Burnieman

I think I'm well aware what we're part of, doesn't remove the fact it has hee haw to do with the SPFL/tier 5. I don't want us to stop, but I can see why a pause may be a good idea. Playing on without fans come what may does not make good financial sense, and is pretty damaging for some clubs (over and above the changing room/shower issues). Withdrawal isn't an option, clubs don't have a free pass to return where they left off and rightly so, the EoS have got that part exactly right. If you pause for a period of time, you then have a better chance of playing games in front of fans in the latter part of the season, let's face it most EoS clubs have experience of playing 3 and even 4 times a week in April/May/June to finish a season when in the Juniors. The EoS wont need to resort to that extreme, but it's an option. When you really take it back to basics, football is for fans and at our level there is clearly no luxury of TV coverage, some clubs have the ability to stream with varying quality which helps, but many more do not. So what are we playing for if no fans are present? maybe a pause will allow us to restart with a clearer idea of when to expect fans, and allow hard pressed committee's to plan for that eventuality. They've all been working their baws off for the last 2-3 months to get teams on the park and into changing rooms. I'm sure the fans currently locked out would appreciate it if they were part of the thinking in all of this.

SPFL play offs has no bearing on EoS. Clubs have now been playing for 8 or so weeks without fans and therefore no gate income, some clubs still have no access to changing facilities, nobody is allowed to shower or enter dressing rooms at half time. Maybe some clubs are concerned that their fans still aren't allowed entry whilst the season continues. I'm baffled as to why you're baffled that some people think that a break might be a wise move. The vaccine will not be generally available this season and is probably irrelevant to my opinion.

I think there is merit in having a break and seeing what develops, extending the season if neccesary into early June, and a few more midweeks. As it is, we're playing Boxing Day....

But presumably you allow them to interrupt the WoS schedule to play these games. Have they been scheduled?

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Well my understanding is that one club has been talking about it, might not happen of course. No withdrawals in EoS, and we know the shambles in the WoS.

Any other names in the frame to take advantage of the free pass and save themselves?

To allow clubs to weigh up how they've done so far this season, decide they're in serious danger of relegation if they continue, withdraw with zero penalty (and wasting everyone's time for the last 3 months) and rejoin the following season isn't a reasonable way to go about things however you dress it up. It's more bonkers than anything I ever experienced in Junior football. The EoS at least have come up with a fair solution that is probably unlikely to be utilised.

As has been said, an absolute free pass for struggling clubs to withdraw, sit the rest of the season out, and go again next season with absolutely no penalty. However you dress it up, it's appalling in a supposed Pyramid. The scenes if 2 or 3 clubs withdraw......

Both ideas are bonkers. The EoSFL at least insist that if you want to withdraw before 11th? December, you're penalty is to drop down one level instead of rejoin at the bottom (EoS goes Premier (16) - First (16) - Second (16/18) next season, possibly Third if enough new applicants). Promotion still happens. So Premier clubs start next season in the First if they withdraw, First Division Conference clubs will start next season in the Second. Nobody will be forcibly demoted to the Third if it happens.

You expecting Pollok and Auchinleck to field scratch teams? Talbot have already withdrawn from the "Big" Scottish.

Completely agree. The Chairman of the WoSFL is also on the LL Board, go figure where the idea of withdrawing with no penalty comes from.

What's the story with the 2019-20 Junior Cup, scrapped given half the teams left aren't currently playing?

Well it's being talked about as a possibility. I doubt anything is set in stone at the moment, although they expect at least one team to withdraw before the deadline to save themselves from possible relegation, but that won't stop promotion.

If they go to 18, they will relegate 2.

They will go to two relegation spots pretty soon IMO. They wont just sit at 17 clubs.

Why wouldn't they?

If the top half of the EoS Premier replaced the bottom half of the LL, it would make the LL a stronger league. As we know there's a bottle neck stopping the flow downwards of poorer teams. It may take 5 or more years for things to balance out once licenced WoS clubs come on stream and the LL get round to relegating 2 teams.

Might need a Flying Fox.....

Have Whitehill effectively gone amateur with their playing squad?

Theres an echo in here, a really annoying echo.

Work is slightly different from a part-time sport in front of no spectators Alan.

Why would we do that? I know highlighting the realities of the situation upsets you whilst you stuff your fingers in your ears and pretend it's not a problem, whilst shouting "vaccine" in various threads, but try living in the real world for a change.

In the absence of fans, pigeons have turned our enclosure into a dookit. Anyone know a good exterminator?

So today we host a team from North Fife, with players from Perthshire and Tayside as well as Fife. The referee is coming from Dumbarton, one of his assistants from Falkirk. Some of our players come from Glasgow and points in-between. None are tested and we entered a Level 4 lockdown yesterday. If they tried similar journeys tomorrow, they could potentially be arrested. None of it makes much sense to me.