National Conference League

[welshbairn]

2 minutes ago, Cowdenleith said:

Are you so incandescent with rage at Cowdenbeath fans that you couldn’t get the words out?

 

If you scroll up to Brazilianlex's post above it will make sense. Nothing personal was meant by quoting you in particular.

[Cowdenleith]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

If you scroll up to Brazilianlex's post above it will make sense. Nothing personal was meant by quoting you in particular.

I see what you mean.

I can only speak for myself when I say that given a simple yes/no answer, I would be a no every time, I don’t want the B teams in any league structure.

However, given that they have inveigled their way in on someone else’s watch, I accept that the directors of the club were put in a difficult position, and given the options put to them (whether or not most people believe these alternatives) they voted with the best intentions of the club at heart.  That’s what I have supported, not the B teams.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Cowdenleith

[cowdenbeath]

6 hours ago, welshbairn said:

 

 

 

 

So that’s a massive 2 and even then they don’t totally agree with it.

[vikingTON]

4 hours ago, Cowdenleith said:

I see what you mean.

I can only speak for myself when I say that given a simple yes/no answer, I would be a no every time, I don’t want the B teams in any league structure.

However, given that they have inveigled their way in on someone else’s watch, I accept that the directors of the club were put in a difficult position, and given the options put to them (whether or not most people believe these alternatives) they voted with the best intentions of the club at heart.  That’s what I have supported, not the B teams.

The directors of your club voted in favour of B teams in your league next season. If you support that decision then you also support B teams to a certain degree as well. 

[vikingTON]

NB: It's also worth remembering that the directors at several other clubs in the same league either

a) didn't use the 'difficult situation' claim to fold and support B teams - they voted No regardless or

b) Canvassed the views of their fanbase prior to making a decision. 

If Cowdenbeath fans are content with that then that's entirely their prerogative, but you can't also claim to be helpless victims and opponents of the B team conspiracy if you are.

Actions speak louder than words and those who took the action of trying to punt this shite into the sea where it belongs were let down by ten other clubs. 

[Brazilianlex]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

NB: It's also worth remembering that the directors at several other clubs in the same league either

a) didn't use the 'difficult situation' claim to fold and support B teams - they voted No regardless or

b) Canvassed the views of their fanbase prior to making a decision. 

If Cowdenbeath fans are content with that then that's entirely their prerogative, but you can't also claim to be helpless victims and opponents of the B team conspiracy if you are.

Actions speak louder than words and those who took the action of trying to punt this shite into the sea where it belongs were let down by ten other clubs. 

Do you think all SPFL Clubs inc your own will reveal how they voted at the AGM for the Conference ?

[Dunning1874]

18 hours ago, welshbairn said:

At the very least they have a vote in the SFA AGM, or are you saying that Maxwell can insert a new league into the middle of the pyramid without any league or club having a vote?

I think people are forgetting that on pyramid issues, Maxwell has form for presenting something as a fait accompli while ignoring the reality that individual leagues actually have a voice and can block it.

He openly told ERJFA clubs that they could enter the pyramid with their league intact at Tier 6 despite the EOSL already being there and said this was a done deal regardless of any objections the EOSL would inevitably have. Of course, with any changes to promotion playoffs from Tier 6 having to be agreed by the EOSL, in reality there was no way round that veto. The ERJFA couldn't come in intact at all never mind at Tier 6, and those holdouts in the ERJFA in the Lowland catchment did eventually have to join the EOSL with those north of it forming the Midlands League.

I can't claim to know the specifics of voting mechanisms on inserting a new league in between the SPFL and Highland/Lowland, but I simply can't believe none of those three leagues have any say whatsoever. They currently all have to vote in favour of any change to the Club 42 v HL/LL playoff, so how can there be a whole new tier inserted between them without any of them having a say?

Maybe they've engineered it in such a way that they can avoid having a vote of SPFL clubs and it's simply the SPFL board who need to vote in favour, so they'd have that sewn up.

Maybe they've even found a loophole which means it'll be the same with the Highland and Lowland and the boards can decide unilaterally without consulting their clubs. That could get it through the Lowland because Thomas Brown is evidently a lickspittle who actually wants this to happen but has faced no scrutiny beyond ridiculously softball questions from the Official Inspected Wallets podcast, while maybe there's still a streak of not giving a toss about the pyramid generally among some Highland clubs that could see it waved through with a shrug.

Maybe it does actually need a vote of Highland and Lowland clubs and they're just hoping they can bluff their way through it with empty threats. Lowland League clubs falling for them three years running is enough reason to be confident it might work.

What would be no surprise at all though is if Maxwell is simply blustering his way through this with a back of a fag packet proposal that will collapse under scrutiny, just as he did with the East Region, because he genuinely doesn't understand a thing about the pyramid he's trying to dictate to and destroy. At the very least there will have to be an SFA AGM vote, and hopefully there aren't enough useful idiots like Cowdenbeath to derail a resounding no vote. Follow it up with a resounding vote of no confidence in this charlatan Chief Executive.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Dunning1874

[EdinburghBlue]

22 hours ago, welshbairn said:

I don't see how a new league under the rules and structure of the SPFL (according to the Lowland League chairman), and involving promotion and demotion from and to it, can happen without a vote by SPFL members. According to the P&J/Mail article it will also go to a vote of SFA members which obviously includes them too.

If the SPFL Board is trying to force this through then it’s open to members to remove them and appoint a new Board

[EdinburghBlue]

21 hours ago, SJFCtheTeamForMe said:

Probably getting into conspiracy theory territory here but the continuation of making it harder for the ambitious, ex junior clubs or the current Lowland or Highland League clubs who've been spending money to progress their squad and facilities in a bid to make it into League 2 etc -has me convinced it's done to protect the current lower league sides scared of relegation out of League 2.

As you’ll have noticed, this thread is full of fans of part-time SPFL sides supporting the Conference League idea as protection against relegation.  Not spoken to anyone who wouldn’t prefer the LL (though better with 100% proper sides) than this Conference nonsense.

[EdinburghBlue]

18 hours ago, HorseyGhirl said:

So let's say this new league takes off whenever; 3 to 5 years down the road the marvellous b team concept is not providing the next internationalists, cause we all believe that's what the aim is AYE RIGHT.

What will be the next god awful change imposed on us poor supporters?

C teams? (They have them in Spain) The obvious argument being that these are needed to give all the Celtic and Rangers* players games because of the sizes of their squads. 

[SJFCtheTeamForMe]

25 minutes ago, EdinburghBlue said:

As you’ll have noticed, this thread is full of fans of part-time SPFL sides supporting the Conference League idea as protection against relegation.  Not spoken to anyone who wouldn’t prefer the LL (though better with 100% proper sides) than this Conference nonsense.

Even small benefits for fans like if there's new blood into the league you get to visit somewhere new?

As a St Johnstone fan the debate with other fans is "4 times a season is boring". I'm sure the same or similar experience and debate is had at the part time level for fans. 

The system doesn't need another League. I'd be in favour of less Leagues, Certainly not with Colt teams. 

[Pompey Blue]

13 hours ago, Stoosh83 said:

Scottish football, and how every decision that is made within it, absolutely bamboozles me. The SFA only seem to put forward a plan that results in a negative solution for the majority of clubs. 

I can't for the life of me understand they don't sort the pyramid in a positive manner for the vast majority of clubs.

SPL - 12 teams (I get why it has to be).

Championship - 12 teams ( would mean no relegation, and 2 teams still promoted, therefore positivity).

League 1 - 20 teams ( basically joining league 1&2 together, I can't see the sense in 2 part time clubs visiting each other twice) this would mean no relagation from league football, and both HL & LL champions going up.

After this setup should remain at regions, but clubs would have to be promoted to make up league numbers, rather than relegation.

This would allow play offs within every level of the pyramid, more teams being relegated from every league, and more importantly more teams in with a chance of promotion.

The best example I can give is boness United, who's fans complained they had nothing to play for in January. This is the result of a one up (possibly at that) one down in an absolute joke of a boring league, who get what they wish for. 

Swallow some pride and follow the English way. Meaningless games in January don't help any league.

 

Post of the thread for me. If dropping into non league wasn’t such a terrifying prospect we might get some real progress. The English model has to be followed. The conference there is a thriving league and I include conferences north and south too. That’s because there is a proper promotion and relegation model. Getting into the football league is attainable unlike Scotland where a club has to virtually complete the 12 tasks of Hercules before gaining promotion. Fluidity of movement between divisions is the lifeblood of any domestic league. Take that away and it becomes uncompetitive and stale. How can it be right that probably between 5-8 clubs who are stronger than most of league 2’s clubs are marooned in the LL and HL simply because it’s impossible to get promoted. Needs sorting. 

[weanjohnson]

8 hours ago, Cowdenleith said:

I accept that the directors of the club were put in a difficult position, and given the options put to them (whether or not most people believe these alternatives) they voted with the best intentions of the club at heart.  That’s what I have supported, not the B teams.

I bet our board are feeling really smart now that the SFA are throwing everyone under the bus anyway. Was thinking about buying a season ticket to back the new gaffer before this shambles, don't know when I'll be at a game again

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, EdinburghBlue said:

C teams? (They have them in Spain) The obvious argument being that these are needed to give all the Celtic and Rangers* players games because of the sizes of their squads. 

Why don't we just be done with it; replace every club in the country with CeltGers teams from A to Z. 

Then nobody has to pretend anymore that football outside the 2 is relevant.

Maybe that will work?

[Guest]

30 minutes ago, Pompey Blue said:

Post of the thread for me. If dropping into non league wasn’t such a terrifying prospect we might get some real progress. The English model has to be followed. The conference there is a thriving league and I include conferences north and south too. That’s because there is a proper promotion and relegation model. Getting into the football league is attainable unlike Scotland where a club has to virtually complete the 12 tasks of Hercules before gaining promotion. Fluidity of movement between divisions is the lifeblood of any domestic league. Take that away and it becomes uncompetitive and stale. How can it be right that probably between 5-8 clubs who are stronger than most of league 2’s clubs are marooned in the LL and HL simply because it’s impossible to get promoted. Needs sorting. 

I have no knowledge of the English Pyramid, just adding to your comment with some of my own thoughts.

The Conference is shown on pay tv, so gets revenue from that. No idea if they get any funding/prize money from the FA.

A massive worry for SPFL clubs, understandably, is there is no money in LL/HL from out with each clubs own funding i.e. prize money/SFA funding, at least I for one am not aware of any.

If there is prize money or other funding, please feel free to enlighten me.

[welshbairn]

15 minutes ago, HorseyGhirl said:

I have no knowledge of the English Pyramid, just adding to your comment with some of my own thoughts.

The Conference is shown on pay tv, so gets revenue from that. No idea if they get any funding/prize money from the FA.

A massive worry for SPFL clubs, understandably, is there is no money in LL/HL from out with each clubs own funding i.e. prize money/SFA funding, at least I for one am not aware of any.

If there is prize money or other funding, please feel free to enlighten me.

I saw a quote from Brora in 2020 saying the prize money for winning the Highland League was £2000. For comparison Club 42 got £45000.

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

I saw a quote from Brora in 2020 saying the prize money for winning the Highland League was £2000. For comparison Club 42 got £45000.

Imagine being Chairman of Brechin City during their relegation season, I know there is the parachute payment, but that is a real-world worry for these clubs and they would not be doing their job as a chairman if they didn't try to avoid this potential abyss for their club/clubs.

How do we get funds further down the pyramid?

Oh yeah b teams, LLland found the answer (sarcasm).

 

[realmadrid]

I am as against this idea as the majority of fans are on here but could not get my head around the small size of this league until last night

They would need it as small as 10 so they can get 4 bigot matches in to then allow those two clubs to recover their entry fees from the 10000 knuckle draggers who will go along to watch their half of the divide against "them" . The rest of the season will be played in front of family and friends yet at the end of the season the average gate will be over 1000 and classed as a success.  

 

[FairWeatherFan]

3 minutes ago, realmadrid said:

I am as against this idea as the majority of fans are on here but could not get my head around the small size of this league until last night

They would need it as small as 10 so they can get 4 bigot matches in to then allow those two clubs to recover their entry fees from the 10000 knuckle draggers who will go along to watch their half of the divide against "them" . The rest of the season will be played in front of family and friends yet at the end of the season the average gate will be over 1000 and classed as a success.  

 

That

and the pittance they're putting in split 6 ways seems like meaningful money.

[Jimmain]

6 minutes ago, realmadrid said:

The rest of the season will be played in front of family and friends yet at the end of the season the average gate will be over 1000 and classed as a success.  

 

...that's the crux of it...the media will run with that as they are lap dogs to the big two, and that's all that matters.

Then...'See the benefits having the Scum (I'm paraphrasing...I don't think they will use that accurate description) in the Conference...surely it would benefit Thcottish Ffffootbaw to have them higher up the Pyramid...' blah, blah,FUCKING blah...