Burnieman

Cmon, you know as well as I do WL clubs should go to the EoS. The leagues will meet to hopefully agree the boundary and applications will then be dealt with accordingly. They won't even be assessed until after the application deadlines, by which time the boundary will probably be defined.

I doubt that will play any part to be honest.

If both leagues agree that the EoS/WoS boundary remains the same as in the Juniors, I'd be very surprised if the WoS are going to ignore it and allow WL clubs join. That's the point of the upcoming discussions between the leagues.

How can anything be ratified for next season given the position football is currently in? I gave your the two scenarios that the EoS will move to, and I'm sure if clubs were concerned, the EoS themselves would provide further details. New applicants could find themselves in a position next season where they are only a Conference win away from the EoS Premier (if this season is null and voided), or only two promotions away (if it is concluded). But again, I'm not sure that's the issue driving this.

Interesting. It's hard to understand why only WoS was included, it just drives another nail into the coffin of the competition.

See when you're in a wee bit of a hole and having a mare, sometimes it's best to walk away for a wee while.

If that's the case, I guess that's why it's not a "flagship cup" for the LL and EoS.............. Not that it is in any way a reason why WL clubs want to join the WoS.

The SCC hasn't got past the second round this season, "pushed to a bizarre extent" I mean WTF, it was the first season with WoS participation. Why on earth would the SJC be a "flagship cup" given no current members of the LL and EoS can play in it? ".........questionable assertions and assumptions" Jeezo

You'd know all about questionable assertions and assumptions, you make them regularly about Tayside/Highland League. The EoS don't care about SJFA membership, they will not prevent any club retaining membership, or joining. Just like they take no interest in newly licenced Fife clubs joining the Fife FA and organising these fixtures around the fixture calendar. Any Junior Cup fixtures will be no different, although the chances of fixtures being on a Saturday are remote, it would mainly be midweek. That would also be the case in the WoS, where there is talk of regionalising the competition (if it continues) in the early rounds, presumably because fixtures will be mainly midweek. It's no skin off my nose whether you think that's a credible summary of the position or not.

The EoS have zero interest whether you are an SJFA member or not, neither would they stop you playing games in the Junior Cup (if it continues) as long as it doesn't interfere with the fixture calendar issued at the start of the season. No different from WoS. SJFA membership is little different from Fife FA membership which some clubs are in order to compete in the Fife Cup.

I guess they will have a health condition that puts them into the 1-9 groups. There are under 50's getting done on the Lothians but they are in the vulnerable groups (which has a very wide ranging definition).

For the EoS, null and void means go again next season with this seasons format. I expect any new teams to be added to the existing 2 Conferences depending on number, or for the Conferences to be re-jigged into 3, depending on numbers. For 2022-23, it would go Premier - First - Second (maybe Third). If the season reaches halfway or more, PPG will be used to decide final placings and the format for 2021-22 will be Premier - First - Second. Any new applicants will join the Second which could be split into two Conferences, or a new Third Division is created, depending on numbers.

In simple terms, the EoS and WoS need to have boundaries so there is absolute clarity over what clubs go where, particularly those who are thinking of joining, and for those being relegated from above or promoted from below (although the latter doesn't yet exist). That's how a Pyramid works. Those leagues are named after and operate in geographical areas of Scotland (as they were in the Juniors), non league football has almost always been about leagues covering geographical areas, Midlothian League, Lanarkshire League, Ayrshire League etc etc, it's something we all understand and rivalries are built up around it, football thrives on it. As you point out, there are already 3 WL clubs in the EoS and they consider the Lothians to be their territory, and rightly so, no different from the ERJFA. To turn West Lothian into a mixture of clubs from both regions is, to put it mildly, idiocy and why should the EoS accept it, why would they accept the WoS running it's "boundary" upto the outskirts of Edinburgh. Why have Blackburn in the EoS and Whitburn in WoS when 3 miles separate them and are local rivals, same with say Broxburn and Livvy. What if Whitburn go EoS and Fauldhouse go WoS, or Armadale and Bathgate go in opposite directions what does that really achieve, it does neither any good, there is absolutely no sense to it. What is to stop a club from Edinburgh fancying the WoS in future, or a club from Lanarkshire fancying the EoS in future. That said you're right, ultimately it doesn't need to fit Council areas but it's worked well for the last Century, why change it. As I have said previously, this isn't about being a good idea or a travel benefit or anything else. It's about face saving.

What's that, a free trip to Beijing and the Great Wall? nah yer awright mate.

If the EoS is null/void this season, and it is a real possibility the way things are going, then any club that joins the EoS next season is a Conference win away from the Premier, or a top half finish from the First Division. How far are they away from that in the WoS? I read on here that they intend to go P - 1 - 2 - 3 next season, and new entrants would be in a divison 4, is that right?

Right ok, but they're testing.

They can do that in the EoS if they want.

So they want to come in on their terms? [emoji23]

They all (or at least most) of them decided to stick together as a West Lothian league after getting the ERJFA regionalised and thought they could make a go of it and expand it. They used to have inter-club committee quiz nights where this was discussed. I think at that time they also believed there would still be a reasonably large WRJFA operating. Then the WoS happened, and I know some felt they had been shafted by their friends in the West leaving the Juniors en-masse. All of a sudden they were the only Juniors south of Tayside. Livvy decided they had seen enough and applied to the EoS, way too late for this season but made it clear they'd come back this year, and they have. For those that remain it's a succession of bad decisions over the last 3 years, yet the clubs who left for the EoS are apparently the ones to blame for it all. It seems some are not learning from their bad decisions.

FFS. However no mens part time football is playing, no idea where the BBC got that from.

I think he likes you Tynie.

Or we just accept the Lothians is EoS. Job done, move on.

You've still largely avoided the points I raised, and you know as well as I do where the accepted boundary exists. Look we all know the real reason why some clubs are seeking WoS membership - you've just alluded to it - and to be honest, it's no way to make make decisions such as this. Bathgate as a club haven't had their problems to seek recently, looking to move to WoS would just add to them IMO. There was a time when Bathgate were well ahead of Broxburn and Penicuik on and off the park, now Broxburn are playing St.Mirren and beating Cowdenbeath in the Scottish Cup. Penicuik are playing Partick Thistle. EoS is where you should be playing, and trying to emulate them.

This boundary is getting squigglier (is that a word?) [emoji23]

To clarify and resolve the matter, the EoS advise the WoS that they consider the Lothians their area of operation and they'd like the boundary between the regions to remain consistent from Junior football, where 99% of WoS clubs came from. However, they understand Harthill's position despite the ground being in the Lothians. I'm not sure too many member clubs of either league would object to this approach. Would the new WoS board really adopt a confrontational approach and ignore this request? I'd hope not.