oldandround

I heard (yeah I know) Ally adams had a bit of a howler, got nipped about it and stonked off in the huff. Dont think he's around any more. Michael Andrews just did as always and stepped in to hold the fort when called upon. He's barely put a foot wrong since as well. I cant see Mark weir getting back in, in the short term unless Mikey chucks a couple in!

Yeah. What I heard was that the LL was not giving a monkeys and was happy for syfa players to play for them regardless of what the syfa were saying . The SYFA were deciding whether they were going to capitulate and allow their players to sign with u20s or not. It really is a farce. Where's the harm in allowing a few u18s / u19s a tryout with the u20s whilst still playing with their community club? Just dont get the syfa position here. Old men in blazers clutching to bygone glories perhaps?

It’s not allowed by the syfa but is allowed by the u20s. basically the u20s don’t recognise the syfa registration so in their mind the player is a free agent. the syfa have a rule that says you can’t play for the u20s. if a syfa player, plays for the u20s they can be “charged” by the syfa who can deal with under current rules of playing for a team whilst registered with another. so in theory the player could be banned by the syfa from playing with his syfa team if he plays u20s. not aware of any player being so charged yet. I know Edinburgh utd had a few 2004s playing u20s in early 2020 and nothing happened to them. so, you pays your money and takes your chance as they say…….

Its undoubtedly a shocker. total nonsense and a ridiculous decision. Ive found out though (rumour alert) that the SFA were not really too concerned about this but it was the SYFA that drove the refusal. For a couple of seasons the syfa has been at war with the SFA and lowland league over the u20s. They saw it as decimating their older age groups (which to fair, it did) They refused to allow players to play as trialists with u20, although the u20 couldn't give a monkeys and did it anyway. This all caused a great deal of animosity on the syfa side. The U20s and sfa again didn't see anything awry here. Much like a premier team would treat brechin moaning about being relegated. Dont care..... Then in April this year, the SFA decreed that all football over U18s was 'Adult' and outwith the remit of the SYFA. So that effectively kills the SYFA U19 and U21s leagues (pretty much already dead in the east though!) However, the SFA gave the syfa a one year period of grace until june 2022 to allow U19 and U21 players the chance to complete a season. All sound good yeah? Well the syfa have a voice on the SFA council, so when this lowland league application to extend the U20s to U21 for one year only came up, the SYFA objected. Their grounds were that there would only be one more season of u21 football and if the development league was also u21, that is a competing league and unfair. Especially as the SFA had told them they were getting another year. (the complete lack of a U21s anywhere outside the west, seems to have escaped them.....) The SFA accepted this information and decided to restrict the dev league to 2002 lads. Again, its a nonsense decision but not completely without reason.

Ah didnt know that. Interesting. I wonder if the SAFA will bother with U19 / U21s though?

The syfa have just decided that season 2021/2022 will be the last to contain u19 & u21 leagues. from 2022 u18 will be the top age. they have correctly seen that the u20 has completely killed off the u21 and almost destroyed the u19 in the east. same will now happen in the west so might as well embrace it. so next season. There will be u18s as well all feeding into various u20s teams next summer yes it’s a big change, but really makes sense to give lads 2 years at development before the step into semi pro or ams exciting times

Pretty much exactly the same position as the Scottish govs more cautious approach. Not interested in getting bogged down in politics, we are where we are. And the Scottish governments guidelines expect to have crowds in grounds from the same days as we can train. THus, lets look forward, not back and hope for a positive future.

Yes but, Its highly likely there will be. Current expectations is that all areas will move to level 2 on 17th may. co-incidentally the 1st day contact training and matches are allowed. Level 2 = 17th may level 1 = 7th june level 0 = 28th june Not many semi pro teams that cant have full crowds with level 0 capacities! Be positive. Less doom and gloom please

NS announced today that everyone in scotland will also get 2 tests a week from friday. Makes the restriction on the return of football being 17th of may a disgrace. everyone takes a test and if its negative, on you go.

I get it. Its unfair on Dunbar, or tranent depending of your viewpoint. However, not restarting is more unfair on tranent as iff its PPG then jeanfield get promoted. If its Null and void, then everyone not in the bottom 6 loses. There is no perfect scenario. I just think that restarting and playing to 50% (with the caveats I posted higher up) is the least worst option. I get it that you have a different viewpoint, which if I supported Whitehill, I would definitely hold too. I dont, so I want to see football back before july.

Nope its not right, but its not possible to fully complete the season by 30th june, so I contend that its the least bad one. (restarting 22nd may and playing to 50%)

Flippant answer, but yes. There would be plenty at stake. Promotion to the Lowland league and places in the relevant tiers for starters. Crowds in grounds. Happy faces, cash being generated. THe Edinburgh amateurs have a 48 team summer cup kicking off on 22nd may. they are rejecting applications from as far away as buckhaven. THey have u20s sides and everything desparate to play. I fully get that my opinion is not shared by everyone, but in the spirt of the current climate, "its my truth"

No such thing unfortunately. That was proved last year when Heart, partick thistle and Stranraer were relegated and no-one other than them cared one jot. However, playing to 50% is actually the most sporting solution (or more accurately the least imperfect one) as at least its based on everyone playing everyone else.

I respect your opinion but completely disagree. Much prefer the nightmare of PPG to Null and void. Massively against that. Means all the sacrifices made to play football and try to give us something to hold onto was for nothing, and I refuse to accept that this year of all years is to be forgotten and pretended not to exist. No, no no!

For teams that have played twice, you count the 1st game only and bin the 2nd. Where it creates an imbalance of home v away, then thats just the way it goes. Home advantage has hardly been a thing anyway. Its a dreadful solution I agree. There are only two that are worse. Null and void and call it now on PPG. There will be winners and losers. There always are. Thats sport. There has always been unfairness. Always dodgy refereeing decisions that affect teams worse than others etc etc. just the way it is in this most horrible of seasons. I just dont accept that we just pretend it didnt exist and scrap it all. There will always be differences of opinion and those who have alternative views. I have listened to them all, and my view is to play as much football as you can, as soon as you can.

If at all possible, the teams should get back and play out the season. As there is no play off to negotiate there is no time pressure here (other than the 30th of June and need to get ready for next season) so if its 17th may, then so be it. From 26th April you can travel across boundaries to train, also shouldn't be totally Baltic so can travel in kit etc. Start up matches on 22nd may. play two or three times a week to get to 50% and then call it. Get a champion based on that 50%, relegate based on 50% and create proper tiers, based on that 50% No perfect, but better that just ending the season and wasting another year stuck in conferences. Also a better than even chance that a number of teams will be in tier 2 on 17th may and allowed a crowd in, so why not take advantage of the apples failing where they have?

Yeah. You’re probably correct. im just so disappointed that we’re not playing football right now that I’m lashing out at everything that I’m perceiving must be holding its return. I just think the risk adverse have taken everything too far (just like my silly post)

Imho Its only teams not wanting to finish that are looking for an excuse to do just that. they can start training now. Six solid weeks or fitness will or should have the players in peak shape. Then a week of corners and shaping etc and bang. Let’s get started on 22nd may. every team is in the same boat with short start timesets go for it. Use the squads sign some ams or get the u20s involved. have a positive can do mentality rather than a lazy “too hard” viewpoint covid has been difficult for all let’s not compound it by giving up Lots of differing valid opinions. But im just for getting going and muddling through best we can. Again imho, voiding is cowardly and lazy.

ah. ok. So aye and naw then. Actually makes sense and a pretty fair compromise. Feel a bit sorry for those lads playing u19s though. They had no season and unlikely to find too many places in the incumbent 20s if lads are not moving on. In saying that, there will be rakes of new u20s sides needing players I suppose. Might not be an issue after all

Has the dev league been changed to u21 next year for one season only due to this one being a bust? I thought I read that somewhere, but now wondering if I've made that up......

Burnie. For a few years you have been on the absolutely correct side of every argument on here in relation to dragging the dinosaur juniors into this century and promoting the EOSFL / Lowland at every turn. Just concerned that you've dug yourself into a bit of a hole here and getting a little bit LTL about this. The risk of footballers inflating the COVID pandemic is low. Not nil, but low. Its unlikely that football would have any real effect on the R rate now (was correct to stop in Jan - undoubtedly) but it might just be time to climb out from under the parapet and find a way for fit young men to get back to sport. There is always a risk in life. I'm wondering if now is the time to accept the small one that is inherent now in lower league football? No point is discussing vaccine etc here as everyone has an opinion, all equally valid. There is of course one extremely prudent argument against resumption of football and that is "but I'm a Brechin fan...." Not a closet one are you......

Big surprise they dont have their badges. You cant even coach an under 6 team at fun fours without a 1.2 coaching badge! Not that they're actually worth anything though

I try very hard to not say or do things that might inflame or insult, but in this case, I cant help it. What a walloper!

It was tollcross that played there. Its a decent sized area ripe for upgrade, should there be the finance and appetite to do it. Edinburgh south have the exclusive let on it through their youth and amateur teams, but I've heard nothing on the obvious opportunity to upgrade the area for the EOS team https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tollcross_United_F.C.

Its the old Dalkeith Thistle amateur guys that got them to the semi of the scottish in charge is it no? Much like the excellent job Ryan Dinse is doing at Craigroyston, I'd expect Scott Steele to get Arniston half decent quite quickly. He has decent contacts and will like Ryan, get an amateur select feel in the team in no time. He's a decent guy with a serious will to win. Dont know Phil Alexander though he was at Sandys for a while so must know his onions. Assuming he's of the same mould as Scott, Arniston will definitely improve. There will be fight in that team. Visiting teams will certainly know they've had a game. Depending on how many games they can get out of Gogs Ramsay (great player but a bit erm, excitable and will miss a few suspended) will decide on their season. IMHO