Junior football, what is the future?

[JakeSAFC]

Can imagine the panic in some SFL boardrooms with the thought a real pyramid should one day happen. All those also rans that were nothing more than a name on a pools coupon crashing down the leagues.
Maybe one day.

SFL doesn't exist and why would they be panicking exactly?

[sandyboy]

12 minutes ago, Glenconner said:

Can imagine the panic in some SFL boardrooms with the thought a real pyramid should one day happen. All those also rans that were nothing more than a name on a pools coupon crashing down the leagues.

Maybe one day.

I don't think they will be any panicking in any of the splf board rooms all this nonsense about how junior clubs can compete with splf clubs is a myth aye you might beat them in a one of cup tie but over the season no junior club will last the season if one ever reaches the splf. Unless one club gets a sugar daddy and buys its way through the league's. But at present no junior club can compete with any splf team.

[1320Lichtie]

Surely, if Cowden were to be relegated into a league that had Linlithgow/Bo’ness/Pollok/Kelty/Bonnyrigg etc it would be much more preferable to a league containing university sides and sports club teams?

 

They’d be up against other clubs of a similar size and probably challenging at the right end, the league would attract a lot more interest and sponsors too, more money. They might fall out of league 2 but they would’ve found their level and it would provide their fans with the same enjoyment they currently get week in week out at the moment. They’d just be at a lower level. That is the pyramid. I don’t think many league clubs would be overly worried either, the majority of clubs are still the biggest of the semi pro clubs in the country. Everyone would find their place.

 

Much more preferable than doing a Shire and dropping down and scooshing a lot of teams by 8 goals or whatever infront of nobody surely?

 

[Glenconner]

Hopefully those below the Cowdenbeath's start asking for proper promotion and relegation rather the kiddie on set up at present.

[Blackie Gold]

3 hours ago, nicotina said:

by the way dipple burn its Salisbury not salsbury  if u are going to slag us try spell check  its only been in the news non stop

do u shop at sansbury oops no BIG shop in the village

Auchinleck has a great big Tesco.

[Glenconner]

1 minute ago, Blackie Gold said:

Auchinleck has a great big Tesco.

In a great location as well, right beside the football ground.

[Jason King]

13 minutes ago, sandyboy said:

I don't think they will be any panicking in any of the splf board rooms all this nonsense about how junior clubs can compete with splf clubs is a myth aye you might beat them in a one of cup tie but over the season no junior club will last the season if one ever reaches the splf. Unless one club gets a sugar daddy and buys its way through the league's. But at present no junior club can compete with any splf team.

That's because they are several divisions below the SPFL, as they climb the pyramid they will improve their squad - Edinburgh City have changed most of their LL team to survive in the league, current Junior and LL/HL clubs would try to do the same. The likes of Pollok and Linlithgow could easily cope with being in the SPFL if they progress the club properly.

[FairWeatherFan]

23 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

I don’t think any club currently in the SPFL will ever fall any further than tier 5, infact tier 5 being stronger will be of a benefit to clubs in the current SPFL surely, a better set up and more money in the league in comparison to what it is at the moment. Even for the ‘diddiest’ league clubs. They still average home crowds in and around 400, with the exception of maybe Cowden and Albion Rovers.

Really is hilarious watching you try and take a pop at league clubs all the time though.

If tiers 1-5 stay the same for long enough, a current SPFL is almost definitely going to drop to tier 6 at some point.

[garrellburn]

55 minutes ago, Jason King said:

Maybe one day you'll post something constructive instead of the bile and bitterness that each one of your posts reeks of but in the mean time why not supply us with how much money each SPFL club makes from the Pools. 

 

Pools money was a significant part of clubs income back in the days when Littlewoods, Vernons and several other companys were around and millions did them every week. I don't imagine it is anywhere near that level now. The fixtures are copyright and that is what they were paying for.

The big money now is television rights and there will be nothing for the lower tiers of a Scottish pyramid other than a minimal share of what the SFA receives. 

[craigkillie]

The SFA does not receive money for the TV rights for league football - that goes to the SPFL.  The SPFL currently distributes that money to all 42 members on a tiered basis.

[Black Pennel]

Lighten up, boys & girls...

I'm pretty sure the comment from Glenconner would've been made tongue-in-cheek.

[Jacksgranda]

29 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

The SFA does not receive money for the TV rights for league football - that goes to the SPFL.  The SPFL currently distributes that money to all 42 members on a tiered basis.

The less you get, the more you cry?

[nicotina]

We have a Morrison's next to us better than Tesco . Gone fishing again

[nicotina]

No Sainsbury's in Aukinlex kany spell it or salsbury 

[Robert James]

8 hours ago, Black & Red Socks said:

I'm not sure we do differ greatly though. The SFA should indeed have grasped the nettle when the Lowland League was set-up and should have insisted that the SJFA become part of the process. Your wish for an orderly merger would, or certainly could, have been the order of the day had this happened. It didn't though and there is still no sign that it will. In truth, that horse has already bolted and this is the crux of the matter. So, again, clubs have to do what's best for them now, not wait for the hoped for will of the SFA to be implemented - it just might never happen, so how long do clubs who see their future better served within the Pyramid wait? The answer, of course, is they don't wait but do what's best for them now.

 

Why do posters keep going over the past ? It is a futile exercise. The SFA couldn't force individual junior clubs to join the LL when it was set up. Norcurrently, can the SJFA force junior force clubs to join the pyramid en masse, nor prevent them from leaving individually, if they wish to do so. We shouldn't forget that a  number of junior clubs looked at the LL prospectus when it was being set up, and NONE applied. The message was loud and clear - the juniors had no interest or ambition at that time, in joining a league which was established to give ambitious clubs the opportunity to progress and gain promotion to the SPFL.

The SJFA 'rubbished' the pyramid, in favour of retaining the status quo. It didn't take the opportunity to ask its clubs to consult with clubs/members/fans.  to  seek their views about joining the pyramid. Nor as far as I am aware, was it actively consulting with the SFA, about merged structures, etc. 

Did any of the West/East junior clubs bother to ask the 5 ex-junior clubs**  who had joined the HFL in the not so recent past, as to whether or not they regretted the move to senior football ?  Unlikely,  as none of these 5 clubs seem to have pined after leaving the juniors. (It could be argued the SJFA hardly seems to have noticed that they left).

So instead of looking back in time, let's accept where we are now and:

(1) consult upon, plan and implement a WoSL pyramid/feeder league for 2019/20.  It is an excellent opportunity,

(2) review the situation in the EoS at the end of 2018/19, and see what lessons can be learnt from the way in which the influx of new clubs has worked/not worked, to see what further changes would be beneficial, given the likelihood that some other junior clubs may wish to join for 2019/20

(3) allow  clubs not wishing to commit to the pyramid, to remain with the SJFA, and decide what junior structure(s) would be best  into the future. 

(**Cove, Inverurie, Formartine, Strathspey & Turriff)

 

[Robert James]

6 hours ago, Glenconner said:

Can imagine the panic in some SFL boardrooms with the thought a real pyramid should one day happen. All those also rans that were nothing more than a name on a pools coupon crashing down the leagues.

Maybe one day.

It hasn't caused panic in England, as many ex-EFL clubs have subsequently been promoted back into the League after being relegated from it.

This includes all 5 of the first 6 clubs relegated from the EFL when the 'conference' was formed. It is a dynamic pyramid structure, which brought to an end the infamous  "old pals act" ,  ie: regularly re-electing the bottom 4 clubs, every year, regardless of how bad they were. 

No  (league or non league club) complains, other than an occasional (unsuccessful) plea for a 3rd relegation/promotion  place. 

[Glenconner]

8 minutes ago, Robert James said:

It hasn't caused panic in England, as many ex-EFL clubs have subsequently been promoted back into the League after being relegated from it.

This includes all 5 of the first 6 clubs relegated from the EFL when the 'conference' was formed. It is a dynamic pyramid structure, which brought to an end the infamous  "old pals act" ,  ie: regularly re-electing the bottom 4 clubs, every year, regardless of how bad they were. 

No  (league or non league club) complains, other than an occasional (unsuccessful) plea for a 3rd relegation/promotion  place. 

Sweetened no doubt by parachute payments.

[Robert James]

Just now, Glenconner said:

Sweetened no doubt by parachute payments.

Of course.....and in Scotland !

[FairWeatherFan]

27 minutes ago, Robert James said:

The SJFA 'rubbished' the pyramid, in favour of retaining the status quo. It didn't take the opportunity to ask its clubs to consult with clubs/members/fans.  to  seek their views about joining the pyramid. Nor as far as I am aware, was it actively consulting with the SFA, about merged structures, etc.

The SJFA did find the time to float the Lowland Superleague though. Not sure if that was ever voted down or they just read the room and knew it was a non-starter.

[Robert James]

On 09/06/2017 at 15:14, Burnie_man said:

Just throwing this out there for discussion.

As expected we've seen Kelty jump ship, maybe one or two will follow in the next couple of seasons but I can’t see a trickle becoming a flood for various reasons, particularly in the West.

However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a significant percentage of clubs out there who would like to see a proper pyramid structure in place which wholly involves Junior clubs, and for these clubs to work towards gaining an SFA Licence and work their way up that structure, participating in the Scottish Cup.

Currently, the SJFA don’t appear willing to engage in serious discussions with the SFA, or even open a debate internally with members on this issue.

So what do Junior clubs do next? what is the long-term future of Junior football?  Do nothing and hope that we only lose a handful of clubs and carry on unchanged, or begin an honest and open discussion between member clubs about how to integrate with the pyramid.

These are serious questions that now need asked but I doubt we’ll hear much about it at the upcoming AGM, it’ll be more head in the sand stuff and no leadership.

On 9th June 2017, Burnie man opened up this 'Future of the Juniors' theme. 205 pages on from the above post,  his Mystic Meg skills have stood the test of time !