Free Agent Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Hello all, The annual HL/LL-League 2 Promotion Playoff has naturally sparked chatter around the Pyramid and how we should promote and relegate to and from SPFL football. There have been suggestions from some fans that league expansion could come in time to more or less ensure all viable league clubs are involved. While I wouldn't seriously suggest that after only one promotion using the current system, I think for those of us with an interest in this sort of thing, it's intriguing to talk about. So I ask, how many teams would you allow in and which clubs would be the obvious candidates? For this ill assume a notice period given to applicant clubs of 3 or 4 years to allow them to meet licencing criteria and bring their facilities and playing standards up to scratch. In a crazy but I think good setup I'd let in 14 (!) to give us 12-12-12-20. Those 12s are in the current Premiership format and give every division 38 games. Possible clubs then? East Stirlingshire Spartans East Kilbride Gretna 2008 Cove Rangers Hawick Royal Albert Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale Leith Athletic Linlithgow Rose Auchinleck Talbot Clydebank Pollok Any more? Disagree with the above? As well as the obvious freshness, the beauty of such large scale expansion is that it would decimate the strength of the Lowland and Highland Leagues to the point where they would have to give concessions to Junior clubs and if the best of those join as above, then the remaining junior clubs would have to integrate. It such a drastic expansion that the remaining non league teams would have to realign themselves under the SPFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFTD Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 I'll warn you now, this will not be a popular suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpoonTon Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 The most important thing going forward is to sort out the pathways into the senior SPFL setup. That's a discussion for the lowland/highland league teams to have with the junior leagues. The end goal should be having a top level of the pyramid with leagues which represent the best non league teams in Scotland. This setup needs financial support to ensure that clubs can work towards the licences needed to join the senior SPFL leagues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilky1878 Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 There's already a league reconstruction thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionel hutz Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 There's already several league reconstruction threads FTFY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 There should be fewer not more clubs playing at the national level. Two divisions aimed mainly at full-time clubs something along the lines of 16-12 would more than suffice and after that the part-time professional level should be regionalised east-west-north for a step or two (two is appropriate in the east and west, but maybe just one in the north) then subdivided further to six areas as the district level juniors are factored in and then even more for the amateur levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peppino Impastato Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 The leagues should simply be 18-24. That's the right solution but one nobody proposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 The leagues should simply be 18-24. That's the right solution but one nobody proposes.Why do you think that is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bairn Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 16-16-regional IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 16-16-regional IMO That's the one for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTG Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 Why do you think that is? I'd suggest because it couldn't be worse. However, 3 x 16 would be decent and allow a better relegation ratio to and from the non leagues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tory Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 Scottish professional football is on it's arse. The idea of letting more clubs into the system is just ridiculous. There should be less clubs, not more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangersRyan084 Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 *However many are left that want into the pyramid (have more regional divisions if required) Premiership (16) Division 1 (12) Division 2 (12) Highland League(16) - Lowland League (16) North Caledonian (*) - EoS (*)/SoS (*) Rename leagues whatever suits best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA Baracus Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Scottish professional football is on it's arse. The idea of letting more clubs into the system is just ridiculous. There should be less clubs, not more. Is it? How exactly is it 'on it's arse'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFTD Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Armageddon, mate. Where've you been? It's been simply awful, dahling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangersRyan084 Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Is it? How exactly is it 'on it's arse'? On its arse is a bit much. Standard is pretty poor though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFTD Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 In comparison to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grazza Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 For country of our size we are doing okay though the standard has been higher in the past and we should inspire to progress our game in a sustainable manner. Globalisation has allowed bigger nations to surpass us in club and international level. The comparison used will no doubt be with England. It doesn't help being next door to such a big football market but we are a nation of self depreciation. The people that do the most damage to Scottish football is its own fans talking it down.Percentage wise look at the population of our towns our clubs still get a healthy turnout compared to most places in Europe. Uruguay and Croatia are a bit smaller and Iceland are a tenth the size of us and shown what can be achieved. It probably helps when their own fans don't try and talk down their own game. The old firm centric media seem to blame poor management for those clubs on the Scottish game as a whole but in last 6 years there have been 6 different league cup winners and 5 different Scottish cup winners so why is this drop even if just temporary in old firm dominance so bad for our game as a whole? In terms of reconstruction see a lot of suggestions for more teams in the top tier than the second tier. Any particular motivation other than promoting or helping your own club avoid relegation. Though I will admit that I would like to see 2nd tier 12 teams which in part will help clubs like my own but also generally perhaps encourage more teams to built towards full time football. I do think there needs to be prestige in reaching the top tier and enough depth of teams in the 2nd tier to keep it a mainly full time league and where ambitious clubs can reach there and work towards full time and developing their own players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilky1878 Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 For country of our size we are doing okay though the standard has been higher in the past and we should inspire to progress our game in a sustainable manner. Globalisation has allowed bigger nations to surpass us in club and international level. The comparison used will no doubt be with England. It doesn't help being next door to such a big football market but we are a nation of self depreciation. The people that do the most damage to Scottish football is its own fans talking it down.Percentage wise look at the population of our towns our clubs still get a healthy turnout compared to most places in Europe. Uruguay and Croatia are a bit smaller and Iceland are a tenth the size of us and shown what can be achieved. It probably helps when their own fans don't try and talk down their own game. The old firm centric media seem to blame poor management for those clubs on the Scottish game as a whole but in last 6 years there have been 6 different league cup winners and 5 different Scottish cup winners so why is this drop even if just temporary in old firm dominance so bad for our game as a whole? In terms of reconstruction see a lot of suggestions for more teams in the top tier than the second tier. Any particular motivation other than promoting or helping your own club avoid relegation. Though I will admit that I would like to see 2nd tier 12 teams which in part will help clubs like my own but also generally perhaps encourage more teams to built towards full time football. I do think there needs to be prestige in reaching the top tier and enough depth of teams in the 2nd tier to keep it a mainly full time league and where ambitious clubs can reach there and work towards full time and developing their own players. I absolutely agree to this, who is going to attend a game when sky, bt, their next door neighbour and their co-workers are telling them how dreadful it is. FWIW I actually think Scottish football is really entertaining but the mindset of most people will mean they will look for the negatives because we've been told how bad it is for so long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjc Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 I absolutely agree to this, who is going to attend a game when sky, bt, their next door neighbour and their co-workers are telling them how dreadful it is. FWIW I actually think Scottish football is really entertaining but the mindset of most people will mean they will look for the negatives because we've been told how bad it is for so long. Like you say the "product" is only considered bad in relation to a league next door that's had billions spent on it. I don't think Scottish football is that bad although I would like to see us develop more technical players but what do we expect when we insist our kids play 11v11 on a full size pitch from 11years old through the Winter?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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