energyzone

Realistically the arrangements of the new tiers in the West couldn't have been decided yet as it would be for the member clubs to decide, and until yesterday nobody seems to have known the full list of clubs who have applied.

Bit of a difference there regarding the Alex Jack cup - is this just for East clubs or is it open to all?

I thought you guys enjoyed the journey?? Anyway, the C&R Colts won't be allowed into the senior leagues next season and if they were ever allowed in thereafter they'd be starting at the 9th tier in the pyramid system.

I don't really see the need for staying in the SJFA. The junior cup is massively devalued now and the bigger clubs in the East aren't going to re-join the SJFA just to play in a competition that they don't have time to accommodate. If everyone in the West is moving to the WOS league anyway then I imagine there will be a WOS cup equivalent, which the junior cup essentially is these days anyway.

I didn't see that article sorry. Kilwinning's Facebook page had an official post which sort of implied it was still to be decided:- Latest from the Pyramid Working Group We have already applied but as of yet haven’t offered our resignation to the SJFA, we had planned to have a supporters meeting once the details of the new league came out but due to the circumstances we don’t see this happening soon. We will setup a facebook live Q & A this week.

Kilwinning haven't said they are resigning from the SJFA.

There was a vote as to whether to move ground or not which finished about 70% - 30% in favour of going. Most fans in Kilwinning I've spoken to appreciated the need for the move. The new facility doesn't have 10% of the character of Abbey Park, but character and history doesn't attract players or win you games. As for the juniors - unless the SJFA or West Region have magically managed to convince the LL/EOS clubs to take part in the junior cup then the competition has had it's time and there's no real reason to stay affiliated to the SJFA.

A couple of people have named Kilwinning as definitely leaving the SJFA (or at least giving up membership) - the last update 3 days ago says they haven't and had planned a supporters meeting prior to deciding.

Some of the juniors don't want to go though, according to the only vote which has been held.

It's puzzled me as well. They are claiming it as victory and presenting like they got everything they wanted.

You're not disliked because of the success.

What is it you don't like about them? You mentioned earlier that top flight clubs would face a season of less savoury fixtures. Apart from your club, every single other club in the top flight has spent time in the lower league(s) in the past decade and it wasn't the end of the world for any of them.

Will there be any live updates/tweets of the meeting on Tuesday?

The prestige disappeared the moment Linlithgow, Boness and Bonnyrigg left.

Please tell me the halftime Union Jackpot isn't a real thing?

They will fall for it. The West region will try every dirty trick in the book to paint the LL as some sort of foreign (East!) invasion, threaten fines and periods of notice, and make audacious claims of £100k toilets and so on. And some clubs are so desperate to stay junior that they'll swallow it happily. Which is fine, for them. Gordon Ronney is the Kilbirnie version of pccabe. Remember his memorable claim that if Beith dropped the word "Juniors" from their name they'd no longer be the same club? Ronney is either a useful idiot for the SJFA or he really doesn't believe the lies he's telling people, and I'm not sure which is worse. In reality, a move to a WOS league would mean no change for the majority of clubs but would get rid of the archaic practices of the juniors (reinstatement etc). It'd be interesting to see if any of the ex-junior clubs in the East regret the move.

You've also been in the Scottish junior cup final 8 times in the last 11 years (winning 6 of those) and have taken in an enormous amount of money from the associated senior cup runs. Great achievements and well deserved of course, but you can't only mention the league when talking about dominance.

You thumped top of the table Kilwinning 6-1 a few weeks ago.

I'm surprised that only 7 West Premier clubs have expressed an interest so far. Unless asking for more information doesn't count as an interest?

It's shown live. They sometimes have highlights of the semis and normally have interviews with some of the players at half time.

Talbot aren't representative of the juniors though. You're by far the best, richest and most successful - miles and miles ahead of everyone else, and have been for a long time. It's like saying Celtic are representative of Scottish football. It's an anomaly.

I don't have any inside information, but I would be fairly confident that the Kilwinning chairman and committee have had weekly conversations with other clubs who also favour setting up or joining a WOS league, hence the announcement last night. I don't think they'll be alone. It would be good for other clubs to voice their support or otherwise though...

Does anyone know who the oldest club in Ayrshire amateurs is at present?

Nobody knows as the clubs won't tell us anything about where they stand.

I was on the canal path recently and found out you can see quite a lot of the pitch from that vantage point. Do you get a lot of people standing watching a match from there?