Dev

Surprised that there's no ramp for wheelchair/disabled access.

Now that the FC to City reverse is cut and dried it shouldn't be too long before we know what name Craigroyston are playing under this coming season.

There's a huge irony in that substitutes were brought in firstly at the highest levels and then the numbers were increased. This filtered down to the lowest levels of the sport and, inevitably meant that clubs were drawn into using the maximum number of substitutes permitted. Clubs at the lowest levels of the game have gone from being just 11 players with a few reserves to being 11 plus substitutes plus reserves so there are more players per team than there once was. Inevitably this means that there are fewer teams but more players failing to get into starting line-ups. It's a crazy situation. In addition, the use of substitutes has meant that the pace of the whole game has been raised and lasts for the full 90 minutes. It is arguable that this has lead to more injuries to players i.e. you are more likely to pick up a damaging contact injury if the pace of the game doesn't decrease towards the end as it used to do. Does the use of substitutes need to be reduced outside the top levels of the sport so that there can be more teams and more players getting the chance to be in the starting line-up. Players are less likely to stay with a team if they're just used as substitutes or reserves and more likely to spend Saturday afternoons elsewhere. What's other's experience of this? Thoughts?

As usual quite a few long treks. These stood out to me anyway: Banchory St Ternan v Maybole Buchanhaven Hearts v Ardeer Thistle Burghead v Lesmahagow Fraserbugh Utd v Shotts Bon Accord Hurlford Utd v Sunnybank Islavale v Greenock Nairn St Ninian v Ardossan Winton Rovers Vale of Leven v Newmachar Utd Whitehills v Caledonian Locomotives

?? Is that correct. It would make Craigroyston into Edinburgh City "B". Stand back!

www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/25/prigozhin-wagner-ukraine-loyalty-question-offensives/ Prigozhin exile may stop Wagner in Ukraine, experts say Doubts over loyalty towards their leader may also curtail troops from being used again in military offensives ByColin Freeman IN KRAMATORSK25 June 2023 • 6:55pm The chaos inflicted on Russia’s armed forces by the Wagner Group coup attempt may prevent it from mounting any further serious military offensives in Ukraine, analysts said on Sunday night. While the mercenary group’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has ordered his fighters to return to their frontline bases, doubts over the 25,000-strong force’s loyalty is likely to limit their future use to the Russian military’s high command. Ben Hodges, a former US general, said that even if Wagner’s units were broken up and distributed across the rest of Russia’s military, regular army commanders would be unlikely to fully trust them. “Wagner troops will either walk away or be distributed across the Russian Army as individual replacements, who will be under suspicion,” he wrote on Twitter. Under the terms of the truce that saw Prigozhin call off his coup attempt on Saturday, Wagner troops who took part in the mutiny will be offered immunity from prosecution, while others will be permitted to sign formal contracts with the Russian army. It is unclear, though, how many will want to take up the offer – or whether Russian army commanders will really want them in their ranks. “The whole coup business still seems very murky, but it means that many soldiers have now lost faith in their central command,” said Daniel Ridley, an ex-British soldier who runs the Trident Defence Initiative, a private training programme for Ukrainian forces. “We may now never see another joint Russian offensive, and what territory Russia still has in Ukraine, they may now struggle to hold on to.” Wagner’s forces have been involved in some of the heaviest fighting of the war, particularly in the gruelling 10-month battle around the Donbas city of Bakhmut, which the Kremlin has claimed as one of its few victories. While much of that fighting has been done by Wagner’s ex-convict recruits, who have died in their thousands, the group’s hardcore of professional soldiers remains largely intact, Mr Ridley said. It was their ranks, he added, not those of the ex-convicts, who appeared to have been leading the coup attempt in Russia. Professional kit “You could see that they had professional kit and looked good – these weren’t the convict troops,” he said. “They’re not a spent force at all, otherwise they wouldn’t have attempted the coup in the first place.” That group’s professional expertise, he added, had been crucial to the Russian push around Donbas cities like Bakhmut and Soledar. Their successes, though, had also nurtured an esprit de corps that made them see themselves as separate from the Russian regulars. “These people are loyal to Wagner, it’s quite a famous unit now,” he said. “They won’t lightly drop the Wagner patch to sign up for the Russian ministry of defence.” In and around Bakhmut, where Wagner troops know the ground intimately, the Kremlin was still likely to have to use the Wagner force in some form. “They are willing to take losses and they are also very aggressive,” Mr Ridley added. However, Russian army commanders are likely to now fear that if they order Wagner troops into any costly battles, they could risk a mutiny in the ranks that could spark a repeat of Saturday’s insurrection.

Prigozhin is a 100% Mercenary. Everything to do with this alleged mutiny stinks. No-one harmed except maybe a helicopter crew (staged?). The Russian military 100% oblige his calls not to resist. Planes used by Putin and Lukashenka making planned false journeys. The whole thing stage managed. Why is the real question. Maybe looking for Ukraine to make a big mistake and go after the Zaporizhzhia NPP - giving Russia an excuse to go nuclear and blame Ukraine for pulling the trigger? That would have drastic consequences which could cause some people in western countries to turn away away from supporting Ukraine. It is also a way to reward his mate Prigozhin for his efforts so far by distributing significant payments in his direction. Prigozhin doesn't work for nothing. This time Putin could be using this as an opportunity to hoard away roubles? Putin and Prigozhin have a long history together. Could this be a last throw of the dice for them.

That's a fair spread of teams between the Divisions with all but one club in Div.1 represented: Prem: 11 Div.1: 15 Div.2: 6 Div.3: 8

Cheers. That's a big increase. Interesting to see Annan Athletic and Dumbarton buying into the idea too and, maybe, other SPFL clubs will look at doing so in the future. Premier Div. has 12 teams; Div.1 has 12 teams; Div.2 has 9 teams and Div.3 has 10 teams and Div.4 has 9 teams. That a fair spread of interest throughout the league.

Many thanks to The Faceman and to FairWeatherFan.

Thanks. Counted 54 teams listed. Wondering who Team 55 is?

I see that the EoS has released the teams and groupings for next season with a small increase in numbers starting the season 2023/24 compared to the start of 2022/23. Up to 40 from 38. Is there any news about the teams and groupings yet for the WoS?

Hasn't Knightswood plans for a new ground, and that is how they were acceptable to the WoS?

A club or team labelled Edinburgh City Whites joined the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur League in Division Two at the start of 2022/23 season. They are still there next season. Their edited details as at the start of 2022/23, from the league handbook: EDINBURGH CITY WHITES Secretary: David Burton Address: Alternative: Wendy Anderson Ground: Forrester HS 3G Colours: White/Black They may be a separate club from FC Edinburgh? Anyone know more?

No pyramid system is without its' issues so the Scottish one has to fit Scotland as best possible.

That was then but times have moved on rapidly.

IMO The English clubs in the EPL or those in the EFL with any dreams of playing, one day, in the EPL, are not likely to want to introduce outside competition from clubs which had the potential to take "their" place at the top table. Just not going to happen. The OF aren't big enough to buy their way in or pressure their way in.

Is it accurate, does anyone know, if Real Madrid's Reserve team, i.e. Real Madrid Castilla, has to be run and registered entirely separately within the Spanish League with transfers of players etc done as though they were entirely separate clubs. This means that players cannot play for both "clubs" in the same season without appropriate transfers being carried out. If the worst comes to the worst, in many eyes, shouldn't B teams be run, during the playing season, as separate team squads. You cannot have players chopping and changing from week to week. That would be extremely unfair on the other non "B" teams which they would be playing against as it would directly affect the final league tables (promotions, relegations, etc).

Maybe introduce "District Development" Divisions for e.g. Ayrshire, Glasgow West and Glasgow East or split Glasgow North and West South, whatever works best? Clubs wanting promotion to Division Four would follow the English example and apply for promotion by a dead-line date with say the top approved applicant from each District being promoted and the bottom three from Div.4 relegated. At least that would soften the blow of relegation to any of the current leagues. The District leagues would have to be open to applications rather than a promotion/relegation situation with the lower leagues. Applications could also be considered from clubs in Youth Leagues or even cold starts. It wouldn't be reasonable to block such clubs as such. They could get in and fail at District level if that's how it turns out but don't turn them away if they appear to be properly organised.

Glenvale (Ferguslie Sports Centre) There's a post which says they're moving to St Anthony's ground. No idea if that's correct. Anyone know?

..... so, if desired, the arrangement could be ended by simply withdrawing the "invitations".

That's about it, I believe, except that it is a top 5 position rather than top 3. Although sometimes a club seems to be able to bypass the rules for entry if there's enough room for an extra club to be received. Also space can be made for clubs which are being reformed after going bust or similar. There's also a system of relegations at the bottom of the pyramid. I understand that the bottom of the NLS is the official bottom of the pyramid. That pyramid being fed by lots of lower leagues although not all lower leagues promote clubs e.g. the Amateur Football Alliance based around London.

Then all three can be shown the door! If there was more to it legally then if one or more walks away there may be a possibility of taking action against that/those clubs. If the LL can't do it then a complaint needs to be sent (in writing and independently witnessed!) to the SFA's new boss as it would then force them to make a decision about what to do/not to do about it. That would put them on the spot though. Oh dear! Maybe a good idea?

Why don't applicant clubs which have been considered to be acceptable to the WoS just play-off for any places which are available? This would be quicker than waiting for agreements to be sorted out with lower leagues. It would also be easier and fairer than the current system of votes deciding who gets in. There does need to be some certainty that at least one new club gets into the league each year (if there are any acceptable applicants). That, in turn, begs the question about what happens to the bottom club each season.

What I had in mind was the mention that some of the former Nairn County Colts side were preferring the NCal to the North Juniors due to the travelling. Also they'd had first hand experience of playing in the NCal. Is it possible that Nairn St Ninian will have to change due to that is what younger players want? If they go will Forres Thistle and Burghead go also? There might also be Strathspey Thistle having to make the choice in years to come. That could all help to improve the NCal and improve its' standing in the Highland League area.