Spyro

They could lower their entry criteria if they created a tier 6... Then allow promotion/relegation with all the perks of the current HL for the licensed clubs that are involved within 2 stronger 10 team leagues Something like this... Plan.pdf

I was kind of hoping it would die a noble death and incorporate itself into the Southwest/Ayrshire setup at tier 8 that only has 9 teams, so potential for plenty of more. In an ideal world I would’ve got rid, but they still serve a purpose

And nobody has picked up on the fact I’m a Penicuik boy, and gave Lithgae the 18th place in LL. Another thing I normally wouldn’t have done, but after hearing about LR’s early license application and wording on joining the pyramid (before anyone knew what it was!), I feel they deserved the 18th spot ahead of Penicuik/Broxburn

I would love to hear what the non-believing committee’s had to say. There’s plenty of areas where I had 3-4 options and still kept the structure so I think it would hold up to any challenge if I was given the chance to tailor it. Until last year I could never understand some arguments of why clubs kept holding back, I’m big enough to admit where I’ve been wrong. I just wish some committees could accept the same a open their minds a little

True, at the top it’ll be great next year tbh. From 7th-8th to 17-18th will be bored stiff by February unless they get a decent cup run

Shitebags, although maybe time for the HL to wake up from their dormant state and create an exciting league that teams actually WANT to enter

It’s a far way from what my perfect scenario would be, but thanks to the SFA doing their usual self-preservation sh!te, it’s as good as we are getting.

Something like this... Plan.pdf

I’ve been busy... Plan.pdf It’s not perfect, it’ll upset some. It seems the best way to FAIRLY allow new teams to enter at tier 8 with no major restriction to entry, to progress to as far as they wish to go. * Jeanfield Swifts, Newburgh, Kinnoull and Tayport can choose between NoS or EoS but once chosen, any changes will result in starting at tier 8. Jeanfield can enter straight into HL Division 1 at the expense of Broughty Athletic (or Lochee if they don’t wish to be at tier 6), basically the highest ranking team who pass tier 6 licensing standards and is willing from that area. Apart from that, it leaves plenty of spaces open all over the country for any new team wishing to have a go at tier 8.

I’ve been busy... Plan.pdf It’s not perfect, it’ll upset some. It seems the best way to FAIRLY allow new teams to enter at tier 8 with no major restriction to entry, to progress to as far as they wish to go. * Jeanfield Swifts, Newburgh, Kinnoull and Tayport can choose between NoS or EoS but once chosen, any changes will result in starting at tier 8. Jeanfield can enter straight into HL Division 1 at the expense of Broughty Athletic (or Lochee if they don’t wish to be at tier 6), basically the highest ranking team who pass tier 6 licensing standards and is willing from that area. Apart from that, it leaves plenty of spaces open all over the country for any new team wishing to have a go at tier 8.

Tweedmouth are a great club, an example that the team on the pitch is just a small part of what makes a brilliant club. Part of me is still gutted they couldn’t get their old pitch at Ord Road under the viaduct up to scratch, good memories from there...

Exactly, it’s not as perfect as folk would have you believe. Even the German model is a bit ropey, but there’s no reason in a country as small as Scotland why we can’t do it properly. So what if the geographics are lopsided, as long as clubs are given the same opportunities to progress IF THEY WISH.

Can’t argue with any of that... The SFA has a great idea, and if done properly could have been a major plus-point in Scottish football. But they’ve totally f**ked it up and now we aren’t much further forward, and A LOAD of red-tape in the way now

I have always toyed with the idea of a Halkirk/Thurso/Pentland team in the HL. Yes it would initially have an effect on Wick (and Brora), but there’s a lot of good players up there who aren’t interested in trips to Aberdeenshire with the couple of games “that really mean something” when they get local games against the best local players in the Amateurs. With 2 Caithness teams (possibly with 1 or 2 of the best players from Orkney in a new Pentland team), with Brora as well, you almost create a mini-league and a bit of meaning to the lower-half obscurity that Wick often find themselves in. It will take time and a bit of encouragement, but they should push each other on...

That was my original plan, posted in the “If you started from scratch...” thread. Obviously until the west team properly intergrate, it will be a tad lopsided but the final goal would be an LLEast - LLWest - North/Central HL EDIT - Looking back, I changed everything! Maybe the sentiment got lost in my exuberance

My mistake, just woke up for nightshift, brain not engaged yet! There’s no reason, with a bit of fuckaboutery, that you could make it work. Once I’m full of coffee I’ll have another look

The problem with this is that you currently have the SoS league at tier 5, and they aren’t going to relinquish that, so there’s needs to be 3 leagues at tier 5. It would be more pleasant if the SoS could be ‘lost’ in amongst the new West section...but that’s never happening

The keeper from Broxburn

Offt! You really went there... low blow

Back to the pyramid, for argument’s sake as a solution to the junior issue Once the EoS create a Division 1, using this seasons standings as an example, using what would become Division 2... Whats left of the East Juniors and the bottom 2 divisions of the West Juniors... Would there not be a good case to regionalise further at this point, OUTWITH the current entertainment requirements for EoS? Lothian/Borders (16 teams) Craigroyston, Tynecastle, Peebles Rovers, Edinburgh United, Hawick RA, Orimston, Tweedmouth Rangers, Eyemouth United, Whitburn, Fauldhouse, Pumpherston, Livingston United, Armadale Thistle, Bathgate Thistle, Stoneyburn, West Calder United, Fife/Central (15-16 teams) Burntisland SA, Inverkeithing HS, Dunipace, Glenrothes, Thornton Hibs, Kennoway Star Hearts, Lochore Welfare, Harthill Royal, Newburgh, Rosyth, Kirkcaldy YMCA, Lochgelly Albert, Glenrothes Strollers, Linlithgow Rose CFC, Bo’ness CFC, G’mouth Sygenta(?) Lanarkshire/Glasgow (19 teams) Larkhall Thistle, Bellshill Athletic, East Kilbride Thistle, Glasgow Perthshire, Royal Albert, Wishaw Juniors, Maryhill, Shettleston, Yorker Athletic, Lanark United, Lesmahagow Juniors, Carluke Rovers, Vale of Clyde, Ashfield, Vale of Leven, Thorniewood United, St Anthony’s, Forth Wanderers, Newmains United Refrew/Ayrshire/South West (12 teams) Girvan, Kello Rovers, Greenock Juniors, Port Glasgow Juniors, Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Maybole, Lugar Boswell Thistle, Johnstone Burgh, Muirkirk Juniors, Annbank United, Saltcoats Victoria, Ardeer Thistle, plus any newcomers The Tayside teams sort it out with the NoS juniors as a feeder (non mandatory!) to the HL and the SoS just stays as is, with option to join Ayrshire league at teir 8 if teams wish. The top 2 leagues slot in beside EoS and we can all just get in with it! I know it will upset a few folk but it would finally create something that resembles a pyramid... SoS - LL - HL same - 2 feeder leagues (2 tiers) - 2 feeders (NCL and NoS) N/A - 4 feeder leagues - N/A PROMOTION TO TIER 7 IS NOT MANDATORY

Remove their licence and burn their park to the ground! That'll learn them. I said that after the Brora vs Montrose fiasco, didn’t go down well surprisingly!

Seeing as it seemed to be overlooked last season, I’ll get in early. West Region League 1 could be a belter, some near neighbours and a great selection of places to watch a game from. The teams... Girvan Kello Rovers F.C. Larkhall Thistle F.C. Ardrossan Winton Rovers F.C. Greenock Juniors F.C. Port Glasgow Juniors F.C. Bellshill Athletic F.C. East Kilbride Thistle F.C. Glasgow Perthshire F.C. Royal Albert F.C. Wishaw Juniors F.C. Maryhill F.C. Shettleston F.C. Lanark United F.C. Lesmahagow Juniors F.C. Carluke Rovers F.C.

Fair enough, I wasn’t sure of their motives behind moving from east Juniors to north Juniors. I was more contemplating the possibility of Lochee, Tayport or one of the Dundee junior teams jumping ship, although they seem happy in their own wee super league now

Asking for the voice in my head, but... What chance of Montrose Roselea applying? It would fair shake things up a bit

Biggest issue Gala have is that the best local players would rather play amateurs, while the local boys who do decide to play for Fairydean maybe struggle with pressure of all their (amateur playing) mates on the touchline giving it billy bigbaws??? Or maybe it’s that you have Vale of Leithen, Peebles, Hawick and a really well-run amateur league all around you? Kelso struggled for the same reasons