energyzone

You were representing yourselves, not junior football. You've done really well and deserve all the success and money you have, but you're about as representative of junior football as Celtic are to Scottish football as a whole. The runs in the senior cup benefited absolutely nobody apart from Talbot, and actually put everyone else at a severe financial disadvantage. And no, I can't deny Talbot were the best team in this season's league and would probably have won. But I wouldn't have put my mortgage on it.

They actually did win it mathematically.

Well done lads.

He posts absolute bollocks and you know it. Besides, Burnieman was brought into this by someone else mentioning his name.

They don't have a lot else in their armoury to be fair.

Nobody hates Auchinleck. Everyone acknowledges how good and how well run they are and they're a club everyone aspires to emulate. But their dominance and financial success from senior cup participation has made the top level of the juniors as uncompetitive as it probably ever has been. Every season starts with the question "who can stop Talbot?" rather than who will win the league or junior cup. Anyone hoping to win the league or cup has to hope for Talbot to have an off day, or a huge fixture pile-up at the end of the season. It's unhealthy and is probably one of the major reasons as to why so many clubs were actively seeking a way into the pyramid in the West. And personally I find a fair number of their fans arrogant, obnoxious and entitled.

Early days I know, but has it been confirmed that the conference winners will play off to decide a West champion, who will then take part in a further play off with the East/South winners to decide who gets promoted? I was initially under the impression that the conferences will purely be to decide on the following season's league set-up, but I saw that Bonnyrigg won an East conference play off last season.

I'm aware it's a non-starter!!

Increasing the number of relegation spots might assist. 4 up and 4 down would create a bit of drama. I'd actually have two national leagues of 18 and increase the promotion/relegation numbers at all levels.

Where was the final held last season?

I've cut mine twice so far recently. If you watch some YouTube tutorials, take your time and be very patient you can give yourself a 1 or 2 at the sides and leave it whatever length you want at the top. The blending can be done with a bit of time. You're never going to get it to barbershop level but it'll do meantime.

It sounds very much like you started listening with your mind already made up. Everyone is going to be playing in a new league next season, a league in which they have no prior record. Your club knew exactly what they were signing up for and that conferences were going to be in place for the first season. Present Junior top flight clubs might lose a bit in gate receipts next season but lower division junior clubs (and the other applicants) will surely gain. We constantly hear on this forum about the "junior family" and looking out for each other but when it actually comes to it, that's just a meaningless slogan isn't it? People are happy enough to keep the money between the same 16-20 clubs at the top of the pile and let the others feed on scraps. For all the talk of staying together, nobody actually really cares about the bottom clubs do they?

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?