FairWeatherFan

Couldn't find a link myself or take a good enough photo. Breakaway league bid stuns west junior sides Alan Robertson Junior football is set to be rocked by plans for a breakaway feeder league into the senior game. Top team Kilwinning Rangers are researching whether the new league is viable and if others follow suit junior football in the west could be devastated. Junior and amateur sides are being urged to start a new West of Scotland League by Lowland outfit BSC Glasgow. The set-up would mimic the South and East of Scotland leagues. Clubs would ender the sixth tier of the SPFL pyramid aiming for promotion to the Lowland then League Two in the seniors. BSC chairman Steven Prince, who wants to put a reserve side in the league, claimed a couple of clubs who have expressed an interest "would be the Man Uniteds of the Lowland League". Kilwinning have been asked to look into the plan by their committee, management team and supporters' club. Chairman Colin Boyd said: "In terms of the popularity vote it's come at bang the right time. We've had two home league fixtures in four months so everbody is quite upset at the moment. "The juniors aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing - we're supposed to have a fixtures until the end of March, we're not getting that. "There have been games off forever, a lot of clubs are struggling and nobody seems to be able to try and help them. "The game is just not modernising at all and although personally I don't see this as the ideal solution, we have to look at something that might involve the club in future. I don't think anybody is wanting to get rid of the juniors or the history but everybody is looking over their shoulder now." Kilbirnie Ladeside confirmed they are not interested in BSC's proposal. The dramatic move comes as junior chiefs prepare to sit down with the SFA, Lowland and Highland leagues on Thursday to discuss possible involvement of clubs in the pyramid. SJFA secretary Tom Johnston said: "The difference between ours and BSC's is we are in negotiation, in discussion, about it. It is not somebody with a shotgun picking holes in what is there just now and putting up proposals without any kudos."

Something's happening at the very least. It doesn't seem like what we've got will be the same by the time 2020 rolls around. Most of the SPFL talk around introducing colt teams was for the start of the 2018/19 season. Considering the Lowland League was supposedly started in a 6 week span, the SPFL could still push through what they want for next season and that has a knock on effect on everyone else.

There's a bit in the Sundat Mail about the BSC proposal. Quotes from the Chairmen of both BSC & Kilwinning Rangers, with Tam Johnston as well. Kilwinning sound like their listening and make a complaint over the fixture list, Kilbirnie Ladeside are stated as being a no, Johnston mentions the meeting on Jan 5th.

It's all pure speculation with only titbits of public facts. There's a SPFL Working Group not for the pyramid, but for the introduction of colt teams as a means of youth development. All of the quotes mention possibly starting in the Highland/Lowland League. Funnily enough neither league is within the SPFL and both are at capacity. There's a SJFA Pyramid Working Group. While they do whatever it is they do, the West & East Regions will go about restructuring their leagues for next season. There's BSC Glasgow doing their own thing, although no one here has been able to replicate the wording of the email & someone here has said Pollok hasn't received it. It'd be nice if they could all get in a room together and thrash things out. Maybe they are out of the public eye, which is why all we've got is speculation.

It's quite possible that the SPFL just present their League Three vision as a fait accompli. Then ask certain clubs to resign their existing league memberships and take up these new shiny SPFL ones. I doubt any club asked to join would say no given the opportunity, and they'd just leave their current leagues to deal with the mess. This has never been a problem in the past with clubs moving to the SFL, so it would come down to the agreement over promotion/relegation between the SPFL, Highland & Lowland to provide a stumbling block. For those SPFL clubs also wanting to run a colt team in the pyramid there would be 4x vacancies in the inaugral League Three, plus 6x possible vacancies in the Highland/Lowland depending on how they organise themselves. With those 10x vacancies to go for initially i doubt any colt team minded SPFL side would even think of the SoSFL.

I'm sure i've seen something similar. It's a horrible idea as far as i'm concerned and worryingly one that I could see happen. The SPFL powerbrokers only care about getting the Colt teams in the set up and the smaller clubs want to retain their status as National League clubs. Year One would be an abomination but the obvious hope by those pursuing this is that the Colt teams would rise up the divisions. So League Three could look like Berwick Rangers, Clyde, Edinburgh City, Cowdenbeath, Cove Rangers, Inverurie Loco Works, Fraserburgh, BSC Glasgow, Spartans & East Kilbride one day. That's not too different from current League Two. I think there's enough votes in the SPFL for that to happen. Full time sides are likely to be unaffected and benefit from Colt teams, Smaller sides get to stay as SPFL members rather than face a drop in to the Regional Leagues and relative obscurity.

Of the current 16 Lowland League clubs there's only really 6 that would ever have to play in the SoSFL = East Kilbride, Cumbernauld Colts, BSC, Dalbeattie Star, Gretna 2008 & Edusport. Only 3 of them (East Kilbride, Cumbernauld Colts & BSC) have to worry about playing in the SoSFL while hailing from what is considered the West of Scotland. The status quo could therefore be argued to suit 13/16 clubs and any vote would be in their hands. Status quo being "Clubs are more than happy to join the pyramid in the form of our West of Scotland & East of Scotland feeders, the SoSFL & EoSFL. EDIT: Just remembered the bit about Juniors not being involved in the current pyramid as it stands. With Kelty Hearts having joined the EoSFL the dam has already been broken, and any Junior club looking to get their SFA Club Licence will have to join up to the pyramid. Juniors are now involved in the pyramid. Again speaking for self interest, existing Senior clubs might well prefer the current set up instead of wholesale change that would be to their detriment.

I am of the thinking any viable WoSFL that could be put together would be added on, but you mention self interest. The argument from many of the Lowland League's detractors is that it was rushed through for the benefit of the traditional Senior clubs and I was always disappointed that the EoSFL & SoSFL were simply tacked on without consideration of the geographic inadequacy of it. It can easily be argued that the Lowland League has its West of Scotland feeder in the form of the SoSFL, of which clubs are free to join. Why would they need another one?

Maybe double check their Junk Email.

I'd say that's how it would go about getting started, but it would go through the Lowland League rather than the SFA. Admittedly they're kind of them same thing but I think it would come down to the 16 member clubs in the league that year to get the vote passed.

There shouldn't be. Licencing only comes in to play for SoSFL/EoSFL clubs if they win their respective league and want promotion to the Lowland League.

Agree on Rey's parentage. As for the interest in Snoke's back story I think that makes sense. Going in to the original trilogy you had an Emperor at the head of an existing Empire. It didn't really require any explanation. For Snoke we know the Empire fell and he has now taken on its cause under the First Order, but where did this all powerful, scarred Force user come from? Where was he during the original trilogy when the Emperor? What kind of alien is he? The overall story arc he has is perfectly fine, but his existence is something of an anomaly that draws questions.

I'd like to see that as well. If the NCL hadn't fallen to just 6 clubs when a lot of the Scottish Cup restructuring took place they might of got a spot for their champions like the SoSFL & EoSFL did. If the league can get to double digits and stay there for a couple of years it'd probably happen.

I've wondered this in the past, but never thought to ask the question. I don't have a definitive answer but I had a look around to have a guess. Queen's Park were barred in 2010 for not playing in an Amateur League. I think the SFA registration of NCL clubs would therefore preclude them from entry. The League's standing as a Reserve League for so long, as well as the small scale and geography is probably why it doesn't have stronger links to any National Cup competition. Below's the article i found about Queen's Park being barred. https://spfl.co.uk/news/article/queens-park-finally-barred-from-amateur-cup/

With the precedent of Spartans running a Junior side in recent memory, only the ground issue could be seen as a real reason to reject an application out of hand.

If this all emanates from BSC trying to start up a Junior side, it leaves me wondering if BSC Reserves might be the first addition to any West of Scotland League started by them. Certainly seems possible if they have to pad the numbers to start.

By the way, does anyone know exactly what was said in this round robin email?

Utter wishful thinking, but it'd be the first step in splitting the Lowland League West/East. In which case they might see this as a way to provide a better long term circumstance for themselves.

I'd like to think it could be, but it would likely have to be a breakaway group. With the West Region moving to 4 region wide leagues enough might be swayed. Take Glasgow Uni, Girvan, Bonnyton Thistle move over from the SoS. Then it'd maybe take another 9 from either Juniors or SPFL colts to make it viable.

It is, but the fact they've resorted to trying to organise something shows how inept the SFA & SJFA are.

Anyone else find it weird that top of Tier 5 BSC Glasgow are the ones trying to organise a Tier 6 West of Scotland League?

When this gets mentioned it's usually bottom of League Two and the 3 Regional Champions in a blind draw, semis then finals. If you can fit in the Premiership, Championship & League One Playoffs at the end of the season, you can certainly do the same for League Two.

Until Admiral Ackbar was namechecked, i thought it was just a random character of the same species filling out the background.

Were we supposed to know who the new test driver is? I've not followed the revamped Top Gear, so i thought it was Sabine Schmitz (having been hired & fired by Top Gear post Chris Evans). That's why there wasn't a proper introduction for her or a nickname, turns out its someone called Abbie Eaton.