New clubs in the East of Scotland

[parsforlife]

This is how things could therefore look next season, with a bit of guesswork on the clubs involved;
 
Section A
Blackburn Utd
Bonnyrigg Rose
Burntisland
Camelon
Crossgates Primrose
Dalkeith Th
Easthouses Lily
Eyemouth Utd
Hawick RA
Herriot Watt
Leith Ath
Musselburgh Ath
St.Bernards
Tynecastle
 
Section B
Coldstream
Dundonald Bluebell
Dunipace
Edinburgh Utd
Haddington Ath
Hill of Beath
Inverkeithing HS
LTHV
Ormiston
Peebles Rovers
Preston Ath
Stirling Uni Res
Tranent
Tweedmouth Rangers

Interesting.

Inverkeithing HS is the school tho.

[Auld Heid]

Interesting.

Inverkeithing HS is the school tho.

Yeah that's right anyone can apply to the EoS.

[Burnie_man]

9 minutes ago, parsforlife said:

 

Interesting.

Inverkeithing HS is the school tho.

Aye been there more than a few times for East Region JFA meetings.  Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts......

[parsforlife]

Interesting they are now hunting for a grounds man. With this post suggesting they will be looking to make notable changes to ballast bank.

Also note their badge doesn't mention inverkeithing which makes sense as up until seeing their application I had never heard anyone mention inverkiething when talking about them.

[Robert James]

9 hours ago, Burnie_man said:

That’s a pretty good idea, a pre-qualifying “League Cup” style competition with the remainder of the season traditional league games based on finishing positions.

If there’s 28 clubs (13 existing and 15 new), then 7 groups of 4 would probably suit, play each other home and away with top two in each group entering the top division and the remainder form the second division. That’s 6 games, followed by 26 “normal” league games.  Two up and two down at seasons end, if there’s more of an influx for 2019-20, then scrap relegation and promote two clubs giving a top 16, with 4 vacancies in the second, or promote 4 clubs to go to 18 and create 8 vacancies in an 18 team second division.

If the names I’m hearing are correct, there’s 4 Superleague clubs and 3 Premierleague clubs joining (maybe 4),  they are the seeded newcomers.  Then you’ll have Hawick (maybe VoL), plus LTHV (for arguments sake), Leith, Tynecastle, Heriot Watt, Preston Ath and Peebles as the EoS seeded clubs.  The remaining EoS clubs and the lower newcomers make up the unseeded clubs, again splitting them EoS and the newcomers.  You therefore ideally end up with two clubs in each group that are newcomers, and two clubs are existing members, wouldn’t work out exactly but near enough.  Would create an exciting start to the season.

All that said, if the existing members want all newcomers to form a second division then that has to be respected as well, it’s their league.

Yes IMO, a pre-season 'mini league' based on 7 groups of 4 clubs, would be a an exciting & equitable solution. Each club would play home & away games against the other 3 teams in their group. Each group to be seeded, but otherwise drawn randomly. The pre-season 'mini league' would be completed by mid September at the latest. The top 2 teams in each group would form the Premier Division (7x2=14 clubs), and the bottom 2 teams in each group (7x2=14) would form the First Division.  The 'proper' league system would commence immediately thereafter, with clubs in both divisions playing a total of 26 league games, assuming that the EoS has a total of 28 clubs next season. 

Overall this would mean that each club would play 6  mini-league + 26 (main) league games.  This may be just about manageable . 

At the end of season 2018/19, only the bottom Premier Division club would be relegated, replaced by the top 3 clubs in the First Division, which would give a 16 team Premier for 2019/20.

This would therefore  leave a balance of 12 teams in Division One (14-3+1=12), which would enable the EoS to invite applications from 6 other clubs to join this division for 2019/20, thereby also providing a 16 team  Division.    

I hope that this is an option which the EoS member clubs (both current and new) would be asked to consider at the impending EGM. A majority vote of all of the (28) clubs would decide which option is preferred.

NOTE : from the Eyemouth post above, in appears that some of the weaker EoS and ex-Junior clubs, may well prefer to be in the First Division, thereby avoiding potential heavy defeats throughout the FIRST season of the new structure.

 

[Robert James]

9 hours ago, Cyril said:

There are 3 options

1. Two regional leagues of 14 and the top 7 from each league form the EOS Premier for 2019/2020 and bottom 7s from each league form EOS first division.

2. Two leagues of 14 split up seeded on how they have finished this season.

3. The new applicants form a new league underneath the current EOS league forming a tier 7

 

[Robert James]

No there is a 4th option, as per my pre-league season 'mini group' proposal, as above-, 

[FairWeatherFan]

13 minutes ago, Robert James said:

NOTE : from the Eyemouth post above, in appears that some of the weaker EoS and ex-Junior clubs, may well prefer to be in the First Division, thereby avoiding potential heavy defeats throughout the FIRST season of the new structure.

I think some of the old EoS First clubs would like a tiered divisions rather than parallel ones for next year. Keep in mind they had two divisions of 10x and 9x (something like that) before going to a single division rather out of necessity.

While qualifying groups can be a crap shoot. I think most clubs would accept it being a transitional season and a good chance at promotion. Although would Hawick and possibly another relegated Lowland League club might not like it. Could be the fastest back to back relegations in history

[Burnie_man]

As mentioned earlier today, everyone will compete at tier 6 next season, meaning no lower division, and therefore no need for a League Cup pre-qualifying group.

[FairWeatherFan]

10 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

As mentioned earlier today, everyone will compete at tier 6 next season, meaning no lower division, and therefore no need for a League Cup pre-qualifying group.

I think there's still the need to use the Qualifying Leagues tournament at the start of the season to seed the sections. Unless they're planning to have a 28-30 single round robin.

[Burnie_man]

1 minute ago, FairWeatherFan said:

I think there's still the need to use the Qualifying Leagues tournament at the start of the season to seed the sections. Unless they're planning to have a 28-30 single round robin.

I'm sure you can seed it based on finishing positions of both the EoS and ERJFA, I posted an example earlier and it seems pretty balanced.

[number4]

12 hours ago, Cyril said:

Ballast Bank is basically a public park, I am not sure how they would be allowed to play out of there. They must be looking at the astro in Dalgety Bay or perhaps fleetgrounds, Rosyth.

Inverkeithing hillfield swifts will play out of ballast bank ,they have been given assurances by the council that they are allowed to carry out the required work to get it up to the correct criteria to meet the eosl ground standards . 

[Burnie_man]

19 minutes ago, number4 said:

Inverkeithing hillfield swifts will play out of ballast bank ,they have been given assurances by the council that they are allowed to carry out the required work to get it up to the correct criteria to meet the eosl ground standards . 

Is there changing rooms there? I can see there's a small community centre at one end.

[LongTimeLurker]

Think it would make more sense to try to be geographical on the divisions. There might be a bit of an imbalance with something like this, but it wouldn't be drastic.

Section A

Blackburn Utd, Burntisland, Camelon, Crossgates Primrose, Dundonald Bluebell, Dunipace, Edinburgh Utd, Hill of Beath, Inverkeithing HS, Leith Ath, LTHV, St.Bernards, Tynecastle,  Stirling Uni Res
 
Section B

Bonnyrigg Rose, Coldstream, Dalkeith Th, Easthouses Lily, Eyemouth Utd, Hawick RA, Herriot Watt, Haddington Ath, Musselburgh Ath, Ormiston, Peebles Rovers, Preston Ath, Tranent, Tweedmouth Rangers

Edited April 9, 2018 by LongTimeLurker

[number4]

6 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

Is there changing rooms there? I can see there's a small community centre at one end.

yes the community centre has 2 large changing rooms in it with various other rooms and a small gym hall that will be used on match days and also has ample parking.

Edited April 9, 2018 by number4

[Burnie_man]

9 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Think it would make more sense to try to be geographical on the divisions. There might be a bit of an imbalance with something like this, but it wouldn't be drastic.

Section A

Blackburn Utd, Burntisland, Camelon, Crossgates Primrose, Dundonald Bluebell, Dunipace, Edinburgh Utd, Hill of Beath, Inverkeithing HS, Leith Ath, LTHV, St.Bernards, Tynecastle,  Stirling Uni Res
 
Section B

Bonnyrigg Rose, Coldstream, Dalkeith Th, Easthouses Lily, Eyemouth Utd, Hawick RA, Herriot Watt, Haddington Ath, Musselburgh Ath, Ormiston, Peebles Rovers, Preston Ath, Tranent, Tweedmouth Rangers

Not sure a geographical split is required really, we're not talking great distances.  Remains to be seen though.

[Burnie_man]

Just now, gogsy said:

Im not sure if this is correct or not but allegedly it cost Coldstream £600 for a bus for their visit to Kelty a few weeks ago, do that four or five times a season and they might ask if its worth it.

FFS if that's accurate I'd be changing bus company    it cost us much less than that to go to Aberdeen East End this season! and for away games at eg. Dunbar, no bus is taken anyway, just cars.

[Enigma]

Think it would make more sense to try to be geographical on the divisions. There might be a bit of an imbalance with something like this, but it wouldn't be drastic.

Section A

Blackburn Utd, Burntisland, Camelon, Crossgates Primrose, Dundonald Bluebell, Dunipace, Edinburgh Utd, Hill of Beath, Inverkeithing HS, Leith Ath, LTHV, St.Bernards, Tynecastle,  Stirling Uni Res

 

Section B

Bonnyrigg Rose, Coldstream, Dalkeith Th, Easthouses Lily, Eyemouth Utd, Hawick RA, Herriot Watt, Haddington Ath, Musselburgh Ath, Ormiston, Peebles Rovers, Preston Ath, Tranent, Tweedmouth Rangers

 

Wouldn’t be a bad shout really. I’d have though the Fife clubs and the East Lothian and Borders clubs for example would rather be kept together for this season. If the top 7-8 in each leagues are to be ‘promoted’ for 19/20 then depending on applications for that season you could have the option of keeping a ‘North’ and a ‘South’ league below a ‘Premier’ league.

 

Edit: You could have a play off this season between 1st in both leagues for the EOS champion if such a thing is important.

[FairWeatherFan]

42 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

I'm sure you can seed it based on finishing positions of both the EoS and ERJFA, I posted an example earlier and it seems pretty balanced.

They're probably going to be playing the Qualifying Leagues anyway might as well make them mean something for a year. Unless the concern is over getting the league fixture lists in place at too short a notice.

[Robert James]

2 minutes ago, gogsy said:

Im not sure if this is correct or not but allegedly it cost Coldstream £600 for a bus for their visit to Kelty a few weeks ago, do that four or five times a season and they might ask if its worth it.

That's why at the EGM, the clubs should have 3 or 4 options to consider, and if necessary, to vote on.

As suggested by another contributor above, I suppose for one season only, you could have a single division of 28 clubs, each playing the other 27 clubs once only.  But, which clubs do you play at home, and which do you play away. Unique, but  far from ideal, and surely not a realistic option..