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Only 10 months ago after our meeting with Boness and Bonnyrigg, we asked if we could get himself and all East and West Superleague clubs round the table to see if there was appetite for change from the top down as 1 working together. I asked him and it was totally dismissed within a second of him getting asked, not even want to chat about it. The same dismissal the SFA got when talks began on the pyramid 10 year ago, the same dismissal he gave at the last AGM when we left that we were wrong. He’s had plenty time and It’s looking very likely that it’s him that’s got it very wrong. A blind man could see change was coming when LL and EOS clubs were able to get licenced and reap the rewards but some of the biggest non league clubs couldn’t because they were part of a different association. It was only a matter of time before trust and faith was lost and clubs researched what they were missing out on due to bad leadership, no wonder clubs decided to look after themselves.

Possibly through fear the club could be discriminated against for rattling the cage, we were going for a title last season and didn’t want anything derailing it. Its common knowledge that had TJ got his finger out, started talks and we had an answer or date when Junior clubs would get into the pyramid and be able to be Licenced we would have stayed. Once we got the rubber ear we researched our options which led to our move. We were confident other clubs would follow after they done their research. TJ had a pop at Kelty as we were leaving through emails to the club asking if we had read the SJFA rule book on clubs leaving the grade and another pop publicly at the SJFA AGM so I feel we are fair game to have a pop on here now that we are away, we possibly didn’t have the courage to last season and seasons before. We should have all been involved as 1 driving change but it wasn’t entertained, to note Linlithgow also didn’t want to listen and refused to attend our meeting with Boness and Bonnyrigg which was a shame arguably the biggest club in the East. Why should we sit and wait to the detriment of our club when we knew we were being ignored and failed by those above.

Astounding arrogance and typical "I'm alright Jack" attitude that was shown when Talbot opposed league reconstruction last year. Plus the article contains the usual selection of media misinformation, such as: "To be eligible to play senior football, clubs must meet the SFA's "entry level" licensing criteria ... " etc

I see the club are filling the North Stand on Saturday with free tickets to Emergency Service workers/NHS staff/ Council workers. All who battled to keep the area going during the recent bad weather. Great gesture by the club and if it means the North Stand isn't empty it has to be a good thing.

Yeah, whether it's been a genuine misguided attempt to preserve a grade some think of as special and of itself or just naked protectionism designed to preserve the petty fiefdom of the current hierarchy, it's now clear it's been spectacularly mishandled from day one. It appears there have been repeated attempts to engage with the SJFA that have just seemingly been dismissed with a wave of the hand. More damningly, it also appears these developments have not only been dismissed but not subsequently communicated to the clubs. That Sun interview read like someone trying to fit a new kitchen in a house that's currently on fire.

The SFA should start by removing all qualification for the Scottish Cup for sides not involved in the pyramid; Auchinleck clearly want to both have their cake and eat it. There are plenty of decent clubs to take part in Scotland's only prestigious cup competition instead. If only they could be permanently cemented into the Junior ranks as well, even after they finally realise that the game's a bogey.

Steve Clarke laughs off Rangers talk and insists he's focused on Kilmarnock Steve Clarke has insisted he’s happy at Kilmarnock and won’t get caught up in the “nonsense” linking him with a move away. The Rugby Park boss 
has been touted for 
the vacant post at Rangers by former Ibrox stars like Alex Rae after masterminding his second win in succession over the Light Blues. But, after Killie majority shareholder and director Billy Bowie rubbished those links last week, Clarke insists he’s loving life in Ayrshire. And he says going back down to his London home during the international break meant he avoided hearing any of the rumours. He said: “One of the good things about going down south is you don’t get caught up in all the nonsense. “The media like to say, especially when it comes to the Old Firm, you’re going to move here, there and 
everywhere. I’m happy at Kilmarnock, I’m happy with the job I’ve done so far and hopefully we continue that.” After securing a top-six place in the last matchday Clarke insists the guarantee of Premiership football makes planning easier. With Gary Dicker, Rory McKenzie and Youssouf Mulumbu among others out of contract in the summer, talks are under way to tie players down. Greg Kiltie has already pledged his future until 2020 and Clarke is hopeful more will follow suit.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Chris17_Penman/status/978292225456078848?s=19 Scottish man talks to tinder girl [emoji23][emoji23]

Jesus, every silver lining has a cloud with you.....

What is the purpose of competitive professional sport, Goudie? Why did it start and why does it continue? In almost every avenue of professional sport, clubs and invididuals want to compete at the highest level possible - sometimes that means facing a challenge and y'know, even being beaten. The pinnacle of competitive football in Scotland is the SPFL Premiership. It's where the highest wages are paid, where the best players play, where the biggest crowds pay good money to attend and where the best stadia are found. It cascades downwards from there, until you get towards the bottom of the national leagues and then it's just a big murky mess... teams that should have been relegated out years ago, teams that have well and truly outgrown their pond beneath that but unwilling and unable to escape. Financially, Junior competitions are worthless, extreme latter stages of Junior Cup excepted. Back to my orginal point about competitive professional sport. Junior clubs deny themselves access to revenue that could help sustain them OR help them go to the next level. It's a grade that collectively wishes its clubs to not get ideas above their station and wishes ill on those who dare (the cheek of it!) to look elsewhere for a means of growing their business. Knowing one's place is not really what professional sport is about - to me it is about challenging that notion, disproving it and overturning stacked odds. The Talbot position, voting against almost inevitable change because they feel it's above them, is that not a bit like Kello or Lugar running out in the "Best Big Team in Ayrshire Cup" at Beechwood and saying to each other, "let's keep it to 5 before half-time lads" - make a game of it, FFS.

With no disrespect how can Threave Rovers, Newton Stewart, Burntisland, Coldstream and every club in the HL and LL manage to get licenced and well supported Junior clubs in big towns can’t.

Agree completely with this. Shown proper forward thinking and deserve to be ahead of the game for being so brave.

Alex Smith is an absolutely lovely guy and anyone being a dick about him needs to have a look at themselves. He also won the Scottish Cup with two non-OF clubs, which is a pretty incredible achievement. He must be close to the only guy to have done that? I know Houston came close with United and you lot.

This. Struggle to think of meeting a nicer guy in football.

He really is a very nice man to be fair, has a lot of time for supporters. Probably the reason so many hold him in high regard. I’ll personally miss him being around the club, so let the love in commence.

Here’s Henry with his SJFA chums...

Henry would have well being saying: "Bring back the Ayrshire District League!" He might get his wish. I don't think it's lack of ambition - it's failure to grasp how much the landscape of semi-pro football is changing - rapidly - and a complete inability to accept that Albion Rovers play the same game as Bellshill Athletic and whether you play one or other over 90 minutes in a league game is neither here nor there. He seems to feel Talbot are unworthy of playing at a higher level. There is plenty of room for a successful part-time club to play at a higher level against better sides. That doesn't necessarily mean playing in the SPFL - a West of Scotland League could be very competitive, as could the Lowland League - with an ongoing process of promotion and relegation rejigging things.

The deluded ramblings of someone who came too late and stayed too long. If he cant understand why a club like Bonnyrigg would give up 1 year of guaranteed entry into the Scottish Cup for the prospect of guaranteed entry into the Scottish Cup EVERY SINGLE SEASON then I despair. The Junior Cup is a bauble compared to the pot of gold that could await anyone moving to the Pyramid.

What a classy establishment we are. Well done Box Office Bairns once again.

I don't think it would have mattered to be honest. Everytime we've lost, we've gone on a winning run straight after. People were all excited about us hitting a "sticky patch" and losing momentum after the Livi game. What actually happened is we went out and won 4 games in a row and blew Livi out of the race completely. Our losses, even the heavy ones, have barely affected us.

Just a reminder for everyone that the pubes are on holiday this Friday. Proof read fail in today's school newsletter.

Possibly the most appropriate place for this. Not sure if it's been discussed elsewhere. Did anyone catch the piece on This Morning yesterday? I think they are having a mental health awareness week and have erected this. Each 'statue' represents a man who has taken his life and are real representations, down to their actual clothing. I missed all if it but one family were in the studio and had given clothing to the 'artist' of their dad who unfortunately took his own life. 84 men in total as that is the reported number of males who take their own life each week. Quite a terrifying stat and hopefully such a shocking piece of art can get people talking and break some of the stigma. It's quite a shocking piece and very morbid but if it gets people talking and encourages people to seek help then it's a masterpiece IMO.

No gogs, I read it correctly and follow Scott on Twitter as well. My remark was purely aimed at Tom Johnston’s last-minute desperate scramble to stay relevant. I might be sceptical, but this statement of his doesn’t read to me like it’s motivated by being for the good of the Juniors, but more like a case of: ‘The Juniors are aw my teams! It’s my wee empire and I’m no giving it up!’

Was looking after my sister's cat last week. He's never been seen at the same time and place as Batman, just saying.

I bloody love Ricky Little. That is all.

Sounds like a good name for a forum....

It matters because the main groups coming out to attack him (LFI, CAA, CST, etc.) have not only been steadfastly against him since the start (due to his support of justice for Palestinians) but are also strong supporters of the state of Israel which is an apartheid racist state. Now they are jumping on him because they desperately want him out over anti-jewish racism accusations - not because they are anti-racist but because they only care about one kind of racism.

It's amazing how far things have moved recently in terms of real discussion about integration and moving forward. Not too long ago, there was very little construction discussion about the topic. I think that there are still too many people taking extreme sides from both positions (senior and junior). I am on the side of the seniors and integrating the set-up but I think it's too easy to dismiss lots of junior clubs as being unambitious. History has to be taken into account here. Important for the future that things move forward and there is integration but you also have to recognise the reasons why some clubs are more reluctant to move than others and the current logistical difficulties for the clubs in the west if they move to the pyramid. Whatever happens, I think it would be ridiculous for the juniors to be able to move over and retain their current leagues alongside the senior leagues and somehow be part of the pyramid. That seems impossible. There does, however, need to be big changes made particularly with regards to the west clubs the South of Scotland League. I wouldn't be entirely against possibly retaining the junior cup name and making it the most important trophy for non-league clubs in an integrated set-up. A cup which would be for all of the non-league clubs. The junior cup carries much a bigger weight than any other non-league cups by far. It would probably a bit strange to continue with a "junior" cup if the SJFA was gone and had merged into the seniors but it would recognise the history of the cup. There needs to be more discussion about how best to accommodate and have a pyramid set-up which recognises the need for progress and is about the future (with club licences etc.) but that doesn't mean entirely disregarding the history of the juniors and the junior cup. The sooner we have a unified set up, the better. Proper regionalisation encompassing all of Scotland and a more logical set of divisions and clubs being able to move up to their natural level and being able to play all clubs in their area rather than there being a divide between the clubs.

Unlike amateur clubs, Junior clubs are not funded by their players paying subs. Junior clubs are businesses (of varying sizes). The Junior Cup costs clubs money. Any clubs not worried about it costing them money either don't pay their players or have a backer to take the pain out of such things. I'd love to see Lok win it again but that doesn't change the fact it costs clubs money. Every round up to the semis comes with a split gate (and travel expenses guarantee to away team, no matter the size of crowd) and no prize money. Taking an average membership of 160, only 2.5% of the SJFA membership benefit from prize money.

Upon our thanks to him and everyone at the SJFA email in June for the past 37 years and that we were leaving, our attention was drawn to rule 3 page 9 which states resigning and moving regions and needing 12 months to resign. Our Secretary pointed out we weren’t resigning from a region to join another region within the SJFA and that we were resigning from the association and leaving fully. The AGM we got word back he wasn’t very complimentary about us and sarcastically said “I hope it doesn’t go wrong for them.” or words to that effect. Classless but not surprising.

I wish.

8 Mile I don't know this guy whatsoever, but it sounds like your 100% Correct in saying he's not giving it up. His statement reads along the lines of, I've sat on my arse and done nothing for years, but I've now been found out as to being absolutely useless and I'm now going to panic and spout some words to try and cover up my years of doing zero.

If we keep up these results we might be in with a chance of winning the league.

This whole debate isn't about the history, it's about the future. Those who try to grasp onto the past, will be left there.

Your description of the Junior Cup being a bauble is an undeserved description of our premier trophy, the history and names on the cup deserve more respect than you have dished out.

Terrible uninformed reader thread for this pish

The Stranglers - Golden Brown

The Cranberries - Chocolate Brown

It's never too late to convert, my child.

Monday got 4 had a few 50/50's got them wrong Tuesday 1 Wednesday 1 maybe after 10 questions my brain starts to explode, 30 in one day is a big fry up.

Frankie Valli And The 4 Seasons - Can't Take My Eyes Off You

So Scott whatever his name and his bum paper are the PR and Marketing medium chosen by T Johnston to inform the member clubs of his thoughts. Is this an autocratic decision or does he have the authority of the SJFA to use this means? What about the member clubs that don’t have a twitter account how were they informed? Anyway it stinks of desperation from Johnston try to protect his job.

As long as TJ and his band of yes men/puppets are in charge then there is no future for the Juniors,major change is required pronto however TJ and his puppets are stuck in the 70s

Yeah totally agree Ross,wait a season while holm park is being upgraded and also wait to see whether a west of scotland league will be set up for 2019-20. If not its the E.o.S.

If anyone is interested, we have now publicly announced the result from Sundays vote. http://www.clydebankfc.com/club-statement-3/ ETA: Sensible decision for me and the one I expected, though I know a few were disappointed that we are deferring for a season and would have preferred us to go all in and apply for next season.

I think it would be quite nice to have a pm who wasn't forceful, and who wasn't aggressive. I'd also like a pm who wasn't always sure of the best course of action. I think too many people in Britain (and the western world) have been convinced that this is what leadership is all about.

Small Faces - My Mind's Eye

Time to get up and feed me, Butler.

Statement from TJ put out public, its on Twitter @scottcam67 Reads to me as Junior clubs put your faith and trust in the SJFA to negotiate the very best scenario on your behalf. He stuck 2 fingers up to the pyramid and Licencing for the past 10 years and now clubs got wise to the situation he’s now been booted into action. His idea looks like we will join en masse alongside and we can get our clubs licenced, enter the Scottish Cup, have referees provided but we will keep our Junior grade and the Scottish Junior Cup for those clubs that stick by us. While your at it give us some extra Scottish Cup places too. Non League needs to be all in with everyone working together for the greater good, having splits can’t work. Get every club in together under 1 banner with different regional leagues and boards under tier 5, all clubs can get licenced, Scottish Cup Entry, Scottish Junior Cup open to all non league clubs with possible regional ties for the 1st few rounds to ease travelling for smaller clubs. Good on TJ for being pro active on the statement but working in different groups and organisations is partly why this mash up is happening, TJ doesn’t seem to see it, deluded, self preservation mode who knows.