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West of Scotland Senior League


edinabear

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It was mentioned in another thread but would it not be sensible for the governing body to set up a West of Scotland league at tier 6 level on a par with EofS and SofS.

Leave it open for applications.That way any West Juniors that want to embrace the pyramid can join and the rest can stay within the Junior game if they wish. This would address a lot of the lingering issues at this level hopefully.

Can have playoffs between eofs, sofs and wofs for places in lowland league.

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Lack of clubs in afraid. Even if you decided to divide the LL and open it up to clubs there would be no queue. It's a shame. It's clear east/west split is the ideal if a Juniors and Seniors do ever agree to promotion and relegation.

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Lack of clubs in afraid. Even if you decided to divide the LL and open it up to clubs there would be no queue. It's a shame. It's clear east/west split is the ideal if a Juniors and Seniors do ever agree to promotion and relegation.

The LL is set as it is. Rightly or wrongly it wont change. What many posters have highlighted is that there is no Senior West League. Where would Cumbernauld, BSC Glasgow, East Kilbride go if relegated? Another poster suggested SofS but that doesn't make sense either.

Form a WofS feeder league. I dont imagine all 50-60 junior teams will reject it and if they do then the Caledonian League can be used.

This would clear up once and for all the Junior elephant in the room. If they want to get involved then this is a clear pathway into the LL and SPFL

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I agree that logically, based on population and geography, there would be a western senior league. The issue is the current spread of licenced clubs. Only recently has the number in the Lowland area exceeded that in the Highland. SPFL feeders certainly need to be licenced and I think the current requirements are appropriate, perhaps even too lenient!

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I agree that logically, based on population and geography, there would be a western senior league. The issue is the current spread of licenced clubs. Only recently has the number in the Lowland area exceeded that in the Highland. SPFL feeders certainly need to be licenced and I think the current requirements are appropriate, perhaps even too lenient!

I think that within 10 years we'll have a 3 feeder system.

It really does depend on how many (if any) junior clubs wish to be part of the pyramid. Then again these are the clubs that refuse to use floodlights, even when they have them on site.

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As has been said before, unless the Lowland League is reformed into a LL (West) and LL (East), then you wont get much Junior interest.  Rightly or wrongly, the SJFA (and most clubs) see themselves at least on par with the LL, and won't entertain the idea of being a feeder to the LL.

 

There is not enough clubs for a West equivalent of the EoSFL, which itself is struggling with clubs leaving for the Juniors (Easthouses, Craigroyston, plus one or two others if rumours are to be believed). 

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It really does depend on how many (if any) junior clubs wish to be part of the pyramid...

 

It also depends on whether the SFA has any desire to have a genuine pyramid. They have the power to disaffiliate the SJFA and SAFA and tell the component parts to affiliate directly. Having parallel national associations is contradictory to having a unified pyramid.

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It also depends on whether the SFA has any desire to have a genuine pyramid. They have the power to disaffiliate the SJFA and SAFA and tell the component parts to affiliate directly. Having parallel national associations is contradictory to having a unified pyramid.

Yeah, I'll agree with you on that.

Way too much self-interest in the game. 

The SPFL want as few tier 5 leagues as possible

Clubs in the LL do not want their status in terms of the pyramid to be diluted

With the odd exception the (especially West) Juniors want to keep their leagues as localised as possible

The SFA members don't want 100+ new members diluting their share of the profits and have no will to create a pyramid.

 

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As has been said before, unless the Lowland League is reformed into a LL (West) and LL (East), then you wont get much Junior interest.  Rightly or wrongly, the SJFA (and most clubs) see themselves at least on par with the LL, and won't entertain the idea of being a feeder to the LL.

 

There is not enough clubs for a West equivalent of the EoSFL, which itself is struggling with clubs leaving for the Juniors (Easthouses, Craigroyston, plus one or two others if rumours are to be believed). 

 

 

 

I've never thought about an LL East and West at tier 5. Although if Juniors did not want to join the LL, in some cases because of travel, then its unlikely they will want to feed in League 2. 

 

Creating a West of Scotland Senior League would enable any club that wanted to progress through the ranks to now to do that. I realise that for the bigger clubs this could be considered a step down but if they are as good as some maintain then they will be able to get up the leagues quick enough.

 

I've work out in the west including both the Juniors and Caledonian League there are 87 clubs. I would be very surprised if there wasn't 16 teams that would apply to join this league

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South of Scotland on the most part is village and small town teams. I wonder how they compare to say the top 14 amateur teams in what would be the west of Scotland area . Just in terms of population concentration despite number of junior teams would think there would plenty of players that could play at tier 6 level.. South of Scotland while probably technically semi pro level in reality financially would it not really just be expenses and maybe even some guys paying to play in  terms of costs. If Wick academy can make it work in highland league could an Oban or Kintyre team maybe do something at this sort of level with a modest backing from local business and community. 

 

Ideally the juniors would be part of the pyramid but they need to articulate what they want if they want anything at all either way the pyramid show grow where possible. 

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I don't know how many central / Caledonian / safl teams would be interested in a west seniors, very few have their own park never mind a park being up to licensing standard. I think many would also have a sjmar attitude to the juniors and enjoy being a Big fishes in a small pond. You will obviously have a couple of ambitious teams but I would imagine the big teams like Colville etc would have no interest in stepping up - which is a shame, as I'm sure their current squad and some of the other top teams would compete at LL level

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I've never thought about an LL East and West at tier 5. Although if Juniors did not want to join the LL, in some cases because of travel, then its unlikely they will want to feed in League 2. 

 

The SJFA have always maintained that if the Junior structure remained (ie three Region system) below League 2, they would be more amenable to the Pyramid. That is effectively what the clubs mandated the SJFA blazers to stick to during Pyramid discussions.

 

Therefore if the LL had started with an East and West split, in addition to the Highland league, that would have mirrored the Junior set-up and may have seen the SJFA more open to the idea. However it didn't and you could listen to a whole load of theories as to why.

 

A three Region system based on population spread makes far more sense than the current two Region set-up.

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The SJFA have always maintained that if the Junior structure remained (ie three Region system) below League 2, they would be more amenable to the Pyramid. That is effectively what the clubs mandated the SJFA blazers to stick to during Pyramid discussions.

Therefore if the LL had started with an East and West split, in addition to the Highland league, that would have mirrored the Junior set-up and may have seen the SJFA more open to the idea. However it didn't and you could listen to a whole load of theories as to why.

A three Region system based on population spread makes far more sense than the current two Region set-up.

If full(er) integration of clubs into a pyramid system is to happen I suggest it will be through the path of least resistance, I.e. Where as little changes to the week to week opponents of clubs and their relative status compared to other clubs. With the 'pyramid' part being a mechanism for promotion/ relegation (likely playoffs) between candidate clubs from likely different leagues likely similar to what is already in place.

Which is a long way of saying I believe the long mooted E/W LL is one valid solution. The major problem with it tho, and that which SPFL have identified is how you promote/relegate three candidate clubs to one playoff position versus L2 (HL LLE LLW).

I will link to an admittedly convoluted solution I proposed recently which I believe solves the problems discussed in the thinking I've stated above.

Thank you.

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The SJFA have always maintained that if the Junior structure remained (ie three Region system) below League 2, they would be more amenable to the Pyramid. That is effectively what the clubs mandated the SJFA blazers to stick to during Pyramid discussions.

 

The other sticking point I have heard about from people who would know is that the SJFA blazers were not keen on the idea of enforced progression. Worth noting that most Highland League clubs would probably agree with them on that (if what is posted on Fitba North is accurate), if given the choice, but Stewart Regan was able to twist their arms into agreeing to it by threatening to form a new league as the north feeder and taking away their full membership and Scottish Cup entry, if they didn't fall into line.

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I heard a wee whisper that Regan will be at Fergie Park this evening presenting the LL trophy, so any would be assassins might just get a clean shot. If you've any bullets left remember Sir Peter should be in his usual spot.

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Any team in the west can join the SoS league as far as I am aware. Girvan were part of it before moving junior (granted they are south Ayrshire) but Edusport did play for a season in Hamilton on joining, and I believe East Kilbride had been accepted before joining LL.

 

At the moment, apart from Glasgow Uni there are no Licensed clubs to form a league in the west. Granted another league could be formed, but it would probably be easier to rename the SoS league the WoS league and formalise the geographic reach

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Why werent Glasgow Uni made to play in the SoSL when they were awarded their club license as they would have been forced to sign up to the pyramid system?

 

Are the SFA admitting that the SoSL is not fit for a West of Scotland based senior club?

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They were reported to have been applying for LL vacancies as they came up. It's one of the interesting issues for the future in terms of the pyramid, as with (for example) if/when Linlithgow Rose will no longer be 'exempt' from the same requirement; how Banks o'Dee or Golspie are supposed to access HL; etc.

 

 

As noted above the SOS League isn't restricted to Dumfries & Galloway clubs. Girvan were members for many years, and East Kilbride were admitted although they never actually kicked a ball as LL was formed immediately after. Edusport were playing at Hamilton Palace, albeit now moved to Annan. Further back in time teams from Ayr, Cronberry, Cumnock, Kilmarnock, Lugar, Mauchline and New Cumnock have been involved.

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