The pyramid works!

[EdinburghBlue]

Let's hope the SFA now extend this to cover all senior football in Scotland.

[cmontheloknow]

Let's hope the SFA now extend this to cover all senior football in Scotland.

 

Doesn't it? If winners of EoS and SoS are licenced they can go up to Lowland League. There is no viable Senior level below Highland.

[lionel hutz]

I think the OP means including Juniors.

Still congrats to Edinburgh City

[AMC13]

Junior teams are pointless. They are content on winning shit trophies year after year and are probably all old firm fans. They are fine where they are.

[Worktheshaft]

Junior teams are pointless. They are content on winning shit trophies year after year and are probably all old firm fans. They are fine where they are.

This.

I'd take it a bit further and end their participation in the Scottish Cup. If they don't want to modernise and join the rest of football then they deserve the long painful demise thats coming to them.

Ps. Congrats to Edinburgh City. Hope shire' can pick themselves up. The pyramids all about teams finding their level, hopefully shire can regroup and find theirs

[Sergeant Wilson]

Junior teams are pointless. They are content on winning shit trophies year after year and are probably all old firm fans. They are fine where they are.

Really, from a Livingston supporter?

Apart from repeated financial chaos, a succession of criminals and cheap laughs, what have Livingston brought to football?

[Wilky1878]

As said above, juniors have no interest in the pyramid. I disagree that it is because they want to remain in a bubble though and think it's more they just don't like it in the way it currently is (high land, lowland) and instead want a three tiered system (north,east,west) which would have been the way to go since the juniors already had a full system for that their ready to take.

I also agree though that the juniors should lose the right to the Scottish cup entries.

[tongue_tied_danny]

Apart from repeated financial chaos, a succession of criminals and cheap laughs, what have Livingston brought to football?

 

The Tony Macaroni arena.

[Sergeant Wilson]

The Tony Macaroni arena.

I had put that under cheap laughs.

[AMC13]

Really, from a Livingston supporter?

Apart from repeated financial chaos, a succession of criminals and cheap laughs, what have Livingston brought to football?

We have brought rage to other fans because of our success. Scotland's best franchise.

ETA- As I'm feeling generous though I will give you a more serious answer.

Livingston can't really be compared to junior teams in this case. Where as junior teams show no ambition. Livingston have since day 1 and went from the Third Division to the Premier League in 6 years and won a national trophy in 9 years. Don't know what you think other teams "bring to the game".

[Sergeant Wilson]

We have brought rage to other fans because of our success. Scotland's best franchise.

It'll all be worth it, when you are consigned to history.

Eta: Any achievement has been bought with money you didn't have, hence the administrations. You are quite unique in that you make Rangers look less bad.

[TheMessiah]

We have brought rage to other fans because of our success. Scotland's best franchise.

ETA- As I'm feeling generous though I will give you a more serious answer.

Livingston can't really be compared to junior teams in this case. Where as junior teams show no ambition. Livingston have since day 1 and went from the Third Division to the Premier League in 6 years and won a national trophy in 9 years. Don't know what you think other teams "bring to the game".

 

....with money you didn't actually have, absolutely fucking over the teams around you in the process and putting a significant halt in the progress of Scottish football.

[TheMessiah]

Really hope that the League 2 relegation playoff doesn't just turn into a literal deathtrap for clubs. That would suck.

[Worktheshaft]

Really hope that the League 2 relegation playoff doesn't just turn into a literal deathtrap for clubs. That would suck.

Could be wrong but I'm sure I've read theres a fairly decent parachute payment package.

[Marshmallo]

It's a shame for the Shire but the league has been in need of fresh blood for years. Hopefully there's further movement between the leagues over the next few years to encourage automatic promotion/relegation in the future.

As for the Juniors, they'd add massive amounts to the structure which is why it's just an annoyance that they aren't in the system.

[Savage Henry]

It's a shame for the Shire but the league has been in need of fresh blood for years. Hopefully there's further movement between the leagues over the next few years to encourage automatic promotion/relegation in the future.

As for the Juniors, they'd add massive amounts to the structure which is why it's just an annoyance that they aren't in the system.

I'd like to think the relevant authorities would take a look at the juniors forum on here before they thought about any on that nonsense.  

[ellisdee]

I've never been a fan of the head honchos at the SFA at all. But I have to give them credit for bringing this in, as it's brought a little bit more excitement into the whole thing for me.

 

All the best to Edinburgh City for next season. It'll be interesting to see how well they get on.

[MOFOREVER]

Could be wrong but I'm sure I've read theres a fairly decent parachute payment package.

Yes there is a decent parachute package but it's unlikely a relegated club can buy its way back to the SPFL. I think Shire might do well in the Lowland League though and I wish them well. They are a very decent bunch. If Montrose had gone down last year or Arbroath this year I think the HL might be a harder ask because of geography if nothing else. Angus clubs would find it hard to keep players and attract new ones of a decent enough quality from the central belt and from the Highland region nowadays too. Plus Angus isn't in the Highlands.

I agree with letting in those few HL and LL clubs who want to come in, say 6, but it can't be good to risk established clubs year on year possibly dropping out when it could be avoided quite easily by increasing the number of clubs in SPFL2.

[Cowden Cowboy]

As said above, juniors have no interest in the pyramid. I disagree that it is because they want to remain in a bubble though and think it's more they just don't like it in the way it currently is (high land, lowland) and instead want a three tiered system (north,east,west) which would have been the way to go since the juniors already had a full system for that their ready to take. I also agree though that the juniors should lose the right to the Scottish cup entries.

No real evidence at all that a three tiered system would make much difference to juniors - that isn't the main reason

[HibeeJibee]

Could be wrong but I'm sure I've read theres a fairly decent parachute payment package.

 

It's £40,000 in Year 1 - actually slightly more than 'Shire will have got for finishing bottom this season - and £20,000 in Year 2.

 

Enough to comfortably cushion the drop but not enough to guarantee a rebound. Just as it should be, tbh.

 

 

Incidentally - this idea that "letting in" X number of clubs then dismantling the pyramid is a viable alternative makes no sense.

 

At whatever point you draw the line, there will be a number of clubs just below who'd then be wanting to ascend.

 

There is a fairly substantial body of clubs with the ambition to ascend, anyway, more than 6 or even 10: although obviously the likelihood of them being in a position to achieve it on the park varies substantially. Over the last few decades, clubs like Cove, Forres, Huntly, Gala, Gretna (the old club), Hawick, Preston and Spartans all applied to SFL when vacancies arose. You've got other clubs like Formartine, Turriff, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride and so on who are known to want to move up. You've got East Stirlingshire who has just been relegated. That represents a considerable body of clubs actively interested in promotion... without mentioning others who may feel the same but have been less public about, or who would be fine with it should they win HL or LL, and so on.