Marten

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.

Some of the following tweets are hilarious: "We, as juniors, have a unique product unmatched imo". I'm still yet to find out what's so unique about junior football that can't be offered in another (senior) non-league competition...

I can't see the EOS turning Jeanfield down tbh. The EOS clearly want to establish themselves as the only route for clubs in the east of Scotland to get into the LL (and are doing quite a good job at that currently!). Jeanfield are in LL territory and obviously not in the catchment area of the SOS or WOS (if it gets established), so they would have nowhere else to go. EOS would really have to take them considering they are taking other teams that are not in there constituted area.

To be fair, the discussion I overheard was just between 3 individual committee members. They might just be amongst the most conservative of their respective committees, so it's no clear guarantee these teams won't move, it's just the impression I got.

True, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the smaller sides (like current south division ones) are deliberately waiting one season, so they can just tag along at the bottom playing teams roughly their level rather than suffering quite a few heavy defeats in a transitional season. It doesn't make sense for any remaining Superleague or better Premier teams to wait with applying.

Jeanfield Swifts are (just) south of the Tay Bridge, meaning they are in LL territory.

If it goes to 40 clubs, maybe 4x10 makes more sense. Then the 4 champions can play in a group of 4 for the title with other teams playing in groups of 4 for classifications / qualifications for divisions the season after, giving all the clubs 24 games (18 league games + 6 in the 2nd stage). If there are any more than 40 this format can still be kept by simply making the groups slightly larger.

I went to Thornton Hibs v Fauldhouse United tonight and overheard a conversation between 2 Thornton & 1 Fauldhouse committee members. The Fauldhouse one seemed absolutely certain they are staying junior. The Thornton ones didn't confirm or deny what they were doing. They said they aren't overly bothered either way as they wouldn't get a license with their ground anyway (which I can imagine), but they don't fancy playing in a Tayside dominated league.

So that's 2 more.

St. Andrews & Jeanfield Swifts have announced on Twitter that they are joining the EOS.

It might be easier to just plan in a couple of cup rounds between the end of phase 1 and the start of phase 2. If needed, a cup game can then be postponed to allow a league game to be played and finish the league.

To be honest, soon there won't be any junior football left in the east (south of the Tay). Then you might as well take in as many in one go as you can and have 1 messy season. At least that will get a restructure done & dusted instead of having more imbalances with a 2nd influx of clubs next season.