San Starko Rover

Surely that was Sevco’s chance to play their youth and develop them through the leagues. Instead they bought overpaid journeymen and total donkeys.

Oh come on be fair the National team is at an all time high having just qualified for Russia. We have potential managers queuing round Hampden. The SPFL teams are dominating the English, French, Spanish and Luxembourg teams in European competitions and our league is awash with cash.

I’d warn extreme caution to any league 2 clubs accepting this bribe. How long do you think it will last? Once Colt teams have their foot in the door they’ll want access to league 1 and eventually the championship for a better standard of development. We end up with Hearts, Hibs Aberdeen and possibly others joining the party and how long before they say there are too many teams and cut league 2 adrift from the SPFL? Anne Budge is already claiming this. Shoehorning teams in at tier 4 goes against every aspect of sporting integrity which Celtic fans were extremely vocal about in 2012. I see zero benefits for teams at lower league level in this proposal. This is for the benefit of the big clubs only.

"So tell me Mr Drysdale did you personally handle the negotiations with the Rangers board to ensure you got the best possible deal for your club when Bates moved to Ibrox " "Na I got someone to cover for me during the negotiations"

You can see the future now Celtic and Rangers Hoover up every youngster possible to play against plumbers and postmen the compliant media rave about the odd players potential and they punt them to the first English league 1 side offering 100k. They’ll take this money and use it to buy foreign players for their first team. The Old Firm are only interested in competing for the league and champions league riches they have no interest in the national team or the good of Scottish football the duopoly serves them well having a competitive set up is is counterproductive to them. You can guarantee ideas from the OF are good for 2 clubs.

Won’t need to the Old Firm get to make the rules up as they go along.

Put them in the league with Sevco and Celtic and leave the rest of us in peace. They can have bigot fests all season and belt out their sectarian bile in their 4 team league. In what way will Colt teams jumping the queue encourage Juniors or Amateurs to try and join the Pyramid. Sorry linlithgow you could have joined at Tier 6 but as we’ve let half the SPFL have a second team you’ll need to join lower down. We need to chase Doncaster and Regan. Amazes me they’re in a job after Armageddon.

I think you’re probably right about it being “fake news” if none of the Junior team fans on here have heard any whispers (sure some of you will have personal involvement in your clubs) probably just Old Firm fans putting 2+2 to get 5 with regards to Colt teams. I definitely think a WoS league should be set up along with NoS so teams who wish to move have an realistic option. Unfair for West and North teams in the current set up but setting it up by next season would certainly be a stretch. Nothing would surprise me with the SFA though. Sadly as always the SFA rushed the lowland league through and had no vision for the next stage of the potential pyramid.

What an intelligent and thought provoking counter argument to my idea. I especially like the points you make about how you disagree with my opinion and then add your own ideas on what would be a better way to go. I’m sure your Post will add much to the subject being debated. Thanks for sharing I hope you’ll continue to further the discussion with your insight.

Hadn’t heard linlithgow and Bo’Ness we’re moving end of season is that official? I know Bo’Ness said they were but hadn’t specified when last I saw. Saw someone mention a possible WoS league with Colt teams. Have any West Juniors been approached outside the BSC email? Personally I’m against Colt teams as they bring nothing as proved by the challenge cup where the crowds were terrible and both OF teams were dumped at round 1. I’d much rather see Junior teams join than Colt teams.

Always disappointing to lose any player but looking at your thread it seems he’s held in high regard by the Airdrie supporters. Every fan seems to have a good opinion and wishes him well. I guess time will tell if it’s a good move for him or not.

Great news, anyone know his preferred position? Ive seen it mentioned he can play on the wing, can he play on both wings? Doubt he’ll be used up front as we’re surely good for strikers.

Definitely needs to be changed, 4th sounds reasonable in a 13-16 team league and it would stop teams blocking the way (not just LTHV I’m sure there’s a possibility of a decent Junior team joining but not being license). Obviously we want to see a pyramid that flows encouraging ambitious Juniors or Amateurs to join.

I’ve never been a fan of McHattie but has he not been carrying a long term injury? Was a SPL player for several years so there must be a player in there somewhere although I guess I could say the same about Ross Perry (shudder)

Well at least we picked up an extra point on Ayr, right I’m off down the bookies to put my house on a 1-1 draw.

Can’t believe McHattie is only 24 seems to have been around in Scottish football for ages. Any word on Bene or McHattie expected return dates?

Hopefully they’re ready should they win as it’s not good for the Pyramid if they block the path for 2 seasons.

Thanks any idea if LTHV are will be ready?

Hi keeping an eye on the game this weekend as it’s seems your head to head with Kelty will decide the league with both teams dominating all the others. I understand last season you won the league but couldn’t be promoted due to licensing rules, will you be eligible this year if you win and what happens if you’re not? Do Kelty go into the playoffs or do SoS champions automatically go up?

Ok so there seems to be lots of heated debate here with the odd insult in both directions. Mostly those in favour of a pyramid feel skeptics are holding it back and those skeptics feel the ones in favour are insulting their established leagues. Since I’m bored, trying to save cash and think a full pyramid is the future (genuinely intrigued to see how some of the Juniors would do) I’ve had a look at the leagues and propose a solution using the existing SJFA pyramid as a template. Don’t get too excited as this would involve the SFA, SJFA etc sitting down talking and doing what’s best for our game (no laughing at the back) Firstly the HL/LL are established so we need to look at Tier 6 although I would change the HL/LL boundary to match the Juniors East/North as I think it’s a better one with Dundee in the East not the North. I also propose we make HL/LL/North/East/West all 16 team leagues but this is obviously open to debate North We form a feeder league to HL. Make the HL 16 teams to match the LL merge the 14 North Junior Premier with the 2 HL teams and add the NCL below as a regional divisions on the same level as North Division One East and West call it Caledonian League One. Open up the bottom of these leagues for Saturday Amateur leagues to feed in to it. West Again 16 team leagues from my understanding the SoS barring a few teams is fairly week but as established SFA members we can’t just bypass them all as it would be insulting. SoS is 15 teams so take the bottom 10 and form D&G league below WSFD this leaves their 5 best clubs, take the top 2 and merge them with the WSPD adding two from the WSFD to make 16. Add the remaining 3 to the WSFD to make 15 and promote one more from your CDD1 or AD1 to make 16. With only 5 SoS teams joining two West Divisions hopefully the travel problem would be negligible. Then open up the bottom to Amateur leagues to feed in. East ESL and EPL are already 16 and the EoS is stronger than SoS So I suggest the top 4 EoS join the ESL with 4 dropping down at each tier. The next 4 join the EPL again with 4 more dropping this gives 16 ESL 16 EPL with 41 teams left over for Tier 8, I would suggest 3 regions done by geographic location North/Central/South and as with the other open up the bottom to Amateurs to feed in. I’m sure some will disagree but in my opinion this would keep the junior leagues as close to what they are while adding the EoS/SoS/NCL to form a fully integrated pyramid without overly insulting any teams. Cup wise Scottish Cup all licensed teams eligible to join, Glenconner made a valid point in dilution of prize money which is a fair point. I’d have qualifying rounds which while they wouldn’t have prize money the SFA would give travel budgets to ensure teams are not out of pocket undoubtedly some Non league teams would make round one and then get the payday as they progress, happens in FA cup every year down South. Junior Cup. I’m not a Juniors fan but am well aware of how highly you guys prize the Junior cup and its history. I’d bring it along with you and have it as Non league cup (call it Junior cup if that’s important from a traditional point) and include all teams from HL/LL down more teams can only improve it and if the SFA backed it perhaps a decent sponsor for prize money and maybe BBC Alba could televise some rounds. Anyway just my thoughts. Feel free to disagree, it would be a boring world if we all thought the same.

Good, if we are serious about a proper pyramid relegation is a must. Personally I’d have the same as the other leagues 10th relegated and the 9th in a play off. HL and LL could play off winner promoted and loser played off with League 2 9th placed team. I’d also like to see more than one relegated from LL if more Juniors show an interest. Don’t see why, relegation really shouldn’t cause teams to go out of business as any well run team should be able to cut their cloth according to their level. Teams living beyond their means have no one to blame but themselves. Raith were relegated last season and if we fail to go back up we will need to look at our squad size and whether we remain full time along with a host of other areas, Seniors or Juniors you adapt to your income. If the Lowland League attracts more teams from the Juniors it will continue to improve the league and the drop would be less severe.

Really dislike when voluntary promotions gets brought up, it defeats the point of a pyramid, in a pyramid every team finds their level. Give the Juniors a playoff place and the ability to decline promotion and nothing will change as they’ll sit in their bubble while getting Scottish cup access and then just refuse promotion. What if a team gets a sugar daddy and wins that league 6 years running? They’re happy winning that league every year but have no desire to move up as they’re a big fish in a small pond, they then block any teams below them from moving up. The only thing that should stop promotion is not meeting a criteria like ground standards in which case your place should be offered to the next team meeting the criteria. RELEGATION AND PROMOTION SHOULD NEVER BE OPTIONAL. Debate the league sizes by all means but the pyramid below HFL and LLFL should consist of every team from EoS, SoS, NCL, SJFA and SAFA all in one structure not artificial separate leagues that run parallel. After 10 years most clubs will find their level.

What’s going to happen is the East Juniors will continue to trickle over to the EoS league, one was always going to break ranks and be the first now the other are watching. The clever ones will go first as they’ll realise there are limited spaces at Tier 6, others that wait will soon find themselves joining at Tier 7 or even lower. The LL and EoS will improve as teams move over to the detriment of the East Juniors. Once the best East Juniors teams move up the pyramid and start getting the odd good payday in the big cup there will be a move in the West by a breakaway league forming a WoS. The SFA don’t seem to want to force the hand of the SJFA so I can’t see them setting up a WoS unless enough clubs ask them to. I predict the above will happen unless the SFA and SJFA start actually sorting it out. The Pyramid will happen it’s up to the SFA and SJFA if they do it right and integrate the Juniors with EoS, SoS and form a Highland league 2 or whether they just let them trickle over until it becomes a stream.

Can’t see us getting Connolly but what a signing if we did manage it. Wee lad was a fantastic player for us last time. As you say lots at stake, do the board stick or twist and what will Ayr do?

Who ever you draw you best hope they bring a crowd as you’ll never find one from Methil. Sub 500 against Alloa, utter diddies.