Celtic and Hearts B Teams in Lowland League?

[Burnieman]

3 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

Let's be honest with ourselves. Scottish football in general is a fucking joke. If we all didn't love it so much, we'd hate it. It's been run horrendously at all levels for as long as anyone can remember. The pyramid promised to invigorate at least part of the league structure but it's being ruined because, seeing as it's still Scottish football, it's being run by the same class of incompetent arse holes that ruin every other part of Scottish football.

True in part, although tier 6 and below seems to be doing OK, and it also seems to be those former tier 6 clubs who are now tier 5 that are voting the right way and trying to change things. (Bonnyrigg, Bo'ness and Kelty before them)

[FairWeatherFan]

10 minutes ago, bravehearts dad said:

Well I have waited a while to form my response because I am spitting fire at the decision from the meeting last night.  Once again The Rose stuck by their principles and remained consistent with their vote, shame on the 3 who changed their mind and credit East Stirlingshire for changing theirs after saying last year it was for 1 season only. It doesn’t matter for the vote but I wonder who abstained. Yes all these diddy clubs allowing their League to be controlled by the ugly sisters. I really hope now that the Rose win the play offs and gain promotion and out of this now joke League. 
 

Looking 12 months ahead based on this seasons League placings if they are the same another circus will ensue.

Be ashamed the LL.

C’mon The Rose

Berwick Rangers.

It's in a Facebook supporters group from the Vice-Chair.

Also,

Of course just because the clubs haven't received any money for this season's entrance fee. That doesn't mean the League hasn't received it and done something/nothing with it.

[Burnieman]

Surely if Berwick had any uncertainty they vote against B teams inclusion next season, which is effectively the status quo ie one season only experiment.  Sounds like they shat it.

I'm actually puzzled why there was a vote in the first place.

[Cardle is Magic]

Using the LL clubs’ logic, shouldn’t the LL just be the 18 teams with the largest number of fans? Why bother even playing the games when all that matters is adding a 150 extra fans on the gate?

[Gordon EF]

7 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Using the LL clubs’ logic, shouldn’t the LL just be the 18 teams with the largest number of fans? Why bother even playing the games when all that matters is adding a 150 extra fans on the gate?

The "logic" from clubs like Broomhill, Cumbernauld Colts, etc is so deeply, deeply pathetic. Do everything they can to keep themselves in the LL for as long as possible and keep the colts so they can spend the next 3-5 years getting bodied around the bottom of the league whilst picking up a few hundred more tickets per season before they eventually get flushed down to tier 6 and sink down the pyramid without a trace.

It only makes sense when you look at it that all the guys running these clubs are OF fans who's only response to being asked to spread is "how wide". 

It's why most of the proper clubs in the LL are voting against this nonsense. Because, whatever else, they're not run by OF fans cosplaying as football club chairmen.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Gordon EF

[Cardle is Magic]

Cowdenbeath will be in heaven if/when they go down at least.

[cowdenbeath]

19 hours ago, drs said:

Really, really hope the Highland League champs relegate Cowdenbeath so 2 of these morons are relegated.

(although Cowdenbeath are so staunch we all know they'd vote for this anyway but getting rid of 2 of this manky mob so they don't get to shake hands with nomarks in blazers would be delicious)

So everyone involved with us is staunch, i don't really think so i'm certainly not. Just because our chairman is an ex Rangers director dosn't mean everyone at the club is automatically a Rangers fan.

As we didn't vote for Rangers being placed in the First Division in 2012 why on earth would we want their B team in the Lowland League.

For many years we were owned by a Hibs fan does that mean we were all Hi Bees back then!

Edited April 5, 2022 by cowdenbeath

[cowdenbeath]

8 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Cowdenbeath will be in heaven if/when they go down at least.

Not really as that's 4 league games I would be missing, i'm sure quite a lot of folk would give it a miss as well.

The reason I started watching my local team in the 70s was to keep away from the Glasgow 2 and the crap that goes with it.

 

[stm]

26 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Using the LL clubs’ logic, shouldn’t the LL just be the 18 teams with the largest number of fans? Why bother even playing the games when all that matters is adding a 150 extra fans on the gate?

Using their logic if I win Euromillions tonight I’ll offer them cash and will buy 501 tickets for every game to usurp OF offer. The clubs can play me and my two cats at fitba. Anyone else wanting to turn up with their pets for a kickabout is welcome too. Imagine the media interest when Broomhill are beaten 1-0 with a dodgy paw-ball on first day of season.

[cowdenbeath]

1 minute ago, stm said:

Using their logic if I win Euromillions tonight I’ll offer them cash and will buy 501 tickets for every game to usurp OF offer. The clubs can play me and my two cats at fitba. Anyone else wanting to turn up with their pets for a kickabout is welcome too. Imagine the media interest when Broomhill are beaten 1-0 with a dodgy paw-ball on first day of season.

Don't know how true it is but a few people in this neck of the woods say that Dundonald Bluebell offered £25k for a place in the LL after the 2 B sides got in, the East and West big hitters should do the same.

[stanley]

Basically, the Lowland League has so many clubs playing above their natural level and those clubs are desperate to cling onto tier 5 football for as long as possible before disappearing down the leagues. They've voted against increased relegation (preserving a bizarre situation where a team could potentially end up on 0 points and stay up and not even face a playoff). They've voted, for the second time, to keep the colts in the league just for a chance of some extra cash. 

It's going to take so many years for these clubs to finally be relegated. I was backing Bonnyrigg to go up but now I hope it's a Highland League team so VoL and Gretna both get relegated.

I have no sympathy for the clubs in terms of their being no automatic relegation from the SPFL. They can't complain about that when they're making such ridiculous decisions. The Lowland League was once a good example of a well-run league but it's now become a joke. The sooner some of these clubs get relegated, the better. Hopefully once some of the bigger non-league clubs join Bonnyrigg, Bo'ness etc. in the league, they'll start opening up relegation and making decisions for the good of the pyramid rather than to save themselves for a little longer.

[jamamafegan]

There’s been some awful, awful decisions been made in recent years regarding Scottish Football. Aberdeen voting with Celtic to keep the 11-1 voting structure. The lowland league voting the colts in (twice). Next it will be the Premiership clubs voting through VAR. Why can’t we go back to the days when clubs actually had a backbone and fucked Rangers into the 3rd division?

f**k the lowland league, f**k the clubs who voted for this and f**k the old firm. Bunch of absolute fucking c***s. If there is any justice in the world the lowland League will meet a grim end and the 11 who voted for this will suffer.

[8MileBU]

1 hour ago, Burnieman said:

Surely if Berwick had any uncertainty they vote against B teams inclusion next season, which is effectively the status quo ie one season only experiment.  Sounds like they shat it.

I'm actually puzzled why there was a vote in the first place.

Following Bo’ness this season I’ve been asked and also had a few conversations with fans of other LL clubs with regards the B-Teams. I have heard (and admittedly seen) arguments for and against their inclusion.

Some LL clubs have very little fan support, have little financial backing or resources and/or a small number of ageing committee members who for years (and all credit to them) have put endless hours grafting to find every penny required to ensure their club can pay the wages, pay the bills, invest and compete. 

In these instances I can appreciate why some clubs have opted not to look a couple of gift-horses in the mouth and grabbed Celtic and Rangers pay-to-play payments, (albeit they should both be paying a whole lot more than they are!)

Aside of the pay-to-play payments, in many instances several clubs will have voted for the inclusion of the B-Teams again for next season because they drew the biggest gate at many grounds this season. Indeed I’ve seen it with my own eyes at Bo’ness when I’d say Celtic then Rangers have pulled in our biggest crowds this season. (Credit to B.U for voting NO again). 

Yes - it’s pish having them start anywhere beyond the lowest rung. Yes - it’s pish that they’ve a direct affect on how the pyramid works.
Yes - it’s utter pish that Lowland  clubs have been able to make money from their inclusion.

However, with all that said, I still can’t see what’s to be gained by bad mouthing every and any club who voted to keep the B-Teams in the LL. Some will be plain greedy b*****ds, but some will have genuinely valid reasons for voting them in. The problem is that they should never have been placed in the position in the first place. 

For me the bad-mouthing should be firmly aimed at the (formerly) pyramid-championing blazers who oversee all things Scottish Football. They could’ve and should’ve punted the proposed inclusion of the B-Teams in the Lowland League into the long grass within 10 seconds of the idea being mooted.

Edited April 5, 2022 by 8MileBU

[Marten]

52 minutes ago, cowdenbeath said:

Don't know how true it is but a few people in this neck of the woods say that Dundonald Bluebell offered £25k for a place in the LL after the 2 B sides got in, the East and West big hitters should do the same.

If I win the Euromillions jackpot, I'll just shell out £ 250K to pay for 5 west & 5 east clubs applying to the LL. 

[welshbairn]

1 minute ago, 8MileBU said:

some will have genuinely valid reasons for voting them in

Self preservation. Fills up spaces that could permit more teams promoted from tier 6, who they know are better teams than they are.

[8MileBU]

1 minute ago, welshbairn said:

Self preservation. Fills up spaces that could permit more teams promoted from tier 6, who they know are better teams than they are.

Of course this will be the reasoning for some clubs. Nobody is arguing otherwise.

[welshbairn]

If Clach voted for anything like that up here I'd start following Inverness Athletic instead. Combined with the vote on promotion/relegation with tier 6 they really are a cowardly self serving bunch of hypocrites.  "Promising early indications of young, emerging Scottish talents benefiting from early exposure to senior football in a competitive environment" my arse.

[FairWeatherFan]

13 minutes ago, Marten said:

If I win the Euromillions jackpot, I'll just shell out £ 250K to pay for 5 west & 5 east clubs applying to the LL. 

I actually pondered this when there was news that a podcast was trying to takeover Broomhill. I would take them over. Wait until Vale of Leithen were confirmed as relegated, into the EoSFL after all the AGMs and fixture lists for the new season come out.

Then fold the club so there couldn't be any shenanigans to keep VoL in. Broomhill don't have any fans, there's the continuation of the real BSC Glasgow in the WoSFL and it would be my good deed to Scottish football without pissing millions away for no return

[Gordon EF]

29 minutes ago, 8MileBU said:

Following Bo’ness this season I’ve been asked and also had a few conversations with fans of other LL clubs with regards the B-Teams. I have heard (and admittedly seen) arguments for and against their inclusion.

Some LL clubs have very little fan support, have little financial backing or resources and/or a small number of ageing committee members who for years (and all credit to them) have put endless hours grafting to find every penny required to ensure their club can pay the wages, pay the bills, invest and compete. 

In these instances I can appreciate why some clubs have opted not to look a couple of gift-horses in the mouth and grabbed Celtic and Rangers pay-to-play payments, (albeit they should both be paying a whole lot more than they are!)

Aside of the pay-to-play payments, in many instances several clubs will have voted for the inclusion of the B-Teams again for next season because they drew the biggest gate at many grounds this season. Indeed I’ve seen it with my own eyes at Bo’ness when I’d say Celtic then Rangers have pulled in our biggest crowds this season. (Credit to B.U for voting NO again). 

Yes - it’s pish having them start anywhere beyond the lowest rung. Yes - it’s pish that they’ve a direct affect on how the pyramid works.
Yes - it’s utter pish that Lowland  clubs have been able to make money from their inclusion.

However, with all that said, I still can’t see what’s to be gained by bad mouthing every and any club who voted to keep the B-Teams in the LL. Some will be plain greedy b*****ds, but some will have genuinely valid reasons for voting them in. The problem is that they should never have been placed in the position in the first place. 

For me the bad-mouthing should be firmly aimed at the (formerly) pyramid-championing blazers who oversee all things Scottish Football. They could’ve and should’ve punted the proposed inclusion of the B-Teams in the Lowland League into the long grass within 10 seconds of the idea being mooted.

Because, if you're a glorified pub team who can barely afford to cobble together an utterly uncompetitive squad to play in front of a few dozen friends and family, you have no business being at tier 5 in the new pyramid structure. Rather than take their medicine, go down, and find their place in the structure, these arse holes are closing off "ventilation" and making a mockery of the LL as a competition by inviting in boys teams who can't be promoted or relegated but who everyone has to play 'competitive' games against.

The dross at the bottom of the LL aren't saving themselves by catering to a few hundred OF fans without the bus fare. They're just delaying the inevitable, that they're swallowed up and shat out when the ex-juniors start filling up the LL. The fact that they're willing to wreck the league whilst they're stilling clawing onto their place in it is worthy of being bad-mouthed.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Gordon EF

[LongTimeLurker]

1 hour ago, stanley said:

...The Lowland League was once a good example of a well-run league but it's now become a joke...

Was it really or were a lot of people on here blind to its many failings because of an overly simplistic juniors backward & bad vs seniors progressive & good mindset?

It's probably going to take 15 to 20 years from its launch for the LL to finally be the league it should have been from the very outset. It's not just Tom Johnston who is to blame for that.