Lowland League General Discussion

[An Absolute Imposter]

Why is everyone talking about Hearts Weans like they are an integral part of the league?

Putting my Mystic Meg hat on B teams are here to stay in the pyramid.

[Brazilianlex]

17 hours ago, Bestsinceslicebread said:

It's not or should not be about, (about nothing in return), the pyramid should not be what SPFL clubs could attain at the time it should have been about getting Scottish football on a fair and even keel for everyone club with the possibility to progress and fans of all teams throughout Scotland benefiting with the highs and (lows).  Actually when you think of it, what the SPFL2 teams gain were better teams than them, giving a small chance of promotion.

The English league did it in 2002/03 with the National league gaining two promotion teams to League 2. This was caused by lot of outcry previously with no relegations places, obviously  a bigger nation but they have two automatic relegations from Division 2

I was never a fan of B Teams or the proposed conference that was proposed by SFA but I’m increasingly being persuaded that the LL isn’t fit for purpose as a 5th tier of Scottish football.

Teams now joining the Junior Cup and some nonsense “European” competition with the fixture issues it will cause makes the LL a Mickey Mouse competition not fit to be in the professional game.

Not sure what the answer is to a meaningful 5th tier but it’s not the LL in its current form.

[Burnieman]

10 hours ago, An Absolute Imposter said:

Why is everyone talking about Hearts Weans like they are an integral part of the league?

Because they're an integral part of the league for the next 2 or 3 seasons ?

[An Absolute Imposter]

Just now, Burnieman said:

Because they're an integral part of the league for the next 2 or 3 seasons ?

And beyond, unless something else rears its head.

This country needs a properly thought out solution for young professional players transitioning from youth to senior football.

The miss mash we have with 2 clubs at tier 5, some half baked league setup, clubs playing friendlies/tourneys around europe and the myriad of loanees strewn around, does not appear to be working. 

A plan is needed surely.

[Burnieman]

4 minutes ago, An Absolute Imposter said:

And beyond, unless something else rears its head.

This country needs a properly thought out solution for young professional players transitioning from youth to senior football.

The miss mash we have with 2 clubs at tier 5, some half baked league setup, clubs playing friendlies/tourneys around europe and the myriad of loanees strewn around, does not appear to be working. 

A plan is needed surely.

Absolutely agree.  Good luck getting one though.

[lowenan]

[lowenan]

[kevsmart]

3 minutes ago, lowenan said:

A slight typo by the lowland league today is the 10th!

[newcastle broon]

7 hours ago, Burnieman said:

Because they're an integral part of the league for the next 2 or 3 seasons ?

 

7 hours ago, Burnieman said:

Absolutely agree.  Good luck getting one though.

As I've pointed out before 11 B teams started out in the SPFL Trust trophy no reason not to have a B league on its own so they can gtf from the LL. 

11 teams is a good start if organised more could follow.

Edited August 10 by newcastle broon

[clansman]

On the radio on the way home. Out of 178 players used on first day of the season in Premier league,  14 were Scots 23 or under. It's the  coaching that can't produce young players worth a jot B teams won't help. 

[FairWeatherFan]

23 minutes ago, newcastle broon said:

 

As I've pointed out before 11 B teams started out in the SPFL Trust trophy no reason not to have a B league on its own so they can gtf from the LL. 

11 teams is a good start if organised more could follow.

Between B teams, Reserves, and Development teams. The SPFL could do more than what they do right now.

[lithgierose]

B teams in the bin.

[Burnieman]

4 hours ago, newcastle broon said:

 

As I've pointed out before 11 B teams started out in the SPFL Trust trophy no reason not to have a B league on its own so they can gtf from the LL. 

11 teams is a good start if organised more could follow.

There's only 2 B teams in the SPFL Trophy, the rest are really not a lot more than scratch teams made-up mostly of the clubs CAS U18's and fringe first team players who qualify via age, also 2 overage players allowed.

There are only 6 teams left in the "reserve league" playing 10 games (only Killie and Dundee from the Premiership, Hibs and Motherwell withdrew), add in a run to the Reserve LC Final they play a max of 15 games a season. Again, a lot of these players already play in the CAS U18's.

There is not enough clubs out there willing to form a proper B or U23 league, most clubs do not want the expense of carrying a larger squad to make it work, unless the SPFL help fund it.  That said, I've heard of two other Premiership clubs who have been looking at what Hearts and Celtic are doing, what that leads to who knows, probably not a lot.

Scottish football needs to sort out this mess, but nobody seems willing to grasp the nettle.  Everyone got distracted by Maxwell's Conference League, an idea that isn't completely dead either.

So meantime Hearts and Celtic will continue in the LL and B teams in the SPFL diddy cup. That won't change short term.

 

[Burnieman]

4 hours ago, clansman said:

On the radio on the way home. Out of 178 players used on first day of the season in Premier league,  14 were Scots 23 or under. It's the  coaching that can't produce young players worth a jot B teams won't help. 

It's also managers not willing the give youth players a chance, and a cut-throat 12 team league that also contributes.

[Bestsinceslicebread]

On 09/08/2024 at 16:41, Bestsinceslicebread said:

It's not or should not be about, (about nothing in return), the pyramid should not be what SPFL clubs could attain at the time it should have been about getting Scottish football on a fair and even keel for everyone club with the possibility to progress and fans of all teams throughout Scotland benefiting with the highs and (lows).  Actually when you think of it, what the SPFL2 teams gain were better teams than them, giving a small chance of promotion.

The English league did it in 2002/03 with the National league gaining two promotion teams to League 2. This was caused by lot of outcry previously with no relegations places, obviously  a bigger nation but they have two automatic relegations from Division 2

 

On 10/08/2024 at 10:03, Brazilianlex said:

I was never a fan of B Teams or the proposed conference that was proposed by SFA but I’m increasingly being persuaded that the LL isn’t fit for purpose as a 5th tier of Scottish football.

Teams now joining the Junior Cup and some nonsense “European” competition with the fixture issues it will cause makes the LL a Mickey Mouse competition not fit to be in the professional game.

Not sure what the answer is to a meaningful 5th tier but it’s not the LL in its current form.

Once everyone found out all the information regarding the tier 5 with the B teams, they began to see the truth and the purpose behind the B teams, especially with the Old Firm, aided and abetted by Ian Maxwell SFA chairman and SPFl's Neil Doncaster, trying to get a foot in and thus demoting 200 teams down a tier more.  It was so corrupt with the SPFL & SPFL hierarchy doing their utmost to try and make the new teir 5 with b teams  happen was unbelievable and then Rangers being found out cause they didn't get their way, they went in a huff and left the league. 

Me personally, I'm never persuaded by anything,  I try to find the truth of most things, positive and negative and see what my thoughts are.  When we are looking at this we have to try and look at it objectively and by that,  I mean the whole of Scottish football as at tier 5 we not only have Lowland League but also Highland league, who are both district of Scotland, North and South associations, level and then we have Tier 4 - PSFL2 which is all in.

 

Many have questions;

So how can the Lowland league be viewed as, not fit for purpose, is it the way they don't want any teams coming up, even if the teams below are of a superior  standard (debatable) compared to most?.  is it the way folk look at it being self preservation and corrupt with the Lowland league chairman, Thomas Brown going on a podcast and saying no matter how his league, (lowland) and the highland league vote, the B teams are coming in at tier 5?. This tells me he's been nobbled, corrupt and only thinking of himself, how he is still chairman I have no idea.  Is it the way the Lowland league teamed voted against even speaking about voting regarding relegation from the LL?

 

What we do or everyone does in finding whatever options there are also brings other problems, some worse than others.:
Should the top 8 merge with the top 8 of the lowland and make one a national league but this is at the precipice where teams could not function with too much travelling and not enough money and how would we have it underneath the national, you would have to make the relegation into district areas like they are now but what happened if we have four relegated, and 4 are from the Highland, none for the tradition Lowland, again problems.

It can create bigger headaches. 

I'm quite happy at Lowland and Highland the way they are situated at tier 5.  We should have the SPFL have 1 automatic relegation and 1 playoff, (at the very least). So Highland play Lowland to see who goes up and then the losers get second chance and play 2nd bottom team or can we allows and from Highland and Lowland and the 2nd bottom of SPFL2 go into semis and including the loser of the (Highland/Lowland) promotion play off and then thats not taking into account how we work on the promotions and relegation to and from Lowland and to the Highland leagues

Many want changes but we have to be realistic in change and have the right fit for all to be given a fair chance of prosper

Edited August 13 by Bestsinceslicebread

[Brazilianlex]

16 hours ago, Bestsinceslicebread said:

 

Once everyone found out all the information regarding the tier 5 with the B teams, they began to see the truth and the purpose behind the B teams, especially with the Old Firm, aided and abetted by Ian Maxwell SFA chairman and SPFl's Neil Doncaster, trying to get a foot in and thus demoting 200 teams down a tier more.  It was so corrupt with the SPFL & SPFL chairmen doing their utmost to try and make it happen was unbelievable and then being found out that Rangers didn't get their way, they went in a huff and left the league. 

Me personally, I'm never persuaded by anything,  I try to find the truth of most things, positive and negative and see what my thoughts are.  When we are looking at this we have to try and look at it objectively and by that,  I mean the whole of Scottish football as at tier 5 we not only have Lowland League but also Highland league, who are district of Scotland, North and South and Tier 4 is all in.

 

Many have questions;

So how can the Lowland league be viewed as, not fit for purpose, is it the way they don't want any teams coming up, even if the teams below are of a superior  standard (debatable) compared to most?.  is it the way folk look at it being self preservation and corrupt with the Lowland league chairman, Thomas Brown going on a podcast and saying no matter how his league, (lowland) and the highland league vote, the B teams are coming in at tier 5?. This tells me he's been nobbled, corrupt and only thinking of himself, how he is still chairman I have no idea.  Is it the way the Lowland league teamed voted against even speaking about voting regarding relegation from the LL?

 

What we do or everyone does in finding whatever options there are also brings other problems, some worse than others.:
Should the top 8 merge with the top 8 of the lowland and make one a national league but this is at the precipice where teams could not function with too much travelling and not enough money and how would we have it underneath the national, you would have to make the relegation into district areas like they are now but what happened if we have four relegated, and 4 are from the Highland, none for the tradition Lowland, again problems.

It can create bigger headaches. 

I'm quite happy at Lowland and Highland the way they are situated at tier 5.  We should have the SPFL have 1 automatic relegation and 1 playoff, (at the very least). So Highland play Lowland to see who goes up and then the losers get second chance and play 2nd bottom team or can we allows and from Highland and Lowland and the 2nd bottom of SPFL2 go into semis and including the loser of the (Highland/Lowland) promotion play off and then thats not taking into account how we work on the promotions and relegation to and from Lowland and to the Highland leagues

Many want changes but we have to be realistic in change and have the right fit for all to be given a fair chance of prosper

A National conference would be the best option if SFA and SPFL actually provided some finance to support it but not sure HL would be interested, they like what they have whereas LL Clubs just continually bleat about automatic promotion while doing nothing to improve the competition or facilities.

[Bestsinceslicebread]

On 11/08/2024 at 03:49, Bestsinceslicebread said:

 

Once everyone found out all the information regarding the tier 5 with the B teams, they began to see the truth and the purpose behind the B teams, especially with the Old Firm, aided and abetted by Ian Maxwell SFA chairman and SPFl's Neil Doncaster, trying to get a foot in and thus demoting 200 teams down a tier more.  It was so corrupt with the SPFL & SPFL chairmen doing their utmost to try and make it happen was unbelievable and then being found out that Rangers didn't get their way, they went in a huff and left the league. 

Me personally, I'm never persuaded by anything,  I try to find the truth of most things, positive and negative and see what my thoughts are.  When we are looking at this we have to try and look at it objectively and by that,  I mean the whole of Scottish football as at tier 5 we not only have Lowland League but also Highland league, who are district of Scotland, North and South and Tier 4 is all in.

 

Many have questions;

So how can the Lowland league be viewed as, not fit for purpose, is it the way they don't want any teams coming up, even if the teams below are of a superior  standard (debatable) compared to most?.  is it the way folk look at it being self preservation and corrupt with the Lowland league chairman, Thomas Brown going on a podcast and saying no matter how his league, (lowland) and the highland league vote, the B teams are coming in at tier 5?. This tells me he's been nobbled, corrupt and only thinking of himself, how he is still chairman I have no idea.  Is it the way the Lowland league teamed voted against even speaking about voting regarding relegation from the LL?

 

What we do or everyone does in finding whatever options there are also brings other problems, some worse than others.:
Should the top 8 merge with the top 8 of the lowland and make one a national league but this is at the precipice where teams could not function with too much travelling and not enough money and how would we have it underneath the national, you would have to make the relegation into district areas like they are now but what happened if we have four relegated, and 4 are from the Highland, none for the tradition Lowland, again problems.

It can create bigger headaches. 

I'm quite happy at Lowland and Highland the way they are situated at tier 5.  We should have the SPFL have 1 automatic relegation and 1 playoff, (at the very least). So Highland play Lowland to see who goes up and then the losers get second chance and play 2nd bottom team or can we allows and from Highland and Lowland and the 2nd bottom of SPFL2 go into semis and including the loser of the (Highland/Lowland) promotion play off and then thats not taking into account how we work on the promotions and relegation to and from Lowland and to the Highland leagues

Many want changes but we have to be realistic in change and have the right fit for all to be given a fair chance of prosper

 

On 11/08/2024 at 20:03, Brazilianlex said:

A National conference would be the best option if SFA and SPFL actually provided some finance to support it but not sure HL would be interested, they like what they have whereas LL Clubs just continually bleat about automatic promotion while doing nothing to improve the competition or facilities.

Without doubt, that sounds ideal and I think your 100% correct it needs financed but there isn't any money n football from the governing bodies.  Again if we do that, it will still create problems regarding relegation and promotion to the National conference league. 

If we look at the pyramid system in it entirety, there are small things/problems, (most teams, fans at those divisions wont think there's anything wrong), at most of the levels and is mainly down to self interest thats stops the pyramid from progressing, I'm sure change will happen but when, unsure, maybe a long time but the pyramid is here to stay.

Edited August 13 by Bestsinceslicebread

[Deanburn Dave]

Turkeys don't vote for Christmas.   

The set up in the top 4 tiers won't change in the next decade no matter how much we think it should.

[Bestsinceslicebread]

On 11/08/2024 at 21:01, Deanburn Dave said:

Turkeys don't vote for Christmas.   

The set up in the top 4 tiers won't change in the next decade no matter how much we think it should.

Don't think I ever said they would vote for a change, think made it quite clear.  In all honesty, if we want better football and a fairer system then thats what should be done for the benefit of Scottish football.  Yeah these clubs would vote for no change but with exception of EK losing to Stranraer in the SPFL2 playoff, we do expect more traditionally SPFL teams to be relegated to the LL/HL under the current system and when they do, I genuinely don't expect them to come back for a long, long time and hopefully all the ones going up will see sense and try and get it change, well I'd love to think that would happen but they might adopt self interest like the rest but you never know

Edited August 13 by Bestsinceslicebread

[tamthebam]

It's 30 years too late but I just thought of a good title for a Strollers' fanzine: 

CS Gas