Pyramidic

Have copied over my post from the Juniors Forum as I think that it is relevant: Other posters have highlighted that TJ has been extremely quiet on the departure of clubs from the Juniors to the EoSL. I think that there is a real danger that a trap may be set for departing clubs at the SJFA Annual General Meeting on the 16th June - one week's time. This is where I think the one year resignation notice rule will first appear. In my view all clubs departing for the EoSL this year or next should submit their resignations / anticipated resignations before the 16th June. Where this will leave clubs that want to depart for 2019/20 to the WoSL such as Clydebank I do not know?

Other posters have highlighted that TJ has been extremely quiet on the departure of clubs from the Juniors to the EoSL. I think that there is a real danger that a trap may be set for departing clubs at the SJFA Annual General Meeting on the 16th June - one week's time. This is where I think the one year resignation notice rule will first appear. In my view all clubs departing for the EoSL this year or next should submit their resignations / anticipated resignations before the 16th June. Where this will leave clubs that want to depart for 2019/20 to the WoSL such as Clydebank I do not know?

This image originated from Truthteller who has a community reputation of -117. Where is the EoSL headed paper? Committee item number? Caveats etc that one would normally expect to see? Very suspicious: - 2 Conference Bs - paper inserted into printer at an angle Fake news? Why have not other clubs leaked it?

I get the impression that the EoSL admin do read the P&B. No "head in the sand stuff" this side of the divide. Good ideas might prosper - but I am not saying that making a draw for the 3 Conferences would work if the fixture secretary has to build in a number of permutations - ground sharing, no floodlights etc. At least we will have a proper Fixtures List to scrutinise and admire in the near future.

We all love football or else we would not be on P&B. We simply need to find a solution fit for the 21st century. A positive way forward would be for the SJFA to make the Junior Cup an open competition for all Non League sides and retain control of this prestigious competition. The alternative will be a fragmented JC competition for diddy clubs in 5 years time.

They could always restrict entries to EoSL and SoSL clubs to ensure that a Junior Club won. There again they might even get that assumption wrong.

Previous thread - responding to Burnie_man. I agreed with the debate that the Pools / Pots should be rejigged so that - Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale, Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic, Linlithgow Rose - are in the same Pot. I can amend the Pools/Pots if anyone is interested

The introduction of Senior sides in the Junior Cup seems such a sensible move to build up consensus and cooperation. Who on earth would be opposed to such a move in the Junior hierarchy and what would be their reasons? Sorry if I appear naive.

Just wondering how the supporters of the "Missing Six" - Kennoway Star Hearts, Fauldhouse United, Thornton Hibs, Glenrothes Juniors, Bathgate Thistle and Whitburn Juniors - teams that have has a creditable SJFA East Region Superleague pedigree - feel about their clubs rejection of the EoSL and progress? I can quite understand the postion of Tayport given their geographical juxtaposition with Dundee and the north of the Tay clubs. I can understand the SJFA East Region South Division clubs hanging back for another season - they basically have nothing to lose. However what the "Missing Six" have rejected in my opinion the opportunity for rapid progress via an exciting new "level playing field" to again play against the likes of Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic, Linlithgow Rose and Bo'ness United at the highest level. In my view the "Missing Six" are the big losers - in particular Bathgate Thistle with their wonderful history. They are the club that in my view had a wonderful opportunity to turn things around and have totally spurned it. Was their decision to stay made on the basis of reasoned justifications or tribalistic loyalties?

With 3 Conferences each with 13 teams there will each week be 3 teams without a game. It would be very easy for the EoSL to set up a cup competition incorporating those teams without a league game as each week they will be different teams. Round 1: Conference A teams v Conference C teams 13 teams progress Round 2: Conference B teams v winners of Round 1 13 teams progress This would mean that teams would be able to play competitive games during the season against teams from the other Conferences. Each weekend of the season only one team in the EoSL will be left without a game. Final Rounds 13 teams compete at the end of the season in the final rounds. [Conference Champions might drop out if competing in the Championship Playoffs]. Any views on benefits / disbenefits of this type of "fill-in" competition?

Disappointing to hear. Perhaps an opportunity to work with Musselburgh Windsor.

In my view there is a desperate need for the SFA to appoint a dynamic officer who is tasked to deliver a proper effective pyramid. The officer will of course need to report his/her progress to the SFA PWG and highlight any difficulties and encumbrances that are faced. At the same time the officer will need to build up effective relationships with all the key parties including the SJFA, leagues and of course the clubs. One of the problems we face at the present time is poor publicity - a key issue for the officer to address.

Does anyone on here have a clear perspective of what view TJ and the SJFA are taking on the WoSL and the impending western pyramid? Is the issue to be included on the forthcoming AGMs: SJFA : Annual General Meeting Saturday, 16 June 2018 SJFA West Region : Annual General Meeting Wednesday, 27 June 2018 If NOT, why not?

I wish this thread had been given a longer lasting title such as "West of Scotland Senior League, the breaking of a new dawn" With such a title I could foresee another 500 pages+. Can the OP or Official Mod modify the thread title? There is no chance of a West of Scotland Senior League in 2018/19.

My interest is multi-faceted - history of Scottish Non-League football, groundhopping and fascination with re-structuring (and respective views for and against the pyramid). I would love to see the SJFA eventually absorbed into the SFA for the greater good of Scottish football. Junior football has had a truly wonderful heritage but in my view it is time to move on and embrace change and establish a structure fit for the 21st century. A start would be to allow Non-League clubs, both Junior and Senior, to enter a revamped "Junior Heritage Cup".

These are good points. I suppose the problem of play-offs across the Conferences to determine positions and classifications are those clubs that build up a back-log of postponed fixtures.

Over the moon with the restructuring of the EoSL. I would suggest that the 3 Conferences (13 teams in each) are formed by first establishing 13 pools each with 3 teams based on current league positions. This seeding will give us the following: Pool 1 Hawick Royal Albert, Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale, Preston Athletic Pool 2 Leith Athletic, Tynecastle, Heriot-Watt University Pool 3 Peebles Rovers, Burntisland Shipyard, University of Stirling reserves Pool 4 Coldstream, Eyemouth United, Ormiston Pool 5 Tweedmouth Rangers, Dunipace Juniors, Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts Pool 6 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic, Linlithgow Rose, Penicuik Athletic Pool 7 Dundonald Bluebell, Broxburn Athletic, Hill of Beath Hawthorn Pool 8 Bo'ness United, Camelon Juniors, Newtongrange Star Pool 9 Sauchie Juniors, Jeanfield Swifts, Musselburgh Athletic Pool 10 Haddington Athletic, Blackburn United, Dunbar United Pool 11 Tranent Juniors, St Andrews United, Arniston Rangers Pool 12 Dalkeith Thistle, Edinburgh United, Oakley United Pool 13 Crossgates Primrose, Craigroyston, Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare A draw should then be made in front of the member clubs to determine which teams from Pool 1 go in Conference A, Conference B and Conference C; which teams from Pool 2 go in Conference A, Conference B and Conference C etc. etc. This process will enable the constitution of each conference to be fairly determined by a draw while at the same time using realistic seeding. (Pool 5 - Tweedmouth Rangers, Dunipace Juniors, Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts - is the difficult one to seed and basically incorporates those teams that are left over). The provision of a 3 team Championship Play-off League at the end of the season is an awkward process but must be fairly addressed. Again I would suggest a seeding process - with the Conference champions with the most points (or better goal difference) being seeded No. 1. The next best No. 2. The team with the lowest number of points being No.3 We will then have 6 matches (4 games for each team) in a mini-league (home and away) 1 v 3 3 v 2 2 v 1 3 v 1 2 v 3 1 v 2 If the seeding is correct then everything will depend on the last match 1 v 2 (with 1 having home advantage). It is a bit messy but I cannot think of a fairer process. It will probably mean that the Championship Play-off League will take 3 weeks to complete. I suppose the other option would be to play a single round of games perhaps using neutral grounds. The EoSL Championship winners will meet the winners of the SoSL in a 2 leg Lowland Promotion Playoff to determine the promoted team. The teams finishing 1 to 5 in each of the 3 Conferences will enter the EoSL Premier (Tier 6) in 2019/20 (with the probable exception of the Champions who will be replaced by the last placed team in the Lowland League). There is then the issue of how to determine Club No.16 for the EoSL Premier in 2019/20. It could be one of four: 1. The EoSL championship winners are not promoted as they lose the Lowland Promotion Playoff with the winners of the SoSL. 2. An additional club relegated from the Lowland League because of a relegated club from SPFL2; OR 3. Clydebank - if the WoSL is a non-starter; OR 4. The winners of a Promotion Playoff between the 3 teams finishing sixth in the 3 Conferences (similar format to the Championship Play-off League?) All the remaining teams in the 3 Conferences drop to Tier 7 in 2019/20 - possibly Division 1 North and Division 1 South. It is a little more complicated than it first seems. Is my logic correct? The weak area in my view is the delay created by a 3 week Championship Play-off League before the EoSL Championship winners can meet the winners of the SoSL in a 2 leg Lowland Promotion Playoff.

Has anyone had a go preparing the league constitution for the ERSJA for 2018/19 based on 36 clubs? I assume 3 divisions with 12 teams in each?

I excluded Kelty hence 12 in the EoSL + Hawick from the LL. My interpretation for next season.

If Lithgae, Sauchie and Oakley make 39 then perhaps Kennoway Star Hearts are No. 40 as suggested above.

25 ERJFA applicants + 12 EOS + 1LL + 1WRJFA + 1 Youth = 40 The magic 40!!! Who is the additional club that we have not identified?