Cyclizine Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 The situation in the north of Scotland, where teams were excluded from the the national leagues for so long allowed a strong structure to develop, with the occasional team stepping up from the NCL to HFL. When teams began to move to the national leagues, the HFL recruited teams from the NCL and juniors, weakening them - although strong reserve sides were fielded in the NCL, which has sadly now stopped. The summer playing amateur/welfare leagues are still going strong, although with the HFL teams now less willing to allow players to represent a local side during their off season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaffenThinMint Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 16 hours ago, Viewparker said: I took the opportunity to watch Oban Saints today as they had a match in Coatbridge and I'd heard they were a decent team. Wow. What a well drilled outfit that played at a level I didn't expect. I have been watching Junior football for many a year and they were as good as anything I've seen in the District leagues. I took in the Bellshill match after it and saw no difference between them. Any other amateur teams of this level or better ?? 15 hours ago, cmontheloknow said: Thing about Saints is that there is no alternative for players in that part of Argyll if they want to play competitive football. Same in Lochgilphead where I am - I saw that Red Star skelped Inverclyde Ams - two leagues above them, in Saints' league - 7-0 today. Some very good players from this area and unless they move to Glasgow, will stay playing in this area. Saints seem to have a settled team year in, year out (ex Lok player Brian Mackay sometimes plays for them) while Lochgilphead are bringing through some very talented youngsters who in some cases have been Pro Youth before joining them, others have come through the youth team. A bit of a ramble but basically - in the more rural areas where there is no Junior football, the teams can be pretty decent. ^^^ This Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sx Drugz N Martin Jol Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 In a one off game ( cup match, pre season, friendly ) no doubt an amatuer team could cause a shock. On a regular basis probably not but all depends on the level you're talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mon The Port Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Top ams could maybe compete in a one off match against district level juniors but other than that it would weekly skelpings by Talbot, Pollok, Roy and the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilsyth ranger Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I saw Girvan juniors beat harestanes ams fairly comfortably at duncansfield a few seasons back, harestanes were the Scottish amateur cup holders at the time, I think? And Girvan were a Ayrshire district team at the time, there's Deffo a gulf in class, we've had a few good amateurs try to step up an couldnt hack it, not all mind, some have made it, but I do believe it's a step up, in my humble opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilsythCoyle Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Got to agree with my Kilsyth compatriot here. Seen Harestanes, a very decent amateur team against a team from the district leagues and fairly comfortably outclassed!! Same story for players trying to make the step up. Many a player has tried to make the step up from amateur to junior and failed to make an impact. I'm sure there are plenty of players who have made the step up, but there's definately a gulf in standard!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Bing Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Overall the whole system from bottom to top needs an overhaul. There is players out there on all platforms who are overlooked or not given a proper crack. A scout from a premier team came to our school in the 80s to look over some of the players. He ended up signing one player who's dad was a good friend of his. I've seen this same sort of bias throughout my life in the Scottish game. It's still jobs for the boys and until its changed great potential is gonna go to waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sx Drugz N Martin Jol Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Overall the whole system from bottom to top needs an overhaul. There is players out there on all platforms who are overlooked or not given a proper crack. A scout from a premier team came to our school in the 80s to look over some of the players. He ended up signing one player who's dad was a good friend of his. I've seen this same sort of bias throughout my life in the Scottish game. It's still jobs for the boys and until its changed great potential is gonna go to waste. Off topic but I think when the reserve league was scrapped a lot of young players went missing, maybe snapped up by good junior sides or what is regarded as poorer senior sides or went amateur but agreed the whole system needs to be looked at but promising sign is more and more development squads are popping up in youth football.The problem I found when I went from amatuer to junior was the pace of a game, the tempo was a lot lot quicker and the stuff you got away with at amatuer you were punished at junior. I know a lot of amateur teams Through the west are very good and it's the same teams year in year out competing in the Scottish but why not push forward as a club and try and become a junior team? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilsythCoyle Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 54 minutes ago, hareskirky said: Hares that did were missing four or five players due to holiday work commitments as most didn't expect to be involved in such a big game so early in the season. They also had to play a 40 year old in goals and lost the four best players from the previous Scottish cup winning team. That day they were not the best team or one of the best amateur teams in Scotland so unfair to compare on that day. I knew that someone would mention this lol!! Yes, Harestanes had a few boys missing, but in my opinion Girvan were very comfortable in their victory that day. Harestanes never really looked like scoring from open play. Juniors more organised and technically better all round. There's always gonna be arguments for and against, but you only need to look at the amount of lads from the Ammies that don't cut it at Junior level! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viewparker Posted October 23, 2016 Author Share Posted October 23, 2016 It's been a good debate about the relative merits of the different levels of football. Cambuslang, a team that I have saw quite a bit of recently have just signed a striker from the lowland league. He has scored 10 goals in three games. Is this evidence of how poor the Juniors are ? Secondly, where do most of the players signing for junior teams come from if not from amateur football are they coming from Pro Youth or stepping down from the seniors? Btw I have watched Kilsyth and KKR this year and both are doing really well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilsythCoyle Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 4 minutes ago, Viewparker said: It's been a good debate about the relative merits of the different levels of football. Cambuslang, a team that I have saw quite a bit of recently have just signed a striker from the lowland league. He has scored 10 goals in three games. Is this evidence of how poor the Juniors are ? Secondly, where do most of the players signing for junior teams come from if not from amateur football are they coming from Pro Youth or stepping down from the seniors? Btw I have watched Kilsyth and KKR this year and both are doing really well Lowland league v Juniors is another completely different debate lol. I think you need to remember the amount of teams in the lowland league and the general standard compared to the Juniors, which has far more teams / leagues at varying standards. Cambuslang are playing in the central league, which (not to be disrespectful) will be a drop in standard from the Lowland League! Lowland league will be more similar to the top leagues in the Juniors such as the Super Leagues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Bing Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Off topic but I think when the reserve league was scrapped a lot of young players went missing, maybe snapped up by good junior sides or what is regarded as poorer senior sides or went amateur but agreed the whole system needs to be looked at but promising sign is more and more development squads are popping up in youth football.The problem I found when I went from amatuer to junior was the pace of a game, the tempo was a lot lot quicker and the stuff you got away with at amatuer you were punished at junior. I know a lot of amateur teams Through the west are very good and it's the same teams year in year out competing in the Scottish but why not push forward as a club and try and become a junior team? Yup agree with yer sentiments. There should be a system where amateur teams peeves into the juniors afterall sine have bigger attendances than the juniors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hertha/BJFC1938 Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 3 hours ago, KilsythCoyle said: Lowland league v Juniors is another completely different debate lol. I think you need to remember the amount of teams in the lowland league and the general standard compared to the Juniors, which has far more teams / leagues at varying standards. Cambuslang are playing in the central league, which (not to be disrespectful) will be a drop in standard from the Lowland League! Lowland league will be more similar to the top leagues in the Juniors such as the Super Leagues. Yesterday's game against BSC was really interesting and I think lowland league teams play a hugely different style of football to junior teams , it's very similar to senior football with everything being played about the back four and along the deck and very patient , first half BSC looked very tidy and weren't afraid to take chances with their goalie playing it it to defenders who were very tightly marked , second half was totally different and beith totally bossed it and should have scored about 6 with their goalie being truly inspired and saving everything including a penalty until we scored deep into injury time . I reckon that a top LL team like East kilbride will be as good as anyone in the juniors after seeing BSC who were a mid table LL team and also seeing EK defeating a senior team yesterday so in my opinion I would say top LL and top junior is about the same standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilsythCoyle Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 18 minutes ago, Hertha/BJFC1938 said: Yesterday's game against BSC was really interesting and I think lowland league teams play a hugely different style of football to junior teams , it's very similar to senior football with everything being played about the back four and along the deck and very patient , first half BSC looked very tidy and weren't afraid to take chances with their goalie playing it it to defenders who were very tightly marked , second half was totally different and beith totally bossed it and should have scored about 6 with their goalie being truly inspired and saving everything including a penalty until we scored deep into injury time . I reckon that a top LL team like East kilbride will be as good as anyone in the juniors after seeing BSC who were a mid table LL team and also seeing EK defeating a senior team yesterday so in my opinion I would say top LL and top junior is about the same standard. What's the BSC support like?? Can't imagine it being good playing in Alloa every 2nd week?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sx Drugz N Martin Jol Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Yup agree with yer sentiments. There should be a system where amateur teams peeves into the juniors afterall sine have bigger attendances than the juniors I've no clue on how they would give about it, what are the requirements?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilsyth ranger Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Well what's happened in our area is cumbernauld colts being a lowland league team, and the local paper the news &chronicle having a h###on for them, much to the annoyance of cumbernauld utd an ourselves who have helped fill there sport pages for years, there up at Broadwood playing in a big empty stadium, no real local connection apart from the cumbernauld name, a really don't see the point, an getting money pumped in left right an centre cos of all the youth teams theve got, while the two local junior teams scrape about to survive, even though theve had teams for years an have history !!! It's not right!!! Bit off topic but pisses me off big time!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viewparker Posted October 23, 2016 Author Share Posted October 23, 2016 Think you are being disenginious to the Colts as hundreds of local kids benefit from a decent level of coaching through their youth programme also the youth system came before the LL side. However, I understand your sentiment about the media though. Local papers are dying on their asses and will turn their attention to anything they think will increase circulation. Junior clubs should invest their time using social media to tell get the message out that it's a great day out at a match. Clubs like Pollok and St Rochd use it to their benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hertha/BJFC1938 Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 42 minutes ago, KilsythCoyle said: What's the BSC support like?? Can't imagine it being good playing in Alloa every 2nd week?? They had very little support at all and probably only parents of players and a small group of BSC kids , must say they are a really professionally run team by the looks of it with really good kit , excellent social media and everything looked so organised apart from only one person being on the turnstiles. We were by far the better team second half yesterday but I still say that the price of 2/9 for us to win was incredibly short as they were by no means a bad team , I would say that they are a super premier / top end of super first division side and were very tidy on the ball ,although admittedly our goalie had little to do and they looked a bit punchless in the final third. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larky55 Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 If their goalie keeps chucking the ball out to tightly marked defenders, they might not need anybody on the Turnstiles,H. Great result yesterday, good luck in the next round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilsyth ranger Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Think you are being disenginious to the Colts as hundreds of local kids benefit from a decent level of coaching through their youth programme also the youth system came before the LL side. However, I understand your sentiment about the media though. Local papers are dying on their asses and will turn their attention to anything they think will increase circulation. Junior clubs should invest their time using social media to tell get the message out that it's a great day out at a match. Clubs like Pollok and St Rochd use it to their benefit. I appreciate the coaching of the kids mate, not really ma bug bare, but they do get grants etc because of this an the lowland league team Benefit from it, where's the grants to keep us an cumbernauld going ? We have grounds to maintain etc, it would amaze u how much money it takes a year to run a junior football club, we have to find sponsors etc all the time, but your Deffo right about the social media side of things, should b maximised more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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