cmontheloknow

I think it just that. BSC and Cumbernauld Colts have at least one fewer game because they're not in. And yes, a new WoSL would likely have its own cups etc. I'm fairly MOR in terms of the pyramid, not quite take it or leave it but not a full on convert. There is so much potential if it's done right. Countrywide knockout cup for all teams outwith SPFL. SJFA currently has about 160 members. Add in 13 from SoS, 12 from EoS, 16 from LL and 18 from HFL, you'd have approx 220 teams competing. The potential additional teams are not enough to mean an extra round in the present Junior Cup format as we currently have 35 ties or so to give 2nd Rd of 128. The above would mean maybe 90 or so ties in R1 - less byes, more ties. Add in regional cups and maybe one legacy KO such as an Ayrshire or Central Cup, or in east the ones they retained, it's appealing.

In the West I see these paths: 1. The SJFA gets their dream ticket of getting in at Tier 5. 2. The SJFA get their 2nd choice of going in 'as is' at Tier 6. 3. Some WRSJFA members decide to jump ship, appoint the relevant office bearers, then actually jump ship and set up a WoS League at Senior level, with some licenced clubs from other leagues also coming on board. I would see this as an 'invites and applications' process. Some apply to join, others are invited by the office bearers if they don't voluntarily apply. This league is at Tier 6 and supercedes the SoS (which does not cover 'the West' - it covers the SW and has recent history of allowing non-SW teams in - a different scenarioo to being THE West feeder). 4. All of point 3 bar the last bit - it sits alongside SoS and Eos at tier 6. 5. The (remaining?) SJFA clubs in the East and West 'stay loyal to the grade' (ffs) and go in 'as is' below the SoS and EoS. 6. Status quo. No pyramid. Mon the Juniors! Possible outcomes may include a mix and match of the above. 3 and 5 perhaps. Some go, some stay and dovetail in underneath. The North scenario is simpler in that they'd just go below Highland but equally is complicated by the fact that Highland demands floodlights(for midweek matches outwith the Junior silly season) as an addition to Entry licence. This has put some NRSJFA clubs off the pyramid. As for East, where to start! EoS / ERSJFA overlap the blatantly difficult issue.

I just don't see the WRSJFA getting anywhere near tier 6 - it would be a standalone league or leagues I think. Reason being - ERSJFA would want parity and ERSJFA alongside EoS is wishful thinking (IMO). I do forsee geographical boundaries being drawn (not based on old regions or anything like that): east of one degree or decimal point of longitude = EoS and and west of it = WoS. That could be Falkirk, it could be Harthill, it could be anywhere that's agreed upon. EKFC being EoSFA members to play in the Football Nation Cup I don't think is going to float going forward.

If the WoS is formed, I really cannot see anyone from Glasgow deciding to trek through to Edinburgh willingly on grounds of cost and hassle. As is is at present, there is no viable alternative. I think once WoS forms (or is that an 'if'?) the boundaries will be much tighter. EK are only in EoS FA out of convenience for their fixture list - access to more cups etc.

Ultimately, where there's a will, there's a way. The logical stance would be to set it up as 'invites and applications' and see who bites. It may be that a few go over and then it's a case of 'who blinks' in terms of who follows and when. Personally, can't see the SJFA getting their hands on anything above tier 7. It may be they get to run the show at that level and below. EoS being 'multi division' does complicate that though.

I think the Junior Superleague idea has long since sunk or sailed. Once a WoS league is established, I imagine it will be the end of teams cherry-picking which region they belong to. BU and LR are East teams.

It's a point of interest, a bit like displaying team lines for spectators. Something some teams have an issue with too.

In some leagues yes I believe so. Has to be submitted along with scores etc..

Pollok, not Talbot. Attendances are published for almost every recognised league on the British mainland with the exception of the Scottish non-league game. As an example, the North West Counties in England which fits in... Vanarama National League Vanarama N / S EvoStik Prem EvoStik D1 Hallmark Security North West Counties Premier Hallmark Security North West Counties First http://www.hallmarksecurityleague.com/results.php http://www.evostikleague.co.uk/match-info/results/2018-03

I went to the recent home game vs Huntly. About 30 people there, including away fans (maybe 10-15?), non-stripped players and committee.

It would but our prices are half and away supports are bigger perhaps because the teams are local. Away supports can't really be counted on as much in lower reaches of SPFL. I get the impression for most going to football is more a fortnightly thing, rather than the weekly traipse it is for most in the West region! I suppose countering that, the East guys saying away supports are pretty low just now.

It depends how big you assess the visiting support to be on any other day. So many things can affect who shows up, from games on telly to the competition to the fairweather's perception of the opposition. There is little interest in the Sectional matches v Ants, Neilston and Bens and these are always the worst gates of the season, perhaps challenged by a hastily arranged midweek match at this time of year. Some of the Ayrshire sides at Newlandsfield don't seem to get good numbers (Girvan, Hurlford and Ladeside all sub 500), but that could be due in some cases to the lack of travelling support or other more random factors such as weather and time of year - a game last sat before xmas is a guaranteed stinker. Not sure the discrepancy between Ladeside and Beith - 120+ difference. For a really run of the mill league game the Lok support might dip below 400 but I cannot see that happening for the Talbot games as they're ones that everyone looks forward to and they'll bring out the fairweathers - if 730 are there I don't believe less than 400 are supporting Lok.

Talbot add hundreds to the gate yes, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it gets doubled - the figures literally don't up to that. Lok home gates this season in all comps: 610 Arthurlie (SLC) 245 Benburb (SLC) 495 Ladeside (L) 415 Girvan (L) 770 Clydebank (L) 550 Perthshire (SJC) 1125 Arthurlie (L) 730 Talbot (L) 530 Glenafton (L) 405 Hurlford (L) 655 Cumnock (L) 630 Kilwinning (L) 620 Beith (L)

So hard to say in some respects because Lok support does travel well. We do have an average that is atypical (570/640 for all comps / league only). Talbot are the next obvious one. Always seem decent home numbers for Beith and Ladeside. People talk of Arthurlie's home support dwindling. Clydebank always had a good 200-300. I've not been regularly for years so not the best judge.

The small percentage are the clubs I'm talking about. Just an opinion but the lowland league in a decade will be an East/West Superleague with a couple others. But who are the clubs that regularly (i.e. average) pull in 200+, even going by anecdotal headcounts?

It's football, not Countdown!

You seriously suggest the likes of Dalkeith endanger themselves by giving up the SJFA for the EoS...?

Yep, every club finds its level and of course that can be up or down as time goes on! I think in general there can be a tendency of focusing too much on the problems of today than on the solutions of tomorrow.

Yeah, for clarity I do think the list I gave is intentially horrendous, but it was a split with slight bias towards the Juniors, only including 6 active South clubs. I do think the more likely scenario is an all-encompassing WoS which invites the SoS sides interested and bumps the rest to at least Tier 7. Their natural fit would be as a district feeding a West-wide 2nd tier. i.e. like Ayrshire and Central just now, but of course West Juniors are ditching this for next season!

I trust Danny Denholm now carries a supply of shitroll with him in his kitbag? Be prepared, as any good boyscout should be!

They're geographically different areas though and I am almost certain the majority of members of both organisations wouldn't fancy regular travel to the other (a few times a season is not the same as every 2nd week). Threave Rovers' failure to twice maintain semi-national travel (they withdrew from the East of Scotland League to return to the South of Scotland League and then were subsequently relegated out the Lowland League as the bottom of the table side in season 3 after 2nd bottom and bottom finishes before) shines a light on what the others could and could not do. Ok, time could balance things out but the first few years would be hellish for all concerned, especially those with lesser budgets. Just imagine (and this is simply a split of South top 6 and West top 8 (as is) + Glasgow Univ. and Wigtown to give a prospective 16 (and the split could be 50/50, 40/60, 70/30 in either direction of course). Auchinleck Talbot Beith Bonnyton Thistle Cumnock Glasgow University Glenafton Athletic Heston Rovers Kilbirnie Ladeside Kilwinning Rangers Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Lochar Thistle Mid Annandale Pollok St. Cuthbert Wanderers Threave Rovers Wigtown & Bladnoch For clarity I believe the above mix to be unappealing to all concerned.

Nae offence to the guy but when he comes to the club list at the end, I cannot help but think of the 'Oxford, Cambridge, Hull' line from Blackadder. At least 3 of those have not got much interest at all in going beyond their current boundaries!

Really can't see an new WoSL being below the South, Sandy. If the South is even L6 in 5 years time I'd be surprised.

Burntisland I believe signed a few new players and apart from the Kelty result in the cup last weekend, they are one of the form teams in the league just now.

Was actually going to recommend a few posters on here going by their ability to both consume and regurgitate shite at will.