Junior football, what is the future?

[AlanCamelonfan]

13 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

In reality Matt Bamford's role with the SJFA has been completely untenable for several weeks now. It's bizarre it took him this long to step down from his roles with the west region and SJFA.

Maybe he was seeing what info he could get

[cmontheloknow]

7 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Yup, Linlithgow Rose played Whitburn a couple of weeks back in a hastily-arranged friendly. I'm sure most people on all sides are perfectly respectful. 

dunno, think this is a bit of a fresh wound and any salt near it will sting.

[LongTimeLurker]

Just now, AlanCamelonfan said:

Maybe he was seeing what info he could get

That would be the genuinely Machiavellian thing to do.

Edited March 6, 2020 by LongTimeLurker

[Stag Nation]

42 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

45 minutes ago, surely not! said:

The times they are a changing.

And they may be changing again soon. There are rumours I’ve heard that the spfl is going to open up six more spaces and look to move to a 16-16-16 format in a few years time.

Very quickly find some west teams in the spfl without having to actually win the LL depending on how the six are agreed ( likely league position at tier 5 at the end of a particular season).

I've saw a 12-12-12-12 rumour. Are they linked at all?

They're linked by being the sort of predictable league reconstruction rumours that go around from time to time. Almost certainly baseless.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Maybe he was seeing what info he could get

Im not on the board of clydebank but speak with them regularly. I may have disagreed with Matt on a number of things over the past few years but to suggest any form of underhand actions etc is entirely unfair. He hasn’t used his position in the sjfa to spy on anyone etc and indeed our club has sought to ensure he was above reproach with these matters by allowing other board members to engage with the LL etc. Perhaps he thought he could see out the season or something.

[EdinburghBlue]

The times they are a changing.

And they may be changing again soon. There are rumours I’ve heard that the spfl is going to open up six more spaces and look to move to a 16-16-16 format in a few years time.

Very quickly find some west teams in the spfl without having to actually win the LL depending on how the six are agreed ( likely league position at tier 5 at the end of a particular season).

Can’t imagine that Celtic and Rangers* would agree to this.

[theesel1994]

3 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Im not on the board of clydebank but speak with them regularly. I may have disagreed with Matt on a number of things over the past few years but to suggest any form of underhand actions etc is entirely unfair. He hasn’t used his position in the sjfa to spy on anyone etc and indeed our club has sought to ensure he was above reproach with these matters by allowing other board members to engage with the LL etc. Perhaps he thought he could see out the season or something.

I think last Saturday's "Us or them" decision put an end to that.

[Footballfirst]

3 hours ago, Burnie_man said:

Further update from LL on WoSFL due tonight.

Is there not a case for confidentiality in the LL's dealings with the clubs who noted interest? Will the LL actually go public with the update, other than to say that they had provided more details directly to interested clubs?

I would hope that they do provide at least some details for general consumption. It would at least allow fans to ask relevant questions to their own clubs' committees.  

If not, then we may have to wait for the interested clubs to leak the details.

[EdinburghBlue]

Personally I’d like to see 2 National Divisions of 16 teams with Highland and Lowland at tier 3 then further regionalisation below. That would make the top league Professional and around half the 2nd tier. However that’s only my view and others will disagree.

Indeed!

[FairWeatherFan]

32 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

In reality Matt Bamford's role with the SJFA has been completely untenable for several weeks now. It's bizarre it took him this long to step down from his roles with the west region and SJFA.

How do you know Matt Bamford wasn't part of a group within the Clydebank fanbase that wanted to pursue pyramid entry through the WRSJFA?

[San Starko Rover]

Can’t imagine that Celtic and Rangers* would agree to this.

I don’t know 1 less game against Accies and Hearts might interest Rangers.

[FairWeatherFan]

3 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:

Is there not a case for confidentiality in the LL's dealings with the clubs who noted interest? Will the LL actually go public with the update, other than to say that they had provided more details directly to interested clubs?

I would hope that they do provide at least some details for general consumption. It would at least allow fans to ask relevant questions to their own clubs' committees.  

If not, then we may have to wait for the interested clubs to leak the details.

The update is is only meant to be about the application process.

Publicly you can probably expect something along the lines of how the EoSFL deal with applications. Guidance for facilities and the like. More specific detail on how the league might operate would probably given in private emails.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

4 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

 

 

I don’t know 1 less game against Accies and Hearts might interest Rangers.

 

Just create regional leagues like in Brazil. They can battle for the Scottish League AND the Glasgow League every year.

And it will be so much funnier when Sevco bottle it away to Glasgow Perthshire as opposed to at home to Hamilton Accies

[LongTimeLurker]

2 minutes ago, FairWeatherFan said:

How do you know Matt Bamford wasn't part of a group within the Clydebank fanbase that wanted to pursue pyramid entry through the WRSJFA?

Not sure what your point is. You know as well as I do that there is zero chance of pyramid entry through the WRSJFA at this point. The only viable path on offer for doing that is through the LL's WoS proposal because the LL hold a veto over changes to the playoff format. Once Clydebank officially announced they backed that shortly after Kilwinning Rangers had done soon, it would have been sensible for Matt Bamford to step down from his roles in junior football. The optics of him not doing so were starting to look bizarre after Gordon Ronney's recent escapades, which is why I suspect the LL may eventually have asked Clydebank WTF was going on.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

How do you know Matt Bamford wasn't part of a group within the Clydebank fanbase that wanted to pursue pyramid entry through the WRSJFA?

Thats quite simple to answer, no such group exists.

[GNU_Linux]

Just create regional leagues like in Brazil. They can battle for the Scottish League AND the Glasgow League every year.

And it will be so much funnier when Sevco bottle it away to Glasgow Perthshire as opposed to at home to Hamilton Accies

Historical side note but supplementry/secondary leagues were a thing in the late 1890's through early 1900's dying off by about 1906. Formed due to teams only playing 18 league games thus having free Saturdays. There was also a midweek league in 1912-1913 as Wednesday was only day shopworkers got off. Abandoned after 4 rounds however due to low attendances.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplementary_football_league

[AsimButtHitsASix]

2 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

Historical side note but supplementry/secondary leagues were a thing in the late 1890's through early 1900's dying off by about 1906. Formed due to teams only playing 18 league games thus having free Saturdays. There was also a midweek league in 1912-1913 as Wednesday was only day shopworkers got off. Abandoned after 4 rounds however due to low attendances.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplementary_football_league

I've often fannied about with them on Football Manager editor myself. I think there's an argument for them if we did go for 16 team leagues

[AlanCamelonfan]

http://slfl.co.uk/statement-pyramid-update/

[Burnie_man]

Statement – Pyramid Update

 

Features

 

06/03/2020 By Media Team

 

The latest update regarding the Pyramid application process

In line with the previous statements and timetable, the process surrounding the making of a formal application to join the Pyramid via the new West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) proposed by the Scottish Lowland Football League (SLFL), East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) and now also the South of Scotland Football League (SoSFL) is below.

To date 51 expressions of interest have been received from various grades of football. Those Clubs will now be invited to an information meeting on Thursday 12 March to hear in more detail what the application process will look like. This will include the minimum qualification standards (including the ground criteria based on the EoSFL model), the governance arrangements, the administration support available, the options for the structure of the new league and the completion of the form itself. The application forms will be sent to the 51 Clubs along with the invitation to the meeting, and will also be made available to any other Club on request. The completed forms will be treated in strictest confidence. Clubs are encouraged to send any questions they have to geo_fraser@hotmail.co.uk by Wednesday 11 March so the meeting can be as informative as possible. Questions on the night will also be encouraged. The idea is to give the Clubs as much information as possible to inform their decision-making process. Due to numbers expected, each Club will be invited to send one registered official to the meeting.

As previously stated, the deadline for completion for all of the forms is Tuesday 31 March. The next again step will be to hold a further meeting for all Clubs whose application has been accepted. That meeting will cover in more detail what the set-up of the new League will look like (depending on the number of applications received and accepted) and also the plans to create an administration for the League. That meeting will be arranged for April.

Issued:

George Fraser (Chairperson SLFL), John Greenhorn (Chairperson EoSFL), Colin Holden (President SoSFL)

[AlanCamelonfan]

3 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

Statement – Pyramid Update

 

Features

 

06/03/2020 By Media Team

 

The latest update regarding the Pyramid application process

In line with the previous statements and timetable, the process surrounding the making of a formal application to join the Pyramid via the new West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) proposed by the Scottish Lowland Football League (SLFL), East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) and now also the South of Scotland Football League (SoSFL) is below.

To date 51 expressions of interest have been received from various grades of football. Those Clubs will now be invited to an information meeting on Thursday 12 March to hear in more detail what the application process will look like. This will include the minimum qualification standards (including the ground criteria based on the EoSFL model), the governance arrangements, the administration support available, the options for the structure of the new league and the completion of the form itself. The application forms will be sent to the 51 Clubs along with the invitation to the meeting, and will also be made available to any other Club on request. The completed forms will be treated in strictest confidence. Clubs are encouraged to send any questions they have to geo_fraser@hotmail.co.uk by Wednesday 11 March so the meeting can be as informative as possible. Questions on the night will also be encouraged. The idea is to give the Clubs as much information as possible to inform their decision-making process. Due to numbers expected, each Club will be invited to send one registered official to the meeting.

As previously stated, the deadline for completion for all of the forms is Tuesday 31 March. The next again step will be to hold a further meeting for all Clubs whose application has been accepted. That meeting will cover in more detail what the set-up of the new League will look like (depending on the number of applications received and accepted) and also the plans to create an administration for the League. That meeting will be arranged for April.

Issued:

George Fraser (Chairperson SLFL), John Greenhorn (Chairperson EoSFL), Colin Holden (President SoSFL)

Good to see sosfl name at the bottom