Marten

I'm not saying there are no pro-pyramid people who are disrespectful to juniors, but it happens on both sides. There was some great excitement in the juniors today, last week and other recent weeks, I'm the first to admit that. But I do get annoyed when some of the junior fans say that this kind of excitement is something exclusive to junior football, as it happens at all levels. That's why I replied previously to you in the way I did. You said you'd miss this excitement, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever that it would ever disappear from the game so no reason to say you'll miss something (excitement) that's here to stay in non-league football.

I'd be very surprised about that considering how I've heard Fauldhouse people absolutely slate the pyramid today and Wednesday...

There will still be the same football played in the pyramid and there will still be drama...

We've reached page 500 now. Well done everyone!

I don't have a team in the EOS, I look at it as a neutral, but I meant that I'd like my team to vote for it if I had one. I'm just a lover of non-league football and watch games all over, senior and junior.

True, cash helps as well obviously. All together, I think I would want my club to vote for this as it can help the existing EOS clubs move forward too, for example towards obtaining their own licenses.

Recommended, apologies, not confirmed yet! They voted to allow this, so I suppose they are fine with it. Their league is instantly becoming much more competitive, so I can imagine especially smaller teams would be happy with it, as they can be in a division with teams roughly their strength rather than some teams that can give them double figure hammerings.

EOS already confirmed 3 leagues on their website.

Just let the group winners play in a group of 3 home and away. Then numbers 2/3 in a group of 6, 5 games per team with the team finishing 2nd having an extra home game. Same with 3/4 and so on until 12/13. Then it's easy to pick the 16 teams for the EOS Premier the year after. Simply the relegated team(s) and then fill up to 16 by teams that haven't been promoted.

Also let's not forget the North Caledonian League clubs. I'd support regionalisation of early rounds though to prevent trips being too long, with the exception of sending Auchinleck Talbot to Orkney obviously.

They are no jokes, that's simply silly, unprofessional behaviour.

I had to check if that Armadale Twitter account is a parody account, but shockingly it seems real! Absolutely pathetic, even worse than Lochee United's Twitter.

Kelty v Cowdenbeath in the League 2 play-off is going to be a cracker.

To be fair, I think the vast majority of ex-junior sides will go straight for licensing, maybe next season already the bigger ex-juniors won't be in the AJ cup anymore.

I'd go for your "snake" method. That looks the most balanced to me. It still throws up some good ties, like LTHV v Linlithgow Rose.

In that example, B looks a lot stronger than A. Maybe better to put Tweedmouth as a bottom seed together with Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts & Dunipace?

More likely the latter in order to have 3 conferences of roughly equal strength.

Other than the dozens of posts in which he admitted he was wrong? Just like pretty much all others who made predictions back then were wrong btw...

The inaction of the SJFA East Region has now caught up with them and they are throwing their toys out of the pram. Obviously, the SJFA missed a huge chance when the LL got formed to become the feeder into the LL/HL at tier 7 and swallowing up the EOS/SOS in the process. But even after Kelty's move, when this situation should have been foreseen, they could have shown some initiative. This whole shambles could have been prevented if early on a merger of EOS / SJFA East has been agreed (with an agreement for Tayside clubs to go north or something like that). After this season, the 12 East Superleague clubs south of the Tay + 13 EOS clubs + the 7 best East Premier clubs south of the Tay could have formed a 32 team EOS in 2 parallel divisions, splitting into EOS Premier / First Division after one season. The remaining clubs + new applicants (Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts / Dunipace) could have formed a north & south division with the best 2 teams of each going into the new EOS First Division (and the bottom 2 of both parallel EOS leagues going to north/south). In that way you'd have an orderly changeover and clubs in the north/south division would hardly have noticed a change other than north of Tay clubs being replaced by weaker clubs currently in the EOS. But such a proposal was clearly far too much common sense for TJ...

Just imagine Orkney rising through the leagues. Instead of "Elgin away on a Tuesday night", we'll be hearing "Orkney away on a Tuesday night" from the Ayrshire juniors.

If these 2 clubs are dumped and junior football gets fully disbanded, Scotland will win Euro 2020.

Fully agreed, well put. As I've said before, as a relative newcomer to Scottish football I don't follow a particular team but just watch football across the board. I've been to games in the LL, EOS, East Superleague, East Premier League and every division in the SPFL with a bunch of cup tournaments thrown in as well. The East Superleague is actually the competition where I've seen the most games. I've had insulting replies just for saying that I simply can't see any real difference between junior football and other non-league football or that I support the pyramid while I also enjoy watching the juniors. Whatever happens, I'm sure I'll still hop between SPFL. senior and junior football next season just like I've done this season. That disrespect and the insults thrown around is not needed and painful to see. I just cringe when I see the Twitter timeline of my local club Lochee United (which also might be your local club judging by your profile?). I find that a big shame, as I do enjoy watching them and met plenty of friendly people there. I just can't understand the hatred...

Professional reply to someone saying it's a positive thing to have a growing pyramid...

He said 12 EOS (13 clubs last season less Kelty) + 1 LL (Hawick), so that looks correct to me.

Are you sure? I've heard the rumour that Truro City have applied.