[scotchanwry]

By any European ... or British ... standard, what SFA have proposed for consultation is NOT A PYRAMID. It simply means continuation of SPL/SFL control and destruction of the game, with a tiny new non-league `elite`.

The idea of immediate relegation for the majority of HFL .... because SFL will never accept a league of ten HFL sides to drop into .... is that it should be rejected by all concerned as hopelessly inadequate. At the same time, leagues and clubs should begin to put in place alternative systems that WILL force SPL/SFL to face up to the inevitable hand over of power in Scotland (to a legitimate body open to access and democracy).

HIGHLAND LEAGUE ... set to be broken up by SFA`s idiotic ideas ... should immediately form a SECOND DIVISION from North and Tayside Juniors (12-13), which in 13-14 could provide 3 promotions, regardless of any `standards` or licencing requirements. Other clubs would have to be in either NOS, North East or Tayside `feeder` leagues to access this 2nd division from 13-14, thus creating a complete structure north of the Tay.

South of the Tay, EoS and SoS should invite any Junior clubs to join them in forming the SOUTH `PRO` SYSTEM, for 12-13... which would be 18 clubs `Super` and 18 clubs in each of WEST and EAST Divs 1. Any clubs not in these divisions would have to play in one of SIX nominated regional divisions to feed into this structure. Amateur clubs .. with a half-decent park .. could join at the same time.

SJFA should not be involved. Scottish Football clearly needs a decent, ordered, competitive structure, which neither SFA, nor SJFA have ever organised ... and never will. What they will do, however, is continually produce `fudge` solutions to keep themselves in power.

[Kitty_Boy]

scotchanwry, on 05 January 2012 - 15:15, said:

By any European ... or British ... standard, what SFA have proposed for consultation is NOT A PYRAMID. It simply means continuation of SPL/SFL control and destruction of the game, with a tiny new non-league `elite`.

The idea of immediate relegation for the majority of HFL .... because SFL will never accept a league of ten HFL sides to drop into .... is that it should be rejected by all concerned as hopelessly inadequate. At the same time, leagues and clubs should begin to put in place alternative systems that WILL force SPL/SFL to face up to the inevitable hand over of power in Scotland (to a legitimate body open to access and democracy).

HIGHLAND LEAGUE ... set to be broken up by SFA`s idiotic ideas ... should immediately form a SECOND DIVISION from North and Tayside Juniors (12-13), which in 13-14 could provide 3 promotions, regardless of any `standards` or licencing requirements. Other clubs would have to be in either NOS, North East or Tayside `feeder` leagues to access this 2nd division from 13-14, thus creating a complete structure north of the Tay.

South of the Tay, EoS and SoS should invite any Junior clubs to join them in forming the SOUTH `PRO` SYSTEM, for 12-13... which would be 18 clubs `Super` and 18 clubs in each of WEST and EAST Divs 1. Any clubs not in these divisions would have to play in one of SIX nominated regional divisions to feed into this structure. Amateur clubs .. with a half-decent park .. could join at the same time.

SJFA should not be involved. Scottish Football clearly needs a decent, ordered, competitive structure, which neither SFA, nor SJFA have ever organised ... and never will. What they will do, however, is continually produce `fudge` solutions to keep themselves in power.

Imagine joining P&B on Christmas Day. With an alias too. Incredible.

[craigkillie]

This will be an alias of "mick90". The only shock is that he failed to advertise his website like he usually does.

[Hampden Diehard]

What's being proposed is just a fudge, basically because the proposers of the brave new world for Scottish fitba know that the big junior clubs would want to stay in their own wee world....which is fine, and I understand that. It makes sense. We aren't starting with a clean sheet of paper here. 100 years of the juniors can't be swept away without a whimper, so it won't happen.

There is so little cash going into the lower leagues, it's not worth the likes of Auchinleck gambling on reaching the senior structure. Why would they want to swap games with Kilbirnie and Cumnock etc for games with the Shire or Montrose? Who would their fans rather watch their team battle with? The pyramid is only a sideshow anyway. Basically the top two in the SPL each year will each pick up more or less twice what the third team down will get. Now, I wonder why that is? It's so far skewed towards the top two, it's criminal.....but the rest of the mugs will vote for it.

The footballing authorities fawn over the OF endlessly in an effort to improve Scotland's club showing in Europe. They get 45,000-60,000 each week, and yet they still get tanned by sides who count 5,000 as a good gate. Then they'll whine about how much money the English sides get. Other "wee" teams seem to do OK in Europe, but not ours. maybe it's time to look at what is wrong with the OF rather than blame everyone else. EG two totally inexperienced managers in charge of clubs who see themselves as "big", and a bevvy culture amongst the players (and management). PLG got it right, and look what happened to him. Ousted by a steamer and a spineless board.

On a more general note, the proposal is for the SPL to take over the running of Scottish football. Wee Fergus McCann's aim is nearing completion. Bring back Jim Farry.

This post has been edited by Hampden Diehard: 05 January 2012 - 21:18

[The Old Northerner]

Hampden Diehard, on 05 January 2012 - 21:06, said:

There is so little cash going into the lower leagues, it's not worth the likes of Auchinleck gambling on reaching the senior structure. Why would they want to swap games with Kilbirnie and Cumnock etc for games with the Shire or Montrose? Who would their fans rather watch their team battle with?

It would be much less of a gamble than it is now where you have to do your stadium up, wait for another club to die and then hope you win a ballot. If the requirements are 1) laid out fair and square and 2) achieveable (and that is a big IF) then people might be that bit more interested. "Be the best you can be" will take on a different meaning if the glass ceilings/floors are removed.

[LongTimeLurker]

Another angle would be that having relegation in place removes the danger of winding up like Elgin City or East Stirling. It's probably more realistic for clubs like Deveronvale, Buckie Thistle and Inverurie Locos to aim to be yo-yo teams between the Highland League and SFL3 than to try to step up permanently to playing in divisions that are national in scope.

Best to ignore the rantings of the OP given the way he expresses his ideas, but what surprises me about the SFA's plans is the insistence on having 10 clubs in the proposed north and south feeder divisions. Seems to me that 16 clubs north of a line running from about Stonehaven to Pitlochry and Oban (add Banks o Dee and ditch Fort William, Speyside Thistle and either Rothes or Brora then use the North Caledonian League and North Region juniors as feeders) would be a better fit up north and would probably be a lot easier to sell to Highland League clubs than the concept of trying to keep the Highland League going after taking away its top half to form a new north feeder combined with clubs from Tayside.

This post has been edited by LongTimeLurker: 08 January 2012 - 11:58

[strathspey thistle]

LongTimeLurker, on 08 January 2012 - 11:51, said:

Speyside Thistle

what league do they play in??

[ayrmad]

strathspey thistle, on 08 January 2012 - 20:00, said:

what league do they play in??

The wrong one.

[strathspey thistle]

ayrmad, on 08 January 2012 - 20:13, said:

The wrong one.

there isnt such a team

[LongTimeLurker]

Ye ken fine weel whit ah meant. The good thing about a pyramid is that every team finds its level and the Fort William scenario of season after season of getting annihilated all season long is avoided.

This post has been edited by LongTimeLurker: 08 January 2012 - 22:22

[ayrmad]

strathspey thistle, on 08 January 2012 - 20:27, said:

there isnt such a team

I realised that given your username.

[scotchanwry]

LongTimeLurker, on 08 January 2012 - 11:51, said:

Another angle would be that having relegation in place removes the danger of winding up like Elgin City or East Stirling. It's probably more realistic for clubs like Deveronvale, Buckie Thistle and Inverurie Locos to aim to be yo-yo teams between the Highland League and SFL3 than to try to step up permanently to playing in divisions that are national in scope.

Best to ignore the rantings of the OP given the way he expresses his ideas, but what surprises me about the SFA's plans is the insistence on having 10 clubs in the proposed north and south feeder divisions. Seems to me that 16 clubs north of a line running from about Stonehaven to Pitlochry and Oban (add Banks o Dee and ditch Fort William, Speyside Thistle and either Rothes or Brora then use the North Caledonian League and North Region juniors as feeders) would be a better fit up north and would probably be a lot easier to sell to Highland League clubs than the concept of trying to keep the Highland League going after taking away its top half to form a new north feeder combined with clubs from Tayside.

The Highland League have confirmed their view that SFA proposals are NOT-A-PYRAMID and have rejected it UNANIMOUSLY. They plan to propose a `progressive programme` later in February. But this is probably just another peice of information that the extremely backward people don`t want to read about ...