National Conference League

[Sparticus]

What’s really needed is a decent reserve league.

If there was some kind of corrupt conference league starting surely all Scottish clubs should be offered b teams in no?

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Sparticus

[welshbairn]

8 minutes ago, Sparticus said:

What’s really needed is a decent reserve league.

If there was some kind of corrupt conference by league starting surely all Scottish clubs should be offered in no?

 

Quite, the Lowland League is strictly limited to 16 by its constitution because it can't cope with any more ex-juniors, but somehow managed 19 this season. Why not 58?

[Burnieman]

7 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Quite, the Lowland League is strictly limited to 16 by its constitution because it can't cope with any more ex-juniors, but somehow managed 19 this season. Why not 58?

The SFA would not allow them to expand to 18, quite why I have  no idea, but when B teams came along they didn't seem concerned.

[searchers1963]

1 hour ago, Burnieman said:

If it comes to pass, which I clearly hope doesn't happen, make the Conference 16 teams. It's going to be run by the SPFL for at least 5 seasons so let them do it properly and get on with it. 

Have their 4 B teams, then the rest made-up of LL and HL sides.  Two auto relegated, LL and HL Champs auto promoted. Third bottom plays-off against LL and HL RU.  B teams can be relegated from Conference but never promoted to SPFL, Conference is the ceiling.

LL relegates bottom 3, EoS/WoS/SoS Champs auto promoted, with 4th bottom in a play off with EoS/WoS RU (or something like that). The much vaunted "increased ventilation".

It's shit that we're even in this position and fingers crossed the SFA AGM sinks it without trace, but if it's going to be done, try and salvage something from it.  I've put more thought into this shit show in 10 minutes than Maxwell over the last 9 months.

 

As much as I don't like the concept of the b teams being involved does their come a point where we accept them being in the lowland league as a better option than the conference.

 

Let's be honest they will likely change their mind in a couple of years and we might get rid

[welshbairn]

First voice from the Highland League coming from Nairn.

https://nairncountyfc.co.uk/news/supporters-update-proposed-conference-league/

Quote

In light of recent news reports about the proposed new Conference League at Tier 5, as a club, we would like to put on record that we do not support the creation of the Conference League.

It would be hypocritical of us to be against B teams given the fact we have had a reserve side in the North Caledonian League for the past three seasons.

What we are against is changing the pyramid model to cater to four clubs so they can parachute their B teams into Tier 5 on a permanent basis and essentially relegate both the Highland and Lowland Leagues and all other tiers below. At what point does four become six or eight other Premiership clubs wanting a B team parachuted in?

There are plenty of ambitious non-league clubs who want to further themselves but are finding that an additional hurdle is forcibly being put in place to prevent clubs at our level and below from being able to progress in a fair manner.

As part of an initial document that outlined the Scottish FA objectives, we were presented with strengths and weaknesses of the conference league, there was no reference to any perceived weaknesses to the existing non-league clubs at our tier and below. The weaknesses were too concerned about lack of promotion and relegation for the B sides.

With no promotion or relegation for the B teams, there is every chance a ‘normal’ team finishing in 6th place in the league would still get relegated.

There was no option to vote on keeping the status quo.

We might ‘only’ be Nairn County, but we want to ensure that the pyramid delivers for the whole of the game and not just four clubs who already have established teams within the pyramid.

 

[Ginaro]

32 minutes ago, searchers1963 said:

As much as I don't like the concept of the b teams being involved does their come a point where we accept them being in the lowland league as a better option than the conference.

Let's be honest they will likely change their mind in a couple of years and we might get rid

Well if their continued participation in the LL also came with the positive of improved "ventilation" at either end then that would be a lot more acceptable, rather than just the negatives.

[edinabear]

I'm a bit of dick on this forum but even I can admit this conference league is a pretty horrible idea. 

A normal side finishing 6th and being relegated is just nonsense. 

The only way it could almost be passable is put it to a 16/18 team league. The 4/6 B teams, 6 LL, 6 HL. 3 teams down, 2 teams up. Every team can go up and down like any normal league.

 

 

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, edinabear said:

I'm a bit of dick on this forum but even I can admit this conference league is a pretty horrible idea. 

A normal side finishing 6th and being relegated is just nonsense. 

The only way it could almost be passable is put it to a 16/18 team league. The 4/6 B teams, 6 LL, 6 HL. 3 teams down, 2 teams up. Every team can go up and down like any normal league.

 

 

You think you'd find 6 Highland League teams happy to play 2/3rds of away games in Lowland League territory? For a place in tier 5, where they already are? I just don't get why full time professional footballers signed by Rangers and Celtic would benefit from playing part-timers 4 or 5 tiers below anyway.

Edited April 28, 2023 by welshbairn

[Pompey Blue]

53 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

First voice from the Highland League coming from Nairn.

https://nairncountyfc.co.uk/news/supporters-update-proposed-conference-league/

 

Brilliant statement and finally the first club to stick their heads above the parapet and call out this garbage for what it really is. Let’s hope this leads to many other clubs issuing similarly strongly worded statements. 

[The Moonster]

8 hours ago, edinabear said:

I'm a bit of dick on this forum but even I can admit this conference league is a pretty horrible idea. 

A normal side finishing 6th and being relegated is just nonsense. 

The only way it could almost be passable is put it to a 16/18 team league. The 4/6 B teams, 6 LL, 6 HL. 3 teams down, 2 teams up. Every team can go up and down like any normal league.

 

 

Nah you can stick that up your arse as well.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

10 hours ago, welshbairn said:

First voice from the Highland League coming from Nairn.

https://nairncountyfc.co.uk/news/supporters-update-proposed-conference-league/

 

Great statement by Nairn, but we need more pressure from other clubs, especially via the supporters.  Some of our guys are holding back on season ticket renewals pending any voting process.

[San Starko Rover]

SFA and SPFL are an incompetent mess that really need gutting, Scottish football is so badly run from top to bottom with everything done to suit two teams and this B team nonsense just illustrates that point. I’m 100% against B teams and that includes the ones in Non League.  One club, one team but if they are going to allow them they should certainly have to start at the bottom of the pyramid.  They’ve no right to jump the Ex Junior clubs many of whom reluctantly joined the set up.

The sad thing here is the pyramid has the potential to be a good thing and the Lowland League could be a great league if they’d open up the bottlenecks at Tiers 4 and 5. Scottish football is never going to be on the level of the big boys of Europe but it’s certainly capable of far more than the current shambles of self interest.  It’s well supported with good attendance per head of population, there’s some really good rivalries across the country between passionate fan bases.  Sadly the SFA and SPFL are only interested in selling as many Old Firm games as possible to SKY TV, the last Edinburgh Derby wasn’t even televised. 

What’s badly needed is leadership who want to work on a product for Tiers 1-10 and promote our game at every level, the current mob want Celtic and Rangers winning the Premiership with their B teams winning the Championship what a terrible product for everyone outside those two clubs. It’s almost like Maxwell and Doncaster believe fans of the other clubs are just Old Firm fans without the bus fare and are delighted to see them. 

[Highland ITFC]

10 hours ago, Pompey Blue said:

Brilliant statement and finally the first club to stick their heads above the parapet and call out this garbage for what it really is. Let’s hope this leads to many other clubs issuing similarly strongly worded statements. 

A steady stream / flood of similar statements from Tier 5 & below would one hope put pressure on the SFA to seriously consider the groundswell of opinion within the game....one would hope?!

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

I'm proud of Nairn going public with the statement. Hopefully a lot more clubs at tier 5 and below have similar sentiments and will make it known. The SPFL and LL teams that have enabled this can go f**k themselves.

If the conference league is approved, I wouldn't be against the HFL deciding to remove themselves from the pyramid, even if it means sacrificing Scottish Cup entry. Outwith Brechin, the appetite for promotion for HFL clubs seems lukewarm at best.

[Ray Patterson]

How many clubs have full voting rights?

Is it every club in the top five tiers, or is it every member club in the top six tiers?

I know it's changed recently.

[Burnieman]

6 minutes ago, Ray Patterson said:

How many clubs have full voting rights?

Is it every club in the top five tiers, or is it every member club in the top six tiers?

I know it's changed recently.

Tier 5 and above, plus SFA members pre-2018, plus other Associations like the SWPL, EoSFA etc   (yes, womens football has a vote, but full SFA members below tier 5, who joined post-2018, do not)

[welshbairn]

22 minutes ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

I'm proud of Nairn going public with the statement. Hopefully a lot more clubs at tier 5 and below have similar sentiments and will make it known. The SPFL and LL teams that have enabled this can go f**k themselves.

If the conference league is approved, I wouldn't be against the HFL deciding to remove themselves from the pyramid, even if it means sacrificing Scottish Cup entry. Outwith Brechin, the appetite for promotion for HFL clubs seems lukewarm at best.

We could keep the pyramid going below, get our own Cup going for the Highland League, North Caley, North Juniors and Midland. Fuckem.

[EdinburghBlue]

Extremely worrying comments from the WoSFL chair about ‘this happening’ on Sam North’s video on last night’s WoSFL Cup final. 

[San Starko Rover]

8 minutes ago, Burnieman said:

Tier 5 and above, plus SFA members pre-2018, plus other Associations like the SWPL, EoSFA etc   (yes, womens football has a vote, but full SFA members below tier 5, who joined post-2018, do not)

Any idea how many total voters there are? Obviously the top 5 tiers is 76 votes.  But how many votes are held by historic members, SWPL, EOSFL etc.  interesting to know how many clubs / organisations are needed to vote it through or block it. 

[welshbairn]

8 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

Any idea how many total voters there are? Obviously the top 5 tiers is 76 votes.  But how many votes are held by historic members, SWPL, EOSFL etc.  interesting to know how many clubs / organisations are needed to vote it through or block it. 

Just Golspie and Fort William up here I think, Fort might vote Yes just to be bolshie.