peternapper Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 Still cannot understand the attraction of this conference over a reserve league between professional clubs, could surely involve teams like Falkirk, Dunfermline Dundee and the like which could provide much better opposition than most HFL & LL clubs, what am i missing if they only want games for 18/21 year olds 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdenbeath Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 1 hour ago, Pompey Blue said: True it’s a well established set up and even clubs way down the ladder, say level 9 or 10 on the pyramid can dream of league football simply because there’s a clear path through promotions. The Scottish pyramid seems more like a bunch of sealed boxes piled on top of each other where getting promoted is more of a maybe than a reality. Aye their one is a lot better organised with the National going from part time to almost fully full time as EFL clubs dropped into it over the years. At least if you do drop out of the 92 you have a good league to fall into. Our pyramid was thrown together in too much of a rush with little thought. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redcar Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 18 minutes ago, peternapper said: Still cannot understand the attraction of this conference over a reserve league between professional clubs, could surely involve teams like Falkirk, Dunfermline Dundee and the like which could provide much better opposition than most HFL & LL clubs, what am i missing if they only want games for 18/21 year olds They want their B teams to work their way up the SPFL so they can have a decent income through the gate every week, instead of every fortnight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peternapper Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 7 minutes ago, Redcar said: They want their B teams to work their way up the SPFL so they can have a decent income through the gate every week, instead of every fortnight. You mean they will not keep the promise of no promotion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnieman Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 26 minutes ago, cowdenbeath said: Aye their one is a lot better organised with the National going from part time to almost fully full time as EFL clubs dropped into it over the years. At least if you do drop out of the 92 you have a good league to fall into. Our pyramid was thrown together in too much of a rush with little thought. The LL could have been the best league outside the top two divisions, it probably still can be once B teams are punted (if they ever are) and we get better pro/rel to flush out the turds quicker and get proper football clubs in there. Mind you, it'll be tier 23 by then if the SFA get their way. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowdenbeath Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 3 minutes ago, Burnieman said: The LL could have been the best league outside the top two divisions, it probably still can be once B teams are punted (if they ever are) and we get better pro/rel to flush out the turds quicker and get proper football clubs in there. Mind you, it'll be tier 23 by then if the SFA get their way. Agree with that BM it should have been the best non league if it had been planned properly. I always thought it was rushed through too quickly and it didn’t help with the reluctance of the SJFA not getting on board from the start. The B teams just put the tin hat on it, but if it had started out with the genuine 16 best non league clubs it may never have happened. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hampden Diehard Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 1 hour ago, Redcar said: They want their B teams to work their way up the SPFL so they can have a decent income through the gate every week, instead of every fortnight. I would suggest that if the Premier played their reserve games at their own parks on a Saturday at 3pm, they'd attract decent crowds. There are no live matches on the TV so they wouldn't be competing with their first team. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigkillie Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 26 minutes ago, Hampden Diehard said: I would suggest that if the Premier played their reserve games at their own parks on a Saturday at 3pm, they'd attract decent crowds. There are no live matches on the TV so they wouldn't be competing with their first team. Clubs don't have big enough squads to do this - at least half of our reserve team has been guys who have been on the bench for the first team. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossilYM Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 1 hour ago, Redcar said: They want their B teams to work their way up the SPFL so they can have a decent income through the gate every week, instead of every fortnight. If that's the case why do they in out the way places? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 (edited) 26 minutes ago, PossilYM said: If that's the case why do they in out the way places? I think they're some rule that they're not allowed to play in their home stadium, an Aberdeen b-team wouldn't be permitted to play at Pittodrie according to the P&J, God knows why.. Edited April 28, 2023 by welshbairn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanley Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 The original decision to let the Old Firm B teams in a couple of years ago was much more significant than the Lowland League portrayed it at the time and it has opened up a whole new set of events. 1) By voting to let the Old Firm B teams in, they legitimised the concept of having B teams in the pyramid (higher up than the SoS/EoS). As soon as the B teams get in, it becomes more 'accepted'. Every year they're allowed back in, it becomes normal to have B teams in the Lowland League and gives them some power to start arguing for more. It was a terrible decision at the time and I don't think there was anyone on the forum who thought it would be one year only (I don't honestly believe even the Lowland League clubs thought it). 2) The Old Firm B teams must have been delighted when Hearts got accepted too. In reality, this entire thing is simply about getting the Old Firm B teams into the SPFL. That's clearly the long-term goal. You start by getting into the Lowland League and doing well in the league. You then start arguing that you should be able to be promoted/placed higher up. They're gradually overcoming each obstacle until eventually they get into the SPFL somehow. This has nothing to do with Hearts, Aberdeen etc. but Hearts joining helped the Old Firm inadvertently by making them be able to argue that all B teams should be allowed in so it feels like less of an Old Firm vs. the rest argument. 3) I'm not even convinced anyone (including the Old Firm) wants this conference idea. It helped first of all as another terrible argument for the Lowland League accepting the clubs ('it's either they get back into the Lowland League or they set up a new Conference League'). It's all just a stepping stone to them being allowed into the SPFL. Kind of like they're suggesting the worst possible ideas in the hope that the clubs eventually just give in and let them into League Two. I definitely think the initial decision to allow them into the Lowland League a couple of years ago will end up in them getting into the SPFL one day. I hope I'm wrong but it's been my worry from the start. It's a slippery slope from "one season only" to multiple seasons to non-Old Firm B teams to ridiculous conference ideas to eventually SPFL. They'll probably get in through some expanded SPFL/automatic League Two relegation type deal to bargain with the SPFL and non-league clubs. Basically, they'll tie in Old Firm B sides to something completely unconnected like automatic promotion to League Two (and expanded League Two to help convince smaller SPFL clubs that they'll be able to survive in the league for longer) to get it through and say it's the only way they'll get what they want. Thoroughly depressing situation. To think that they could actually be looking at non league football and trying to bring in positive changes that almost everyone on here would agree with e.g. 1) automatic relegation spot from League Two and 2) automatic promotion spots from Level 6 but, instead, it all becomes about the Old Firm. It's such a shame because there has been such a huge amount of progress in non-league football and hardly anyone would have believed we'd have a unified system by now had you asked a few years ago about the seniors/juniors merging. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 4 hours ago, welshbairn said: EXCLUSIVE: Aberdeen colts team entry into SFA’s new Conference League not a done deal yet – as Dons weigh up fifth-tier pros and cons EXCLUSIVE: Aberdeen colts team entry into SFA’s new Conference League not a done deal yet – as Dons weigh up fifth-tier pros and cons Turns out LL2 wasn't for a division below but a division above. Potentially no Highland area B teams. No automatic promotion from the Highland League. Only 1-2 Highland League teams in the first batch. One of whom may be Brechin City, who aren't really seen as a Highland League team. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 20 minutes ago, FairWeatherFan said: Turns out LL2 wasn't for a division below but a division above. Potentially no Highland area B teams. No automatic promotion from the Highland League. Only 1-2 Highland League teams in the first batch. One of whom may be Brechin City, who aren't really seen as a Highland League team. Simple solution, HL stays at tier 5 and Champion plays off against Conference non B-team champ to play club 42. They can't expect a Highland League team to play all but maybe one of their away games in Lowland League territory. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnieman Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyro Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 (edited) What strikes me is this all boils down to the management of the Lowland League’s failure to find a decent sponsor and inevitably get hi-jacked by Conman Clarke and other OF craven companies. Maybe it’s about time they done their jobs properly and found this league a proper, LONG TERM sponsor?! It will mean having to open up relegation spots and shift the deadwood though, but the club chairmen are easily bought so how hard can it be? They have claimed in the past it’s hard to find a sponsor for a single, 16 team league… but for a long as I have known, the Highland League have always had a sponsor. Edited April 28, 2023 by Spyro 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 13 minutes 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. Don't bring the Highland League into it, the Lowland League should have known there would be a price when they played footsie with the devil. Never going to happen anyway imo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnieman Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 Just now, welshbairn said: Don't bring the Highland League into it, the Lowland League should have known there would be a price when they played footsie with the devil. Never going to happen anyway imo. The HL are in it whether they like it or not. I hope none of it happens either. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 4 minutes ago, Burnieman said: The HL are in it whether they like it or not. I hope none of it happens either. I would say the Highland League have had some involvement at Board level at the very least. If the Conference was to be pushed through next season only 1 Highland team would have been in the 8. Now it's still a case of 1-2. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 7 minutes ago, Burnieman said: The HL are in it whether they like it or not. I hope none of it happens either. It's hard enough finding Highland League clubs who want to play in L2 far less this shite. It would break the pyramid, above Highland League in the North anyway. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, Hampden Diehard said: I would suggest that if the Premier played their reserve games at their own parks on a Saturday at 3pm, they'd attract decent crowds. There are no live matches on the TV so they wouldn't be competing with their first team. It’s not 1950, people don’t ignore their own teams matches to go watch the reserves. 1 hour ago, welshbairn said: I think they're some rule that they're not allowed to play in their home stadium, an Aberdeen b-team wouldn't be permitted to play at Pittodrie according to the P&J, God knows why.. it’s not rule, the big clubs just don’t want to ruin their home pitch for 3 mums and dads to turn up, they can however for some fucked up reason randomly change their home ground for a bigot fest Edited April 28, 2023 by parsforlife 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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