Celtic and Hearts B Teams in Lowland League?

[Cornishman]

Hit them in the headline sponsor's pocket... or, at least, everyone against this decision telephone that sponsor to make their complaints known, say - every fifth minute of the working week?

[Marten]

Although I agree with a lot of the sentiment here, let's be honest, the SPFL & SFA will never step in to stop this. Celtic & Rangers will block any such action in the SPFL for a start. The only thing that can be done by others, is the WoSFL, EoSFL  & SoSFL speaking out & reminding them that the LL promised to consult them before extending this.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Marten

[FairWeatherFan]

As organisation's the SPFL and SFA seem to want it. It's mainly been the part-time teams in the SPFL that have kept them out of the league.

[AlansHotBath]

A particuarly embarrassing decision after voting against increased relegation. What a message to send to clubs at the level below who are supposed to see the LL as a target to aim for.

[FairWeatherFan]

Since they've been so blatant about it by putting money first. How many clubs are going to follow VoL's lead and bump up their ticket price when the B teams come back around next season?

[Sergeant Wilson]

10 hours ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Absolutely, bar 4 teams the Lowland league has shown itself to be full of diddies. 

It's a symptom of how the Division was put together we now have to live with. My way of living with it will be to completely boycott it.

[craigkillie]

As organisation's the SPFL and SFA seem to want it. It's mainly been the part-time teams in the SPFL that have kept them out of the league.

The latter part isn't true. The last attempt to put them in the SPFL didn't go to a vote because of too much opposition in the Premiership.

[Robert James]

6 hours ago, ZX1886 said:

This is it for me. Bump League 2 up to 12 or 14 teams (I think we might have 4 in the LL that are suitable).

The most effective way of making it easier and fairer, for all concerned, is to increase SPFL 2 from 10 to 18 clubs. The advantages for  season 2023/24 are :

1.  the fear of relegation from the SPFL would be reduced. Relegation could be suspended for ONE YEAR only, whilst 8 extra non-league clubs could be promoted, to fill the 8 vacancies. These clubs should be the top TWO licenced clubs from EACH of the Lowland, Highland, EoS and WoS Leagues,  being promoted 

2, spreading the SPFL intake for 2023/24 would help reduce the pyramid problem whereby the best West & East League clubs, could make the jump to the SPFL (for one season only). The standard of League Two would be enhanced. And  Tiers 7 or 8 non-league clubs would benefit immediately, by having additional promotion opportunities from Tiers 6 & 5, and the tiers below tier 6, for ONE season only  

3. any attempt at trying to remove/relegate the Lowland League from tier 5 status, will never happen, for both football and legal reasons.  Scottish football would once again be embroiled in a football farce, one year after the national pyramid structure is in place. The SFA would not approve this proposal. 

4. Also 18 clubs at SPFL League Two from 2023/24, would end the present system of playing each of other League Two clubs, 4 times per season would be reduced to twice per season. 

5. the promotion and relegation issues for 2021/22 are already decided by existing rules. Any deviation from them would result in legal action by the HFL & SLFL champion clubs 

6. Automatic promotion  from Tier 5 would be adopted for the HFL/SLFL play-off winners, with the defeated champion club having a play-off against the "bottom but one" SPFL club, on an on-going basis.

The Celtic/Rangers Colts issue, is entirely separate, and should not muddy the waters for 2022/23 or 2023/24 (their promotion may be inevitable, but only if they do so on merit, within a more competitive Lowland League ?).   

[invergowrie arab]

17 minutes ago, Robert James said:

The most effective way of making it easier and fairer, for all concerned, is to increase SPFL 2 from 10 to 18 clubs. The advantages for  season 2023/24 are :

1.  the fear of relegation from the SPFL would be reduced. Relegation could be suspended for ONE YEAR only, whilst 8 extra non-league clubs could be promoted, to fill the 8 vacancies. These clubs should be the top TWO licenced clubs from EACH of the Lowland, Highland, EoS and WoS Leagues,  being promoted 

2, spreading the SPFL intake for 2023/24 would help reduce the pyramid problem whereby the best West & East League clubs, could make the jump to the SPFL (for one season only). The standard of League Two would be enhanced. And  Tiers 7 or 8 non-league clubs would benefit immediately, by having additional promotion opportunities from Tiers 6 & 5, and the tiers below tier 6, for ONE season only  

3. any attempt at trying to remove/relegate the Lowland League from tier 5 status, will never happen, for both football and legal reasons.  Scottish football would once again be embroiled in a football farce, one year after the national pyramid structure is in place. The SFA would not approve this proposal. 

4. Also 18 clubs at SPFL League Two from 2023/24, would end the present system of playing each of other League Two clubs, 4 times per season would be reduced to twice per season. 

5. the promotion and relegation issues for 2021/22 are already decided by existing rules. Any deviation from them would result in legal action by the HFL & SLFL champion clubs 

6. Automatic promotion  from Tier 5 would be adopted for the HFL/SLFL play-off winners, with the defeated champion club having a play-off against the "bottom but one" SPFL club, on an on-going basis.

The Celtic/Rangers Colts issue, is entirely separate, and should not muddy the waters for 2022/23 or 2023/24 (their promotion may be inevitable, but only if they do so on merit, within a more competitive Lowland League ?).   

Where you getting the circa 400k to fund this from? Either in new monies or a reduction of the existing prize money?

[Sergeant Wilson]

3 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

Where you getting the circa 400k to fund this from? Either in new monies or a reduction of the existing prize money?

Maybe Rangers and Celtic will stump up. How much have they paid for next season?

Edited April 5, 2022 by Sergeant Wilson

[LongTimeLurker]

8 hours ago, invergowrie arab said:

The 3 T6 leagues in the South should formally approach the SPFL and SFA about participation in the club 42 playoff.

It won't get anywhere now but they can't take this lying down and need to start pressuring this tinpot outfit. 

The LL can and would block that through the playoff rules the same way the EoS blocked SJFA entry as LL feeders at tier 6. Too many people on here thought the sun shone out of George Fraser's orifice when he was every bit as much of a chancer as Tom Johnston.

Things went south in a big way when the SJFA's superduperleague proposal got rejected by clubs in the west (mainly Ayrshire). That might have been the way to have a sensible and well supported southern tier 5 on a reasonable timeline without handing over the keys completely to a clique of former EoS premier clubs and youth clubs with little or no support.

As things stand we are going to have to wait until a slow drip process of relegation over the next 5 to 10 years sends enough of them round the U-bend for more sensible policies to get voted through at AGMs. Fingers crossed Fraserburgh or Buckie win the playoffs so Gretna disappear along with VoL as that would help speed things along.

Edited April 5, 2022 by LongTimeLurker

[stm]

What people seem to be overlooking here is that with another season of Colts getting the opportunity to play against council workers and some PE teachers we'll have every international tournament sewn up for the next two decades.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

1 hour ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

It's a symptom of how the Division was put together we now have to live with. My way of living with it will be to completely boycott it.

Yep, boycott the fuckers, id even support Talbot playing against a LL club and thats saying something. 

[Gimme]

Bonnyrigg confirming they voted against the proposal.

So with Bo'ness and Shire also against that's a swing of 2 from the 5 who were against it last season.

[Benidorm]

The laughable thing is last year was the novelty and it went down like a lead balloon.  Now it's the norm you can be sure as hell Old Firm fans definitely won't give a shit.

[Footballfirst]

3 minutes ago, Gimme said:

Bonnyrigg confirming they voted against the proposal.

So with Bo'ness and Shire also against that's a swing of 2 from the 5 who were against it last season.

Bonnyrigg's statement

RESULT OF GUEST CLUB PARTICIPATION IN THE SLFL NEXT SEASON

BY BRENDAN PARKINSON

 

 

Clubs vote in favour by 11-4

---

A vote was held on the participation of guest clubs in the SLFL next season yesterday evening (Monday 4th April) at a general meeting. We were informed later that evening that clubs had voted 11-4 in favour (with 1 abstention) of the principle of continuing with guest clubs. Full SLFL statement.

We would like to thank all of our members who voted on the proposal via email or in person since we announced our intention to let our members decide and also to non members who attend games who shared their views. We had just over double the response of the previous season but the results were broadly similar, with over 90% voting against the motion, which is why we can confirm that we were one of the four clubs that voted against last night.

We published our vote result ahead of the meeting last season and for similar reasons our members rejected the motion once more. We have been consistent in our thoughts on pyramid integrity since moving back to the senior leagues in 2018, which is also why we voted in favour of additional promotion spots into the SLFL last month, which was rejected with our SLFL board member immediately resigning as a result.

The process followed in both instances has been a democratic one and while we were on the opposite sides of both they are decisions which clubs are absolutely entitled to make. Now that the voting series has concluded, we will focus our attention off the pitch on our play-off preparation and welcoming the SLFL trophy to New Dundas Park on Saturday for the first time.

[Burnieman]

[GNU_Linux]

'the P&B crowd'

[LongTimeLurker]

If they had no reason to doubt anyone's convictions then they weren't paying attention to the whole SJFA pyramid entry saga. Why did the SJFA and SFA think they could have LL support for splitting the LL into LL West and LL East so they could get around the whole issue of the EoS being able to block east and west region entry? Why were the west region clubs told that they could have four conferences initially in a WoS context when this was counter to what the SFA had stated they were willing to take care of in discipline terms during PWG meetings?

The only reason it was for one year was that the Old Firm thought their colt teams would be in the SPFL in 2022-23. Anyone following this saga closely over the last few seasons should have been able to see that there was zero chance of the lower division SPFL clubs agreeing to that and should have grasped that the Old Firm would therefore be trying to use the LL in 2022-23 and beyond instead.

Edited April 5, 2022 by LongTimeLurker

[Burnieman]

Bonnyrigg one of the 4

https://www.bonnyriggrosefc.co.uk/news/result-of-guest-club-participation-in-slfl-next-season-2694337.html