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New clubs in the East of Scotland


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3 hours ago, Le Tout P'ti FC said:

Good grief. You go away from P&B for a few weeks and come back to find the team from your village has joined the EOSFL! I’m in no way ITK about them and will be as intrigued as you will be about where they will eventually settle in the pyramid!

As a few others have commented, the ground is in top condition for joining the league at that level. There is a covered stand seating about 50, and uncovered standing / railed off from the pitch on either side thereof.

Plus a small covered enclosure being built on the other side of the pitch (between the dugouts).

Take say Ormiston, who have a very tidy ground. Linton Hotspur would I’d suggest mark a small improvement on that ground today, before any new works are completed.

Some kind of building works are indeed taking place now behind the goal adjacent to the clubhouse. I expect the remainder of the pitch will need to be railed off and they might be doing something to expand the car parking behind the goals, judging by where the works taking place are. I’ll take a better look next time I wander past.

The clubhouse itself is excellent. Changing rooms available for both teams and referees, showers and toilets. Kitchen area with pies (bring a change of clothes for gravy soaking) and best of all an honesty bar for cans of chilled T (they are not licensed so cannot sell booze). Plus a telly and a pool table.

Playing surface is superb and very well maintained. A number of games will no doubt fall due to West Linton being amongst the coldest places on earth, but that besides I’d be surprised if a game is lost due to water logging. 

The one thing that will need a lot of work is the playing squad. I’ve seen the team a half dozen times or so since lockdown, and they’ve been solidly thrashed every time. Maybe I’ve picked bad games to watch, but I’d put them well behind the likes of Edinburgh College or West Calder from teams in that league I’ve recently seen.

As regards where the facilities come from, my understanding is that the new primary school and some houses were built on their former pitch. The new ground is built on land which I believe was donated by a local farmer. So I’ve been told in the past. 

What is very evident is that the community aspect of the team is building every passing month. I regularly see a big turnout for the kids section and that’s ultimately what I suspect will be of most importance to the club.

Crowds for games I’ve seen have hovered somewhere around 50 on average. Not tremendously well supported today, but then an EOSFL league team here could feasibly draw support from the nearby towns and villages of Carlops, Dolphinton, Biggar, Elsrickle and Broughton, so there’s a reasonable catchment area before you reach the neighbouring football teams in Penicuik, Peebles or Carluke.

Before I go too far into my “Bonnyrigg where do I get parked” mode, the amenities of the village outwith the club for an away day fan are easily summarised. One pub in the centre, the Gordon Arms, and a co-op! That’s your lot.

Local celebrities include me, and John Hartson lives just along the road.

Not much else to add other than to wish them well. And to hope they draw Campbeltown Pupils away in a cup and let me have a seat on their bus! 
 

Theirs some work needing done to the pavilion to get it eosfl standards I can't see why they won't have it done 

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12 hours ago, Le Tout P'ti FC said:

Good grief. You go away from P&B for a few weeks and come back to find the team from your village has joined the EOSFL! I’m in no way ITK about them and will be as intrigued as you will be about where they will eventually settle in the pyramid!

As a few others have commented, the ground is in top condition for joining the league at that level. There is a covered stand seating about 50, and uncovered standing / railed off from the pitch on either side thereof.

Plus a small covered enclosure being built on the other side of the pitch (between the dugouts).

Take say Ormiston, who have a very tidy ground. Linton Hotspur would I’d suggest mark a small improvement on that ground today, before any new works are completed.

Some kind of building works are indeed taking place now behind the goal adjacent to the clubhouse. I expect the remainder of the pitch will need to be railed off and they might be doing something to expand the car parking behind the goals, judging by where the works taking place are. I’ll take a better look next time I wander past.

The clubhouse itself is excellent. Changing rooms available for both teams and referees, showers and toilets. Kitchen area with pies (bring a change of clothes for gravy soaking) and best of all an honesty bar for cans of chilled T (they are not licensed so cannot sell booze). Plus a telly and a pool table.

Playing surface is superb and very well maintained. A number of games will no doubt fall due to West Linton being amongst the coldest places on earth, but that besides I’d be surprised if a game is lost due to water logging. 

The one thing that will need a lot of work is the playing squad. I’ve seen the team a half dozen times or so since lockdown, and they’ve been solidly thrashed every time. Maybe I’ve picked bad games to watch, but I’d put them well behind the likes of Edinburgh College or West Calder from teams in that league I’ve recently seen.

As regards where the facilities come from, my understanding is that the new primary school and some houses were built on their former pitch. The new ground is built on land which I believe was donated by a local farmer. So I’ve been told in the past. 

What is very evident is that the community aspect of the team is building every passing month. I regularly see a big turnout for the kids section and that’s ultimately what I suspect will be of most importance to the club.

Crowds for games I’ve seen have hovered somewhere around 50 on average. Not tremendously well supported today, but then an EOSFL league team here could feasibly draw support from the nearby towns and villages of Carlops, Dolphinton, Biggar, Elsrickle and Broughton, so there’s a reasonable catchment area before you reach the neighbouring football teams in Penicuik, Peebles or Carluke.

Before I go too far into my “Bonnyrigg where do I get parked” mode, the amenities of the village outwith the club for an away day fan are easily summarised. One pub in the centre, the Gordon Arms, and a co-op! That’s your lot.

Local celebrities include me, and John Hartson lives just along the road.

Not much else to add other than to wish them well. And to hope they draw Campbeltown Pupils away in a cup and let me have a seat on their bus! 
 

 

An excellent post.

And good luck to Linton Hotspur for 2023/24.

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By way of explanation....when I played amateur football I always looked up at the Junior and East of Scotland teams.  They were, in my opinion - and many others; a step up in quality.

Whenever we played against teams at this level, we tried all the harder to get 'one-over' them.  We rarely succeeded.

Later I made the step up and played both Junior and East of Scotland.  We played friendlies against amateur teams and they always hard fought - to the point it was almost dangerous playing against them.  If you weren't sharp you could end up injured.  That told me the desire to get one over the 'big boys' was still there.

By letting in a team who finished fourth bottom, of the bottom league in season 2021/22.....a team who are currently sitting third bottom in the third division of the amateur league will, IN MY OPIONION, drop the standard of the league.

Linton Hotspur may have a nice ground, but will they be competitive?  They might have reached the final of the South Cup last season - but they have shown nothing that would convince me that they'll enhance the standard of football in the East of Scotland league.

The step up is there.  Try telling Harthill Royal or Fauldhouse that they are an amateur side - I'm sure they'd be furious.  Both teams take pride in playing in the EoS league, and at the higher than amateur level.

It seems there's an air of 'If you build it, they will come' in all of this.

The EoS league should be looking to keep the standard high.  The league should always be a step up for an amateur player.  Allowing teams in on the basis they have a nice pitch and facilities is stupid.  If, and when Linton Hotspurs join the league and lose heavily week in, week out - they'll fold or head back to the amateurs.  And the league will be left looking stupid.

 

As I say, MY OPINION - so don't bother coming back with the character assassination comments if it differs from yours.

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36 minutes ago, MrIrvinePollock said:

By way of explanation....when I played amateur football I always looked up at the Junior and East of Scotland teams.  They were, in my opinion - and many others; a step up in quality.

Whenever we played against teams at this level, we tried all the harder to get 'one-over' them.  We rarely succeeded.

Later I made the step up and played both Junior and East of Scotland.  We played friendlies against amateur teams and they always hard fought - to the point it was almost dangerous playing against them.  If you weren't sharp you could end up injured.  That told me the desire to get one over the 'big boys' was still there.

By letting in a team who finished fourth bottom, of the bottom league in season 2021/22.....a team who are currently sitting third bottom in the third division of the amateur league will, IN MY OPIONION, drop the standard of the league.

Linton Hotspur may have a nice ground, but will they be competitive?  They might have reached the final of the South Cup last season - but they have shown nothing that would convince me that they'll enhance the standard of football in the East of Scotland league.

The step up is there.  Try telling Harthill Royal or Fauldhouse that they are an amateur side - I'm sure they'd be furious.  Both teams take pride in playing in the EoS league, and at the higher than amateur level.

It seems there's an air of 'If you build it, they will come' in all of this.

The EoS league should be looking to keep the standard high.  The league should always be a step up for an amateur player.  Allowing teams in on the basis they have a nice pitch and facilities is stupid.  If, and when Linton Hotspurs join the league and lose heavily week in, week out - they'll fold or head back to the amateurs.  And the league will be left looking stupid.

 

As I say, MY OPINION - so don't bother coming back with the character assassination comments if it differs from yours.

I don't disagree with what you say but the EoS is there, also, to give opportunity to clubs wishing to move up from the amateurs/under age levels.

If they are organised enough off the field and meet the right minimum standards both ground-wise FWIW that's OK for me. They are starting at the bottom of a four division league so they have a chance to find out whether or not they can cope with the standards needed on the park. Maybe they'll find that it is too much of a step-up but, at least, they'll have the opportunity to find that out for themselves. 

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44 minutes ago, MrIrvinePollock said:

By way of explanation....when I played amateur football I always looked up at the Junior and East of Scotland teams.  They were, in my opinion - and many others; a step up in quality.

Whenever we played against teams at this level, we tried all the harder to get 'one-over' them.  We rarely succeeded.

Later I made the step up and played both Junior and East of Scotland.  We played friendlies against amateur teams and they always hard fought - to the point it was almost dangerous playing against them.  If you weren't sharp you could end up injured.  That told me the desire to get one over the 'big boys' was still there.

By letting in a team who finished fourth bottom, of the bottom league in season 2021/22.....a team who are currently sitting third bottom in the third division of the amateur league will, IN MY OPIONION, drop the standard of the league.

Linton Hotspur may have a nice ground, but will they be competitive?  They might have reached the final of the South Cup last season - but they have shown nothing that would convince me that they'll enhance the standard of football in the East of Scotland league.

The step up is there.  Try telling Harthill Royal or Fauldhouse that they are an amateur side - I'm sure they'd be furious.  Both teams take pride in playing in the EoS league, and at the higher than amateur level.

It seems there's an air of 'If you build it, they will come' in all of this.

The EoS league should be looking to keep the standard high.  The league should always be a step up for an amateur player.  Allowing teams in on the basis they have a nice pitch and facilities is stupid.  If, and when Linton Hotspurs join the league and lose heavily week in, week out - they'll fold or head back to the amateurs.  And the league will be left looking stupid.

 

As I say, MY OPINION - so don't bother coming back with the character assassination comments if it differs from yours.

Yet you're judging them on a team from this season. What's to stop them adding to the squad next season?

The fact they will be an EoSFL club will surely be an attraction itself for players.

They are starting at the bottom of the pyramid which is the way it should be. 

You do seem a tad upset by their application. They have done everything asked of them by the EoSFA.

Good luck to them I say.

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1 hour ago, MrIrvinePollock said:

By way of explanation....when I played amateur football I always looked up at the Junior and East of Scotland teams.  They were, in my opinion - and many others; a step up in quality.

Whenever we played against teams at this level, we tried all the harder to get 'one-over' them.  We rarely succeeded.

Later I made the step up and played both Junior and East of Scotland.  We played friendlies against amateur teams and they always hard fought - to the point it was almost dangerous playing against them.  If you weren't sharp you could end up injured.  That told me the desire to get one over the 'big boys' was still there.

By letting in a team who finished fourth bottom, of the bottom league in season 2021/22.....a team who are currently sitting third bottom in the third division of the amateur league will, IN MY OPIONION, drop the standard of the league.

Linton Hotspur may have a nice ground, but will they be competitive?  They might have reached the final of the South Cup last season - but they have shown nothing that would convince me that they'll enhance the standard of football in the East of Scotland league.

The step up is there.  Try telling Harthill Royal or Fauldhouse that they are an amateur side - I'm sure they'd be furious.  Both teams take pride in playing in the EoS league, and at the higher than amateur level.

It seems there's an air of 'If you build it, they will come' in all of this.

The EoS league should be looking to keep the standard high.  The league should always be a step up for an amateur player.  Allowing teams in on the basis they have a nice pitch and facilities is stupid.  If, and when Linton Hotspurs join the league and lose heavily week in, week out - they'll fold or head back to the amateurs.  And the league will be left looking stupid.

 

As I say, MY OPINION - so don't bother coming back with the character assassination comments if it differs from yours.

Who said they will have the same players? Is it any different to inverkeithing look at them struggled first season

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26 minutes ago, MrIrvinePollock said:

The EoS league should be looking to keep the standard high.  The league should always be a step up for an amateur player.  Allowing teams in on the basis they have a nice pitch and facilities is stupid.  If, and when Linton Hotspurs join the league and lose heavily week in, week out - they'll fold or head back to the amateurs.  And the league will be left looking stupid.

To play in the amateurs you need a basic ground - at what point as you go up the pyramid should you be required to have an enclosed ground? Because at some stage it's not all about the on-field performance as you need a better ground at a certain level of the pyramid. At the moment that level is the EOS.

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2 hours ago, MrIrvinePollock said:

 If, and when Linton Hotspurs join the league and lose heavily week in, week out - they'll fold or head back to the amateurs.  And the league will be left looking stupid.

RIP a string of pyramid clubs that for some reason plod along regardless every season.

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My only comment is any new club should have to put up some sort of fairly large "Deposit", that would not be returned if they folded a la Syngenta style.

This may already be the case ?

IMO clubs that seek to be in the Pyramid should never be folding.

Bad enough at Sunday morning level.

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11 minutes ago, superbigal said:

My only comment is any new club should have to put up some sort of fairly large "Deposit", that would not be returned if they folded a la Syngenta style.

This may already be the case ?

IMO clubs that seek to be in the Pyramid should never be folding.

Bad enough at Sunday morning level.

Not being pedantic. But it's maybe worth pointing out that Syngenta were a new club at adult level. Linton are an established amateur club. 

I know it's not comparable but just to highlight a few clubs that came over from the joonyurs at the same time.

Whitburn, Armadale and to a lesser extent Athletic of the Boness persuasion. They are progressing fairly rapid but not over exerting from what I see out here. Syngenta never appeared to have a plan in place, just go senior and it will all work out.

 

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7 hours ago, MrIrvinePollock said:

The step up is there.  Try telling Harthill Royal or Fauldhouse that they are an amateur side - I'm sure they'd be furious.  Both teams take pride in playing in the EoS league, and at the higher than amateur level.

Have you seen any of them play recently?! They'd struggle in any top amateur league

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46 minutes ago, superbigal said:

My only comment is any new club should have to put up some sort of fairly large "Deposit", that would not be returned if they folded a la Syngenta style.

This may already be the case ?

IMO clubs that seek to be in the Pyramid should never be folding.

Bad enough at Sunday morning level.

Good idea. How would you implement it?

a) Expel any club that folds (e.g. Rangers)? Too late, they're already gone.

b) Refuse any applicant that will fold in future? Presumably with the aid of a crystal ball?

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200w.gif?cid=6c09b952ndi6ke3ospu0es38v04

 

8 hours ago, MrIrvinePollock said:

By letting in a team who finished fourth bottom, of the bottom league in season 2021/22.....a team who are currently sitting third bottom in the third division of the amateur league will, IN MY OPIONION, drop the standard of the league. ... they have shown nothing that would convince me that they'll enhance the standard of football in the East of Scotland league. ... The step up is there.  Try telling Harthill Royal or Fauldhouse that they are an amateur side - I'm sure they'd be furious.  Both teams take pride in playing in the EoS league, and at the higher than amateur level. ... The EoS league should be looking to keep the standard high.  The league should always be a step up for an amateur player.  Allowing teams in on the basis they have a nice pitch and facilities is stupid.  If, and when Linton Hotspurs join the league and lose heavily week in, week out - they'll fold or head back to the amateurs.  And the league will be left looking stupid.

You may be unaware how it works but it's not "the league" who have provisionally elected Linton Hotspur but the member clubs themselves: unanimously... that's democratic, accountable and suggests they don't harbour your objections.
 

1 hour ago, superbigal said:

My only comment is any new club should have to put up some sort of fairly large "Deposit", that would not be returned if they folded a la Syngenta style. This may already be the case ?

IMO clubs that seek to be in the Pyramid should never be folding. Bad enough at Sunday morning level.

Hold on: aside from reserve teams - none of which has been admitted in over a decade - Syngenta are first club to join then drop out within half a decade in 40 years! (It was Dunbar Blue Circle btw).



Syngenta weren't admitted from amateur or youth football, incidentally, they were amongst last batch moving from rump East Juniors.

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37 minutes ago, stanley said:

Did the EoS not reject Syngenta originally as well hence they joined the juniors?

Indeed... partly as their access to Grangemouth was too limited. Then joined East Juniors, and became tenants at Dunipace.


Incidentally as it stands next season's Third Division could well be:

Bathgate Thistle, Craigroyston, Edinburgh College, Fauldhouse United, Harthill Royal, Hawick Royal Albert, Linton Hotspur, Livingston Utd, Lochgelly Albert, Pumpherston, Stoneyburn

so decent but not outlandishly formidable.

Over last 15yrs most amateur + youth entrants or takeovers have more than held their own anyway... Tynecastle, LTHV and Inverkeithing... Leith and Burntisland... Tweedmouth and Edinburgh South... they're spread right across the divisions.

Edited by HibeeJibee
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Looking forward to Linton Hotspur v Hawick Royal Albert being described as a Borders derby. Hawick is 46 miles away! (Every other team in that league is closer to West Linton than Hawick. The closest league team being Edinburgh College, at a mere 18 miles distant, and the closest EOSFL team being Penicuik at nine miles.)

Had a walk past the ground this morning. Looks like they are putting up fencing to enclose the pitch. Couple of diggers down there as well, so something else is afoot.

Excellent collection of spring lambs in the field next door, but currently no horses in the paddock, and no pigs next door either. The wintering geese have now left for the season, but they will be back and they use that field like a runway! (NB. The animals in the adjacent fields always outnumber the crowd at the game!)

 

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8 hours ago, MrIrvinePollock said:

By way of explanation....when I played amateur football I always looked up at the Junior and East of Scotland teams.  They were, in my opinion - and many others; a step up in quality.

Whenever we played against teams at this level, we tried all the harder to get 'one-over' them.  We rarely succeeded.

Later I made the step up and played both Junior and East of Scotland.  We played friendlies against amateur teams and they always hard fought - to the point it was almost dangerous playing against them.  If you weren't sharp you could end up injured.  That told me the desire to get one over the 'big boys' was still there.

By letting in a team who finished fourth bottom, of the bottom league in season 2021/22.....a team who are currently sitting third bottom in the third division of the amateur league will, IN MY OPIONION, drop the standard of the league.

Linton Hotspur may have a nice ground, but will they be competitive?  They might have reached the final of the South Cup last season - but they have shown nothing that would convince me that they'll enhance the standard of football in the East of Scotland league.

The step up is there.  Try telling Harthill Royal or Fauldhouse that they are an amateur side - I'm sure they'd be furious.  Both teams take pride in playing in the EoS league, and at the higher than amateur level.

It seems there's an air of 'If you build it, they will come' in all of this.

The EoS league should be looking to keep the standard high.  The league should always be a step up for an amateur player.  Allowing teams in on the basis they have a nice pitch and facilities is stupid.  If, and when Linton Hotspurs join the league and lose heavily week in, week out - they'll fold or head back to the amateurs.  And the league will be left looking stupid.

 

As I say, MY OPINION - so don't bother coming back with the character assassination comments if it differs from yours.

"Sorry, despite ticking all the boxes for membership we think yer pish, so bugger off" 🙄

How would you handle community youth clubs who decide to join and field a Senior side eg  Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts a few seasons back? no track record at all, tell them to bugger off as well?  What about the clubs in the WoSFL who joined without much (or no) track record?

It may not have crossed your mind, but perhaps Linton Hotspur actually know what is required to compete, and once confirmed as members, will set about strengthening their squad? given their professionalism shown with their application to date, I'd be very surprised if they're going into this with their ammy squad.

 

 

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54 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Hold on: aside from reserve teams - none of which has been admitted in over a decade -

Pedantic hat on, Hibs just meet the cut off doing their one season jaunt in 2013-14.

Stirling Uni & Spartans dutifully ignored as it was a case of not resigning membership when the Lowland League was created.

 

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