Jump to content

League Vacancies


HibeeJibee

Recommended Posts

I knew the quote as well, if only because I was keen on history at school. It was solved by the combined Prussian/Austrian force giving the Danes a kicking in 1864.

Anyway I don't think Keil United have put in a bid for Lowland League membership yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 927
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Have The Rose shown any interest in joining the pyramid?

No - certainly not openly anyway. They are aligned to the SJFA view which is that they have no issue with the pyramid as I understand it. The problem for the SFA and SJFA is that the juniors is almost entirely led by the clubs. Not much ever changes in the absence of an overall majority vote. To an extent, it's a pure democracy but it stifles change because of the "Aye, but what about me?"line of thinking. There's a fine line between democratic and rudderless.

What Linlithgow does will be a decision for its members but I suspect their fervent hope is that a solution will be found at organisational level. I cannae see that happening based on the mood over in the Junior forum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No - certainly not openly anyway. They are aligned to the SJFA view which is that they have no issue with the pyramid as I understand it. The problem for the SFA and SJFA is that the juniors is almost entirely led by the clubs. Not much ever changes in the absence of an overall majority vote. To an extent, it's a pure democracy but it stifles change because of the "Aye, but what about me?"line of thinking. There's a fine line between democratic and rudderless.

What Linlithgow does will be a decision for its members but I suspect their fervent hope is that a solution will be found at organisational level. I cannae see that happening based on the mood over in the Junior forum.

Whatever the rest of the Juniors do, I hope Linlithgow Rose decide to stop kidding themselves that they've outgrown the Juniors, and the only way now is to be either dragged down with them in their hidebound Amishness to obscurity, or bite the bullet and lead the charge into the Lowland League.

At least in the LL, they will have a chance to shape its future as equals with like minded clubs wanting to advance the non-league grade - something there isn't a hope in hell of happening in the Juniors.

It may also make the remaining Junior clubs come to their senses if they lose one of their biggest names, or at least make certain clubs which ought to know better come to theirs and do something constructive about living in football's equivalent of the movie Groundhog Day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's not lose sight in all of this that it's the SFA that ultimately holds all the real power within the Scottish game as the FIFA recognised national association. If they wanted to do away with affiliated national associations, such as the SJFA, and streamline and modernise the whole system they could. Bitter criticism of the SJFA on this is a bit like getting upset with a ventriloquist's dummy. Personally, I suspect the east-west superleague initiative is aimed at making the juniors pyramid participants on paper without anything much really changing. Time will tell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How many amateurs out there still have their own ground, as opposed to being at the mercy of council refurbishments of the one they are tenants? It would be interesting to consider which ones would be likely candidates to consider the step up from that.

Some of the amateur sides have good pitches but none of the top teams have their own grounds as far as I know. Teams like colville park, harestanes, wellhouse, hurlford etc probably have no interest in stepping up. They are happy being the big fish. They are probably a million miles off having the required facilities anyway. Shame, as some of these sides have really good committees comparable to good junior sides who could easily compete with most sides in the lowland league

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's not lose sight in all of this that it's the SFA that ultimately holds all the real power within the Scottish game as the FIFA recognised national association. If they wanted to do away with affiliated national associations, such as the SJFA, and streamline and modernise the whole system they could. Bitter criticism of the SJFA on this is a bit like getting upset with a ventriloquist's dummy. Personally, I suspect the east-west superleague initiative is aimed at making the juniors pyramid participants on paper without anything much really changing. Time will tell.

I agree with this. The SFA could easily have resolved matters for every Junior team but opted not to. Given that they were supposed to be intent on some sort of root and branch review why did that not happen? Answer is that they pretty much parked matters once the rangers were sorted. I'm still reasonably convinced that it's in their SPFL members interests not to over-strengthen the non league element of the pyramid. As it stands there are 2 or 3 teams in the LL who would provide a challenge to a deposed SPFL team over a season but fire in Linlithgow, Auchinleck, Irvine Meadow and Bo'ness amongst others and life gets a tad tougher.

And of course they have no mechanism for recognising that an all in pyramid would create about 3 or 4 extra layers in the South compared to the north. I reckon it suits them just fine to retain the current position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of the amateur sides have good pitches but none of the top teams have their own grounds as far as I know. Teams like colville park, harestanes, wellhouse, hurlford etc probably have no interest in stepping up. They are happy being the big fish. They are probably a million miles off having the required facilities anyway. Shame, as some of these sides have really good committees comparable to good junior sides who could easily compete with most sides in the lowland league

steins thistle own their own ground...i think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with this. The SFA could easily have resolved matters for every Junior team but opted not to. Given that they were supposed to be intent on some sort of root and branch review why did that not happen? Answer is that they pretty much parked matters once the rangers were sorted. I'm still reasonably convinced that it's in their SPFL members interests not to over-strengthen the non league element of the pyramid. As it stands there are 2 or 3 teams in the LL who would provide a challenge to a deposed SPFL team over a season but fire in Linlithgow, Auchinleck, Irvine Meadow and Bo'ness amongst others and life gets a tad tougher.

And of course they have no mechanism for recognising that an all in pyramid would create about 3 or 4 extra layers in the South compared to the north. I reckon it suits them just fine to retain the current position.

I might be wrong, but I reckon the bottom SPFL clubs would be happier about dropping into a Lowland League containing some of those big Junior teams than they would be about the current league. Sure, the current league would be easier to win, but the Junior sides would probably bring bigger away crowds and also make the league more competitive which could drive up home crowds.

I imagine the likes of Clyde or East Stirlingshire would dread dropping into the current Lowland League, particularly given that it won't be that straightforward to get out even if they win it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not that I agree with that thought. Standard in the league is very. Certainly a substantially stronger league than EOS premier was

It feels to me a bit like the East Super League in the Juniors. You've got some pretty decent teams in there and some who shouldn't be at Tier 5. If you were to retain the top 4 or 6 and add in the top 5 from the East it would be a very decent league. Add in the top 5 from the West and it's a belter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It feels to me a bit like the East Super League in the Juniors. You've got some pretty decent teams in there and some who shouldn't be at Tier 5. If you were to retain the top 4 or 6 and add in the top 5 from the East it would be a very decent league. Add in the top 5 from the West and it's a belter.

It'd be better than spfl 2.......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I might be wrong, but I reckon the bottom SPFL clubs would be happier about dropping into a Lowland League containing some of those big Junior teams than they would be about the current league. Sure, the current league would be easier to win, but the Junior sides would probably bring bigger away crowds and also make the league more competitive which could drive up home crowds.

I imagine the likes of Clyde or East Stirlingshire would dread dropping into the current Lowland League, particularly given that it won't be that straightforward to get out even if they win it.

Shows how far Clyde have sunk when they're getting bracketed in the same breath as East Stirling :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...