 4 ideas that hadn't been fleshed out to any real degree. One idea that had already been rejected by the LL and EoSFL by membership votes. They were also to canvas for any other suggestions and thoughts on the HL/LL boundary. The 3 way split as a concept had about as much legitimacy behind it as the likes of 12-12-12-12 and 14-14-16. They were ideas spitballed to get through change without any depth or consensus behind them. Which is why following during the following PWG meeting the whole thing was disbanded. Simple couple of question for everyone that pulls out this line of thinking: Is the best team in the East worse than the 9th best team in the West? Is the 2nd best team in the East worse than the 10th best in the West? And so on... Keep in mind it was the East Superleague teams that were happy with signing up for the Lowland Superleague idea, so clearly they're happy with their chances.

The pilot is basically a direct lift of the original Office. Then when it got picked up for its first season it only had 5 of its own episodes. That's not really enough for most US sitcoms to find its own voice and supporting cast of characters that make 22+ episode seasons work. By the second season i'd say it gets a lot better than its beginnings.

Dyce seemingly found the resources from out of thin air to get floodlights. Seemingly just to be able to join the Aberdeenshire FA. Aberdeen University have talked about regaining SFA membership over the years. Montrose Roselea have said their might be interest in getting a SFA licence but weren't thinking about the Highland League. None of them have exactly been North Super League title contenders, but they and others will probably look into licencing. With a promotion structure tied in place eventually another licenced title contender would stumble into the Highland League.

Bit like asking should the EoS & SoS sit outside the pyramid until everyone else got on board. This has been a couple of years in the making since the NCL AGM in 2018. They're obviously happy with whatever arrangement they've come up with.

Not really the "truly bizarre stuff" is the East Region clubs that have shown no interest in joining the EoSFL over multiple years now with no geographical doubts at all to factor in. Even one that did have geographical concerns 'Luncarty' sought clarification and entry into the pyramid by acting on their own behalf. The East Region collectively have shown no interest in joining the pyramid they let the SJFA negotiate during the PWG. The 1to1 meeting(s) they had with the EoSFL were not about a merger apparently and never led anywhere. Then following the breakdown of the PWG and with full knowledge of a number of members applying to the EoSFL and the creation of a WoSFL looking likely, the East Region did nothing. Sorry, that's no true. The East Region decided on a 17-13 set up with those that were left. They're happy where they are and not negotiating with anyone at this point. You'll notice all the other changes in the pyramid have been led by those wanting to join engaging with the parties involved. Not sat on doing nothing waiting to be asked. You do realise you're talking about yourself right? No one had mentioned Tayside on this thread for a while looking back at the last few pages. It was all about the NCL and North Region, and Dyce Juniors joining the ADFA.

There's an East Region. There's no Tayside League though. No President No Fixture Secretary No Cup competitions other than the Tayisde / North Cup No Constitution No recognition from the SJFA No guaranteed entry into the SFA Scottish Cup as that's for the East Region champion Since you're big into conspiracies and machinations. How about this one. Highland League gets the North Region to enter the pyramid. Lowland League has the EoSFL. The SJFA East Region clubs then end up having to apply to whoever is willing to accept them or sit outside like they have been doing. Pyramid complete.

Looks like the book was out before the latest FN update. So hopefully it's moving ahead for 20/21 regardless of the juniors signed up. Fictional league body not represented in real world discussions #shocked

And a final blast from the past. Here's the SFA's Professional Game Board (then the SFA, SPL, SFL, and SHFL) plan for the pyramid from October 2011. From a post by Prorege on the old NLM forum. https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?post=366959

Can't remember if the SJFA Questionnaire on pyramid entry was Dec 2017 or Jan 2018 but it was in that time frame. By that point 4 full seasons of the Lowland League had been played and were in the middle of season 5. The only clubs to respond saying they met Entry level club licencing were: Aberdeen East End Aberdeen University Banchory St Ternan Banks O'Dee (already licenced) Bonnyrigg Rose Camelon Juniors Carluke Rovers Cumnock Hill of Beath Hawthorn Girvan (already licenced) Linlithgow Rose (already licenced) Musselburgh Athletic Newtongrange Star Petershill Port Glasgow The senior clubs didn't need to do any politicking. Even years later the Juniors were unsure or unwilling to engage with licencing to know how achieveable it was for their clubs. Its not exactly a surprise that all the East clubs named all made the move to the EoSFL in 2018.

I only know one thing. I do not envy the fixture secretary.

The mechanics of the Lowland League all comes down to the SFA and the then SFL as the framework was being worked on for years before it happened. Those clubs just happened to jump at the chance when it came. Which isn't exactly surprising since Spartans and Preston had applied to the SFL most recently in 2008.

The focus for the Lowland League was always on getting the clubs closest to licencing standards at the time than on the field strength. That's what was needed to initiate the SPFL playoff and why it didn't begin until the second season. That requirement whittled the numbers right down across all the leagues which is why there were only 12 original members. Having the SPFL playoff was the priority not a well rounded pyramid system. Which is why there was the offer of just tacking on everything at Tier 6, Juniors included. Then work from there.

The only "boys club" that could be considered to have joined is BSC Glasgow, as Cumbernauld Colts also had an adult age amateur side before applying. Not entirely sure about the Spartans playing politics. Since they were already guaranteed a spot and the main rep they seem to have had on committees is a John McCabe. Who would sit on the inaugral LL Committee as a board member. But as near as I can tell never sat on the SFA committees around that time as Andrew Renwick usually repped the EoSFL. The 2013 Annual Review for the SFA listed the boards at the time. Considering the names and faces I don't think there would been much change in the period of 2012 into 2013 when the Lowland League was being set up.

No boys club when the LL was founded. EKFC was set up in 2010 and saw the merger of boys clubs in the the town to give them an infrastructure. But they'd been fielding an adult amateur side from 2011-12 in the SAFL. Only 12 were selected with the ability to meet licencing standards for 2014-15 the priority. 20+ Juniors clubs were noted to say they were interested in the pyramid. 27 clubs would put in a note of interest for the inaugral Lowland League. 17 would eventually apply. 12 were selected. At the time there were only 3 fully licenced clubs in the Lowland League area, each one were guaranteed a place by default. Those were Spartans, Preston Athletic, and Threave Rovers. Going by the Lowland League write up those 3 were actually offered a spot in the league and didn't have to apply. So there might have been 20 clubs whittled down to the original 12. https://web.archive.org/web/20131108011853/http://slfl.co.uk/

I doubt those clubs will see it that way. Especially if they aren't considered a title contender if the league they are in. Win just one game and they'd make more money than if they hadn't been selected.

For the Lowland League there's really only 3 cups to worry about in the main. Scottish Cup, League Cup and South Challenge Cup. I doubt clubs would turn down the opportunity to play in the Scottish due to the prize money. The League Cup is an end of season tournament. The numbers actually work well this year. The Lowland League champion can be excluded and allow the other 16 to extend the season into May. So I imagine that would get played. So its really just the SCC that becomes an issue that needs to be decided upon, due to the scale that it now operates at with 144 teams in it.

The SPFL lower leagues have come out with their fixture lists for the season. The final round of fixtures for League Two is on the 1st May. Which is likely to make the final round of fixtures for the Lowland League the 17th of April going by how the SPFL Play-off has typically gone. With SPFL fixtures out, is it just the Scottish Cup format issues delaying a Lowland League announcement?

No, I understand that. But if there was still a West region juniors and the WoSFL then say the likes of Rob Roy, Pollok, Cumnock, for example joined the WoSFL like they have done, they would put the junior side in the WoSFL like what has been done. Then who do they put in their place in the junior league? I reckon asking a squad of 22 if they want to play in the WoSFL or the juniors then 22 of them would want to play in the WoSFL. The only possibility then would be to have their amateur teams (for those who have one) step up to the juniors unless they went down the route of setting up a junior side to play in that league and attempt to bring in a full squad Which is roughly what happened in the East Region. Bo'ness United Juniors were competing as Linlithgow Thistle and rebranded to go under the Bo'ness United banner of clubs. Sauchie Community apparently came about because those running the club came from an amateur background and looked to move into the Junior game by partnering with an established club. Linlithgow Rose CFC aren't as connected to their namesake as the others. The same sort of thing could have happened in the West. Affiliated amateurs stepping into the Junior void, existing amateurs looking to link up etc.

Its probably the hangover idea from when the Lowland League first started. I believe in the first few years some of the old EoS and SoS sides played in the other cup competitions ran by those leagues to bump up their fixture list. Its become more streamlined with the increase in league fixtures. Now there's just the League Cup, SCC and a local FA Cup if you are in an association. Kelty are the one extreme in that they compete in both the Fife Cup and EoS Qualifying Cup giving them 4 non-league cup competitions.

It would be a lot of ex junior sides bumping their amateur sides up to junior so the level of player would remain the same. So would it really provide a better pathway for players ageing out of the u20s? Premise was on there still being a West Region league. That would have meant there still being first team Junior clubs in it.

Discounting the Scottish Cup and SPFL Challenge Cup invites: Highland League Highland League Cup Aberdeenshire Cup Aberdeenshire Shield North of Scotland Cup Lowland League Lowland League Cup South Region Challenge Cup EoS Qualifying Cup (winner/qualifiers contest the EoS Cup) Southern Counties Challenge Cup Fife Cup Don't know if you have to be a member of the Aberdeenshire & District FA or North of Scotland FA to be in the Highland League, so as far as i'm aware there's just the one cup commitment. The Lowland League area only has two commitments. Everything else is extra. A member of the Aberdeenshire & District FA has the potential of playing more cups than a Lowland League side. As there are clubs like East Stirlingshire, BSC Glasgow, and Cumbernauld Colts that don't compete in the local FA cup competitions.