[eightmile]

The Old Northerner, on 08 December 2010 - 12:55, said:

The hardest question (IMHO) to answer would be the infrastructure one - and that is dependent on the number of participating clubs. With so many clubs around down South, the pyramid is very deep, and this depth allows for relatively easy facility upgrades - certainly at the lower levels. In Scotland the number of clubs is much less, but the requirements of a path 'from public park to Hamden' will still need to be defined. Fewer clubs around will mean fewer levels of the pyramid and the corresponding leap from tier to tier may be much harder.

Yes but the last thing we need is ground criteria that strangle the life out of it. The core principle of the pyramid is supposed to be meritocracy. Judge it on the football not the safety valves on the showers

[Jim Leighton]

eightmile, on 06 April 2012 - 08:36, said:

Yes but the last thing we need is ground criteria that strangle the life out of it. The core principle of the pyramid is supposed to be meritocracy. Judge it on the football not the safety valves on the showers

Ground standards are basic are they not? Cover for 100 people sort of thing.

[MOFOREVER]

It might be not be a lot to do with a pyramid system but I've just been to an under 19's league game between Annan and Montrose today. I understand Peterhead are in the same league. With the state of finances generally in Scotland it makes you wonder why u/19 teams should be travelling such huge distances. This is another thing we should get our heads around in Scotland as u/19's should be regionalised and that's maybe where there could be some sensible mingling with the juniors and seniors who are outside of the SPL/SFL. If we can't regionalise at that level what hope is there of doing it further up the ranks?

[LeithKillie]

East Striling lose again and are 13 points behind the next bottom team. About time we had a pyramid system and this club find their true level and other more ambitious and better clubs get a chance to compete at a higher level.

[BOOB Stranraer Loyal!!!!!!!]

If there was a realistic plan in place for it to work,i don't see a problem with a pyramid structure. Can see why some teams down the lower stretches of the 3rd division ( could be us one year) would disagree but, playing SFL football brings a guaranteed lump of money from the SFL every year that many clubs depend on. But what would the pathway beneath the 3rd division contain? say East Stirling for example were relegated, were would they go ? should perhaps invite highland, junior teams to compete in a north/south type set up which is currently set up in the conference in England. One team up from each league. Cant see all teams agreeing to it but it is possible.

[Waspie]

BOOB Stranraer Loyal!!!!!!!, on 08 May 2012 - 13:09, said:

If there was a realistic plan in place for it to work,i don't see a problem with a pyramid structure. Can see why some teams down the lower stretches of the 3rd division ( could be us one year) would disagree but, playing SFL football brings a guaranteed lump of money from the SFL every year that many clubs depend on. But what would the pathway beneath the 3rd division contain? say East Stirling for example were relegated, were would they go ? should perhaps invite highland, junior teams to compete in a north/south type set up which is currently set up in the conference in England. One team up from each league. Cant see all teams agreeing to it but it is possible.

A few different workable models have been posted on P&B over the years, I'm sure they are on this thread. It basically comes down to the Highland League/EOS/SOS and Juniors being willing to come together to form a regional non league setup. Don't see how the SFL could knock back a pyramid if such a system was in place. It would be good for Division 3, the bottom half of this league suffers from there being no relegation.

If we seriously want a pyramid then the SFL should refuse any Newco Rangers a place in Division 3 - which is the morally correct decision anyway. That would leave them having to go to the juniors or non league seniors. With Zombie Rangers 2012 pushing for a pyramid as a route back to senior football I'm sure things would suddenly start to move very quickly indeed.

This post has been edited by Waspie: 08 May 2012 - 13:21

[Gogs Grog]

Waspie, on 08 May 2012 - 13:20, said:

If we seriously want a pyramid then the SFL should refuse any Newco Rangers a place in Division 3 - which is the morally correct decision anyway. That would leave them having to go to the juniors or non league seniors. With Zombie Rangers 2012 pushing for a pyramid as a route back to senior football I'm sure things would suddenly start to move very quickly indeed.

Totally agree with this, despite my club having finished bottom recently and struggling to climb up the table.
With the situation at Rangers soon to be reaching the inevitable conclusion of a highly amusing/satisfying nature, our chairman maybe placed in the position of voting a club in. I only hope they make the correct moral decision.
Doubt it though.

[Hampden Diehard]

I don't see that having a reasonable level of facilities should be too much of a burden for SFL membership. At the other end of the scale, though, you have Ross Co spending a daft amount of money on making their ground all-seater for absolutely no good reason. This stupid rule has caused real problems in Scotiish football as strapped-for-cash clubs have wasted vast sums on seats that no erse ever sits in (Partick, Airdrie, Pars etc etc etc). Someone needs a reality check.

For all the champing of gums from SPL clubs re Rangers, they'll be in the SPL next year. All the bravado is just to get a better deal for the non_OF teams, and hopefully this works. Celtic fans might be urging their directors to vote Rangers Newco down, but does anyone really believe that they would do that? Like it or not, they are an important part of the SPL "package".

This post has been edited by Hampden Diehard: 15 May 2012 - 11:25