Che Dail

It's not just the clubs that were in the running for promotion - ask any one of the managers at Haddington, Preston, Edin Utd, Dalkeith if they'd prefer to be playing in a Premier League next season or conferences for the 3rd year running. Players want to be playing at the highest level they can. Clubs really shouldn't have to be stuck in some perpetual twilight zone waiting on Bathgate, Fauldhouse and Whitburn.

It is some u-turn right enough - staggering levels of flip- floppery - although in fairness people do change their minds... which is why clubs should be given an opportunity to change theirs about the format for next season.

3 Pts from 25 matches. But they get another crack at it just in case the new manager can turn it around? That's a ridiculous argument Burnie

100% agree with this.

Hardly 'punished'. If you finish bottom of the league it is reasonable to expect (and accept) a demotion. The six bottom clubs are quite adrift from the rest of the teams above in the leagues. Fact is it should've been decided and agreed at the start of the season. Frankly, another season of conferences is unnecessary - and as you said above, Premier / First / Second was your preference, as it will be for the vast majority of clubs I've listed in that 1st division. I think there should be a counter proposal on the table for clubs to decide. The current proposal disadvantages existing clubs who did well this season - particularly Fife based ones such as Inverkeithing, Glenrothes, Burntisland and Oakley who will have to compete for the same local players as new competitor clubs being parachuted in at the same level. They were brave enough to commit and move and will end the season with nothing for their efforts. Arguably they are the ones being 'punished' here.

I do think it is wrong. It is a decision which, in hindsight, appears to serve aspiring appliant members before existing ones, along with others filling the bottom places in the 2nd year of conferences.

I just think the approach is a bit negative. Football should be about incentives and rewards - You start the season wanting to finish as high up the league as possible, and hope that it is recognised and results in a positive outcome. Nobody sets out hoping not to be punished. There's now an opportunity to reverse a poor decision and reward the highest placed clubs who thought they'd be playing for a place in a 1st division and not another season of conferences. Otherwise the bottom placed clubs get exactly the same reward as those finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th: nothing.

I get that but the decision hinged on one or two votes - a fairly narrow margin anyway. From what I can gather the majority of Fife clubs would have moved to EoS regardless of which tier they were in. In fact didn't some make announcements to that effect before the decision was made to run with conferences again? I got the impression the door was being kept open for the West Lothian clubs... but they all turned down the opportunity to join at Tier 7.

Is there an opportunity now to have another look at the structure for next season? 18 Premier / 16 First / 16 Second On basic sporting principles and fairness Bo'ness should get promoted, so it actually would be 17/16/16. This way, no clubs are relegated from the Premier (rightly or wrongly). Tynecastle are promoted as clear 'B' winners, with LTHV winning 'A' on PPG. The top placed Conference clubs are at the very least rewarded with a 'promotion' of sorts, avoiding another season of Conferences... and the new clubs come in to a new division - the Fife neebors kept together. Plenty promotion (green) relegation (red) and play-off (orange) opportunities. Competitive leagues with lots to play for. Any thoughts?

Hi Burnie, see on this new thread are we allowed to suggest regional leagues at T3? You still the boss?

He's busy reading: "Grace and Decorum for Dummies: Learn to love life and be polite the West Juniors way. Foreword by the man in the woodpile". Amazon £10.99

"Better wait and see if you still exist" said West Lothian based philosopher Friedrich Nietzche of Main Street, Armadale during the coronavirus pandemic of Spring 2020.

Maybe the EoS should come up with 2 or 3 scenarios and ballot the clubs. For some, this season was effectively declared null and void anyway, as per the last vote.

In amongst some of the paranoid rantings I actually think he makes some good points. Altho I'd regionlise it at T3. Good opportunity now to wipe the slate with the whole thing now tho.

Agreed - not sure where any reassurances or certainty will come from though - can't see any firm decisions being made within the next 4-6 weeks at least.

No, I don't believe so. As I understand it, the contract is effectively 'suspended' but the player is still under contract. The clubs have not broken the terms - there is no breach because the players are unable to fulfill their obligations undertaken due to the actions of the Association, as is expressly stated in the Player Agreement.

Refer to the terms in the Standard Player Agreement: Cl 5. The player shall have no claim for wages for any period in which he may be unable to implement the obligations undertaken hereunder. Cl 6. The club shall have the right to terminate this Agreement in terms of the Articles of Association and Registration Procedures of the Association, subject to the rights of appeal allowed to the player under Rule 7.3 of the Registration Procedures and the Dispute Resolution Procedure contained at Annex 2 of the Registration Procedures. Cl 7. The Agreement and the terms and conditions thereof shall be, as to its suspension and the termination, subject to the laws of The Association, and to any action which may be taken by the Board of The Association or any committee and in any proceedings by the player against the club, it shall be a sufficient and complete defence and answer by and on the part of the club, that such suspension or termination thereof, is due to the action of The Association or the Board thereof or any committee thereof to whom the power may be delegated. The Corona Virus pandemic could be an example of Force Majeure: Unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling their contract. An interpretation: The players are unable to implement their obligations due to the action of the Association, therefore they shall have no claim for wages. I would say therefore that any moral obligation to 'come and go' with respect to wages / expenses is at the discretion of clubs, and not down to any goodwill / benevolence of its players.

I would think all leagues will remain as they are and the season will be written off, start again next year. Might be an opportunity to re-think the decision on another year of conferences? Go with: T6 - 16 Premier T7 - 16 1st Division T8 - 12+(?) or 2x regional if West Lothian move over en-masse. Maybe squeeze in a knockout or round robin tourney for promotion / relegation between Premier and Conferences A + B.

Could the Junior Cup be for T6 only? Reduces the overall numbers and omits early rounds making fixture management easier. There might be ways to allow more in, e.g. lower league cup winners and finalists; T6 relegated sides; top 3 T7 league finish.

Well in the first film he's the cyborg chief enforcer of the Galactic Empire and his followers are shit scared of him.

Quite scary - I imagine that spoken like Darth Vader while doing a death stare. And somebody in the corner of the room (Burnie?) being strangled by an invisible force. Topper...

That's going to happen by default anyway. There might only be 10-12 clubs that commit to the WoS - that would be enough. I suspect there will be more than 16 though. If there was a sweepstake, I'd go with 45%.

Aye but he's just full of nonsense

and it's a known fact that at least 65% of statistics are just made up on the spot

"It sounds like" ...hunt. 6 down, 4 letters. Word used to describe what the SJFA made of it.