Gladstone

Yes but these overseas deoartments are technically part of France. They vote in French elections for instance,. Cayman Islands, Falklands etc are not part of UK in same way.

What regional cups? We don't have them the same way Germany does. Certainly not to produce 22 semifinalists. Decades ago there was something like it;...the Scottish Qualifying Cup, much inferior to what we have now. We would lose ,many good HL/LL and lower clubs who now qualify auto.matically.

I checked this. French Cup allows all clubs all levels including amateur. Fourteen rounds total. Open draw all rounds but starts regional: higher division clubs enter ptogressively. But if a club is drawn against another 2+ divisions lower the lower club gets home advantage regardless.

Ah. Something like this also at some stage in the French Cup I .think and which has far more entrants and rounds

It would not work: the DFB Pokal only allows 64 clubs total: even more restrictive than Scotland. No club below tier 3 and only four even of those get in automatically: remainder go to wnners of 21 regional cups+ 3 wild Scotland does not have nor needs that sort of regioonal structure.

England and other countries .manage all in one season with far more competing clubs than Scotland would have even down to Tier 8 + amateurs etc. Ehgland start August, have 2 preliminary rounds, four qualifying rounds, six rounds proper + semifinals and final. So fourteen total Scotland would need nowhere near this.

So what? Arbroath once beat Bon Accued 36-0

I agree open up to all clubs though I'd not allow reserve teams. But not starting prior Jan as wouldn't yet know who'd be in what division for byes etc. Also, Jan a silly time to start for clubs normally playing summer and pitches likely frozen. Aug well sufficient as England manage this with far more clubs than Scotland will have.

Could also be Brechin 24/5 win.

Out of interest: suppose B O'D make it eventually to SPFL how far can B O'D Js rise? If they're a separate club could they make SPFL too or is HL their limit?

Wishing them well for 24/25. IMO any club with ambition should be working for this. Shame on the Buckie dinosaurs who could not be arsed, I noticed East Kilbride in LL had no problem there, and it will be touch and go between them and Stranraer. Pity as Buckie could well have beaten EK.

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