Marten

The 13 who originally applied and the first 4 "late applicants" have already been accepted. The others should be accepted tonight.

Accepting up to 3 clubs extra shouldn't be a problem, to not have 3 conferences with odd numbers. Obviously, some clubs might have made enquiries slightly earlier. We don't know what happened behind the scenes, maybe the EOS lobbied for 3 extra entrants to have 3 conferences of 14.

The ridicule is mainly aimed at the people running the SJFA (especially TJ), who couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery. That's not unreasonable imo. For the rest, I think it's good to have one non-league cup for all. There is still this artificial divide between "senior" and "junior" non-league, even though there is simply no real difference. Opening up the junior cup will help get rid of that artificial divide.

The Scottish Junior cup as a non league trophy has been put forward by both sides. It's about the only thing that the majority of posters on both sides agree with.

The people on here treated with "contempt" or being called "Isa" are people coming with the same boring arguments over and over again. Like clubs moving for "milk and honey", "extra cash handouts" or there is no point in moving if clubs can't move up. All these "arguments" are rubbish and have been proven wrong many times. Arguments are just ignored by those posters. The same people also belittle the clubs currently in the senior ranks and some call everyone disagreeing with them "deluded fools". Then there is no surprise that they get such a response. Most pro-pyramid people on here do agree that there are flaws in the pyramid and there are some things of the juniors (see the discussion about the junior cup) worth preserving.

I can sort of understand your way of thinking. But, if you're making this a true semi-pro competition, you'll need to invite the best semi-pro teams in England. Boreham Wood & Sutton United are (as far as I know) full-time sides. Also, most of the Scottish Championship should be excluded in that case.

Exactly, lots of money and promotion aren't guaranteed, but they are definitely not available in the juniors anyway while there are many other benefits of switching. Fair enough if people want their club to stay junior, I might not understand/agree but everyone is entitled to their opinion. It's just the attitude of the people slagging off clubs leaving, belittling the senior divisions/clubs and saying it's all about money / milk and honey / promotion etc. whilst it's clearly not. Yet these are often the same people who criticise others for slagging off the junior "grade"...

How long do you keep trolling with the same boring "arguments" that have been countered many times?

Just have a competition of the entire National League, HL, LL and top flights in Ireland, Northern Ireland & Wales together with the 30 lower division SPFL teams. That's 124 teams, invite representative teams from Shetland, Orkney, Outer Hebrides and Isle of Man and there is a 128 team competition. Who isn't getting excited about Solihull Moors v Edusport Academy?

All teams other than Blackburn pulled out and joined TJ's Superduper league instead.

I don't even think it will really be lower. LTHV for Lochee United will be an improvement imo. Leith/Hawick for Carnoustie/Broughty won't be a massive difference. Musselburgh for FWE will be an improvement (although that would have happened through promotion/relegation anyway). Remains Kennoway being changed for another side that will be weaker. So overall the difference won't really be massive and Kennoway might well switch to the EOS in 2019 anyway if no teams are left near them.

Does anyone actually know when the SOS AGM is?

All 2017/18 East Superleague clubs except for 4 north of Tay clubs & Kennoway Star Hearts are moving over. It's not unrealistic that the EOS Premier from 2019 will basically consist of the 2017/18 Superleague teams with these 5 clubs being replaced by LTHV, Hawick, Leith, Musselburgh & a relegated team from the LL (and maybe more than 1). I don't think that's a drop in standard.

To be fair, even if changes have been agreed, they probably can't announce anything before the SOS & EOS agree them at their AGMs.

http://slfl.co.uk/lowland-league-agm-update/ At the bottom it says: "Everyone involved with the league is looking forward to exciting developments in the future and we will hopefully be able to bring you news soon". Nothing more yet.

Promotion/relegation has been discussed, but no decision has been taken on next season's system. It has also not yet been confirmed that there will only be 1up/1down, so we don't know that yet. They have likely waited to see the developments around the EOS before coming with their decision.

So you already know that the LL are maintaining that even though no decision on promotion/relegation has been announced yet, so we don't know if the 1up/1down will be kept?

Throwing toys out of the pram by using the same, ridiculous, "arguments"?

I wonder if this tournament can get popular amongst English clubs. It's bound to cause fixture issues, with those teams already having 46 league games and 2 other cups.

How are people at Eyemouth looking at this now? It must be quite overwhelming to see this as a current EOS club?

Surely with the amount of teams moving over that nobody expected even a month ago, you'll have to spend at least a monthly salary on humble pies already anyway?

Next season is going to be very interesting!

Dundonald were never "out" when they made their first decision to move. The question since has always been when they'd move, not if.

If a WoSFL is getting founded and some of the big teams leave, the same would happen as in the East with others following in fear of being left behind and having to join in a lower tier. Dundonald's original decision to defer for a year while doing some work wasn't that strange. Once they saw how many others moved late on, it made sense to join straight away. As said, this "shambles" is caused by the SJFA inaction and refusal to engage with the pyramid, you can't blame the clubs or EoSFL. And talking about piss up and brewery, with how the SJFA organise their leagues, those words are more appropriate for them...

Wouldn't Bonnyton Thistle be interested in this considering they are now pretty much the odd one out geographically in the SoSFL?