Junior football, what is the future?

[Bayern bru]

Whitburn a big club won’t have any problems for applicants wanting that job 

[Robert James]

17 hours ago, FairWeatherFan said:

October 2018 the EoS were advocating for a Tayside league.

In my opinion, neither the EoS management committee, nor its clubs, will support  Dundee or Angus clubs joining/becoming a member.

If a merger with the North Juniors is not viable, the north Tayside clubs should consider following the example in the West, and apply to join the pyramid 'en bloc', as a 'senior' Midland League for 2021/22, seeking entry at tier 6, and assuming its clubs support this suggestion. Once (if ?) this move from junior to senior is supported by the clubs, then the debate about entry into the  Highland or Lowland pyramid, can be considered (at that stage).

Edited May 8, 2020 by Robert James
typo

[8MileBU]

13 hours ago, Bayern bru said:

Whitburn a big club won’t have any problems for applicants wanting that job 

Were. And will continue to get smaller until Junior football is finally extinct. Not convinced there’ll be that many applicants either tbh.

Edited May 8, 2020 by 8MileBU

[Burnieman]

1 hour ago, chavez said:

That's ok now but this has been THE major hurdle to any constructive movement for the last two seasons. It's led to entrenched positions and bitterness which has helped nobody but will for many be difficult to overcome.

The problem over the last two years was the insistance that the ERJFA wanted to become a competitor league in the Pyramid to the EoS, covering the same area and at the same tier 6 level.

That was the main issue, and a red line the EoS would understandably not accept and which has been the subject of many discussions on this thread.

[invergowrie arab]

51 minutes ago, Bayern bru said:

Whitburn a big club won’t have any problems for applicants wanting that job 

Were.

They now basically play in a local ammys league 

[Simmy87]

Whitburn management team resigned tonight.

Any teams in the Falkirk area looking for a new management or lack of interest in going into the pyrimid setup play any part in the guys desicion to leave?

[Guest chavez]

34 minutes ago, Burnieman said:

The problem over the last two years was the insistance that the ERJFA wanted to become a competitor league in the Pyramid to the EoS, covering the same area and at the same tier 6 level.

That was the main issue, and a red line the EoS would understandably not accept and which has been the subject of many discussions on this thread.

You seem to miss the point that the ERSJFA were and are acting for ALL their member Clubs so what would you have suggested they had done when faced with fact the EOS were unwilling to consider the Tayside and Angus clus??

[TheLad]

You seem to miss the point that the ERSJFA were and are acting for ALL their member Clubs so what would you have suggested they had done when faced with fact the EOS were unwilling to consider the Tayside and Angus clus??

Undoubtedly a very difficult decision and predicament for ERJFA. However, it's very rare that an option ever exists that will meet the needs of ALL your members and some of your member clubs may now be permanently damaged as a result of sticking together.

[Sergeant Wilson]

8 hours ago, chavez said:

You seem to miss the point that the ERSJFA were and are acting for ALL their member Clubs so what would you have suggested they had done when faced with fact the EOS were unwilling to consider the Tayside and Angus clus??

Join and lobby from within.

[AlanCamelonfan]

9 hours ago, chavez said:

You seem to miss the point that the ERSJFA were and are acting for ALL their member Clubs so what would you have suggested they had done when faced with fact the EOS were unwilling to consider the Tayside and Angus clus??

Easy tayside and Angus needed to negotiate to  become a feeder league either by joining north juniors or as a separate league on their own 

[FairWeatherFan]

5 minutes ago, AlanCamelonfan said:

Easy tayside and Angus needed to negotiate to  become a feeder league either by joining north juniors or as a separate league on their own 

You would think. Especially with the East Region splitting anyway last year. They don't want to leave anyone behind but were proactive in social distancing before we knew what that was.

Now you've got this new narrative of do nothing until March 2021 and chance your arm getting into the EoSFL.

[Burnieman]

9 hours ago, chavez said:

You seem to miss the point that the ERSJFA were and are acting for ALL their member Clubs so what would you have suggested they had done when faced with fact the EOS were unwilling to consider the Tayside and Angus clus??

But you weren't looking to join the EoS, you were wanting to enter the Pyramid as an intact league alongside the EoS creating two east feeders to the LL.  You wanted to exist as a separate competitor league, so whether the EoS would or would not admit clubs north of the boundary line is kinda immaterial don't you think.

This has been done to death.

[MacGafraidh]

12 hours ago, Robert James said:

In my opinion, neither the EoS management committee, not its clubs, will support  Dundee or Angus clubs joining/becoming a member.

If a merger with the North Juniors is not viable, the north Tayside clubs should consider following the example in the West, and apply to join the pyramid 'en bloc', as a 'senior' Midland League for 2021/22, seeking entry at tier 6, and assuming its clubs support this suggestion. Once (if ?) this move from junior to senior is supported by the clubs, then the debate about entry into the  Highland or Lowland pyramid, can be considered (at that stage).

It would be Highland though! I am actually in favour of that as it may encourage members of the NRJFA who are close enough to Angus to break ranks if they fancied a go at Senior football. 
 

It may also lead to eventually a 3 region feeder into the HFL

Tayside/Angus/Perthshire above the line

Former North Juniors

Former NCL

[Ped]

If brechin gets saved and they promote Kelly and brora together then Lochee or any tayside team could apply to highland league to fill there vacancy then they would be in the pyramid

[Stag Nation]

17 minutes ago, Ped said:

If brechin gets saved and they promote Kelly and brora together then Lochee or any tayside team could apply to highland league to fill there vacancy then they would be in the pyramid

There imay not be a vacancy in the HL. They are already operating with an odd number, and if Brora are promoted there will be 16 clubs, which is apparently the SFA's preferred size.

[FairWeatherFan]

4 minutes ago, Stag Nation said:

There imay not be a vacancy in the HL. They are already operating with an odd number, and if Brora are promoted there will be 16 clubs, which is apparently the SFA's preferred size.

Until there is a pyramid system below the Highland League there is always a vacancy.

[Robert James]

32 minutes ago, Ped said:

If brechin gets saved and they promote Kelly and brora together then Lochee or any tayside team could apply to highland league to fill there vacancy then they would be in the pyramid

Lochee are a strong club, on the field, with a decent level of support.

However,  the the Highland League requires all clubs to have floodlights, and Lochee don't have any.   Furthermore, they don't have an SFA licence, which is a requirement at Tier 5.

Edited May 8, 2020 by Robert James

[Marten]

Let's not forget that the attempts to change the boundary are still ongoing. Obviously that can make a difference for Tayside clubs.

[Marten]

 

On 07/05/2020 at 10:49, Black & Red Socks said:

 

Surprised you would say this to be honest, perhaps your support of Lochee is colouring you viewpoint just a little?

As has been mentioned in at least one previous observation, not all he said was wrong but the sheer, seething bitterness of just about everything he spoke of was awful. From this podcast appearance you can safely assume that there will continue to be little in the way of positive engagement with the Pyramid on his part and that will continue to be detrimental to his club and to the rest of the Tayside teams.

 

Yes, obviously I'm a bit biased toward Lochee, I won't deny that. But even though Larry's choice of words isn't always what I'd choose and I don't agree with everything he says, I think he did raise quite a few fair points as well. He also isn't afraid to criticise the Juniors / SJFA, which he does quite regularly as well, also in this. The Tayside & North clubs previously attempted to scrap replays in the Junior Cup & reinstatement for example, but usually got shot down in these attempts by more conservative clubs elsewhere, especially in the west (ironically it's now changed because of the west wanting it).

He is a guy who says what he thinks and not everyone will like that, I've had discussions with him face to face before and it will definitely happen again. But I respect him a lot for the work he does for the club and the community and I do think there will ultimately be a solution for Tayside sooner or later. Like it or not, junior football is changing quickly so something will have to happen. Let's not forget that it's not long ago that nobody dared to dream that all of the West would be in the pyramid by now.

[invergowrie arab]

21 minutes ago, Marten said:

Let's not forget that the attempts to change the boundary are still ongoing..

Are they though?

A few loud voices and moans and groans from Glebe Park but has any club actually done anything concrete to move the issue?