cmontheloknow

In terms of the 'moratorium' on SFA Licensing applications - is says quite clearly (to me anyway) in McKinlay's email that the June board meeting won't consider them and that they hope to have the whole ambiguity resolved by the end of the summer. The prospective Licenced clubs won't get in the Scottish Cup for 2018-19 (I think they'd need to first join the SFA at the AGM and then get the Licence and that won't happen in time) so therefore getting the nod in August, October or Feb '19 is not going to matter a huge amount to Dalkeith, Blackburn, Camelon, whoever. The whole licencing process seems to take months - as noted below - anyway. This moratorium doesn't seem to change much, if anything?

Clubs considering a defection to EoS need accurate information from the SJFA. They need it now. TJ is making a play to keep them on board. Stating in that email '18-19' is careless in the context of the current climate. Yes, everyone makes mistakes but I don't know how relevant that is here. That mistake misleads these clubs on a key issue.

I think it's all about the context and timing.

Considering clubs are looking to him for crystal clear guidance, is that the kind of mistake to be making?

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/junior-football-chiefs-considering-plan-3116939 The thinking from SJFA Towers during the LL's first season.

Well, they, along with the SYFA members and Scottish Welfare FA members, are officially classed as 'Recreational' football while the rest are 'Non Recreational'.

Just taking things back a few steps, it was wondered up thread why the North Caledonian League didn't give its winners a Scottish Cup place. I see the league have allowed St Duthus and Thurso to ditch an NCL league game (recorded as 0-0) because both sides felt unable to raise a team because of the Highland Amateur Cup preliminary round depriving them of players.

The conspiracy is that the EoS members rushed its formation to effectively transfer the EoS into a new body called the LL. I think there's an element of truth to that BUT the SJFA was in no position to halt that as they'd positioned themselves in such a way to make it almost impossible in the required timescale.

The LL is only East-biased because no West teams put themselves forward. *IF* Talbot, Pollok, Cumnock, Petershill, Kilwinning, Beith etc had applied, do you think they'd have taken Threave, Selkirk, GFR, Edinburgh Uni etc ahead of them, even BSC and Cumbernauld Colts? From memory Edusport, HRA and CSS have all gained admission since formation via promotion or applying subsequently.

Cowdenbeath will get £43000 for finishing bottom of the SPFL L2. What will Talbot get for finishng top of the West Super Premier? It was £3000 in the mid 00s but there's no guarantee subsequent sponsors will match earlier amounts.

The Lowland League was being talked in serious terms about in the late 00s, Juniors didn't engage with any positivity once the Pyramid Working Group got underway and got bypassed by these other clubs once it was actually established. The speed of its actual formation was a problem to the Juniors, I agree, but that problem was created by their lack of engagement and hope it would all go away. I know visiting some Junior grounds is like entering a timewarp but we cannot rewind time to 2011 to when there was no LL. It exists and the Juniors did not want to be a part of it when formed and were not (as a collective) in any position to join when it was formed.

I said SOME large Junior ENCLOSURES would not get a safety certificate at a higher level.

When it comes to crowds, I guess you have to discount the opinions on Talbot, Lok fans etc in West because we're seeing a different story. Big numbers follow these clubs H&A - it's a bit like the old joke about theQueen thinking the outside world smells of fresh paint.

Any that do not have lighting, signage, clear markings, disabled access etc... It's most!

But could it Sandy? The ground is as yet unlicenced. The requirements for SPFL2 clubs to only have entry ground I'm sure is to give more time to some of the smaller clubs within it to comply and get to bronze perhaps. Re: LTHV, I don't know if having seats should be a requirement for a league with an average of 490 but perhaps it will be in future. Edit to add: only Albion Rovers do not have a Bronze ground among current SPFL members. However very few outwith SPFL have it. https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/media/3371/club-licensing-current-update-march-2018.pdf

They're not in the SPFL and are unlicenced. The stand was only built last month. And you seem determined to miss the point. Plenty of bigger Junior enclosures would not be granted a safety certificate for much more than a few hundred because of lack of crush barriers, signage, lighting etc.

You don't need as stringent a safety certificate for the Juniors - and I was referring to covered enclosures which have different requirements to open terraces, e.g. lighting etc. It was a Junior Cup semi so of course the crowd was elevated. Hardly a typical Junior crowd.

Didn't Bens get the seats from the Commonweath Games bowling or something?

The big silver pole in the background of the pic immediately puts it ahead of some of our crumbling relics that pass as enclosures which wouldn't be issued with a safety certificate for much more than the 100 the LTHV cover holds. Whether Entry level (and all it asks / doesn't ask for) is right for SPFL L2 is another matter, but Saughton has coped with L2 level (and above) crowds a few times this season, e.g....

Majority in favour of tier 5 iirc. Won't happen.

I bought a lottery ticket earlier, the jackpot could be mine.

If anyone's looking for a worked example of a 'bugger's muddle', they won't have far to look!

My only question is what stops them getting their License? They need cover for 100. Is it beyond a club in their position to fundraise for a few years in order to build it? What else is Laing Park lacking for Entry (lights not required of course)? It's a new build so surely the changing rooms etc are a bit more modern than other clubs in the region. Everything else is administrative and doing things properly. What is the incentive for any additional local businessmen/women to get involved at Carnoustie Panmure with the message they're putting out? They're a business but seem to have little interest in growing it. There's no need for them to aspire to playing at Arbroath's level in league games but it just seems a bit defeatist to say "ach we'll not bother, we know our level!" Look at Fort William just now, desperate for people to get involved NOW to keep them in the high-profile Highland League before having to accept they need to drop down to the amateurs. Ambition is a dirty word in the Juniors - maybe that's why it's facing the problems it does.

Yeah they've been there for decades. The first pic doesn't exactly show 'brand new' fixtures and fittings!

The first pic was taken from the top of the embankment and the second by sticking my camera through 1-2 inch gap the entry gate. The screening is all the way around on the fencing. Any closer in the first and you would see less of the pitch (and thedistance I was at it was around 50% max).