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New clubs in the East of Scotland


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23 minutes ago, The Mantis said:

So Clydebank could easily be rejected by both leagues.

Technically, I don't see it happening with Clydebank due to the size of club and how they would be of a benefit to either league. Playing out the string the SoSFL would again be the most likely to reject an application compared to the EoSFL.

If Wigtown return from abeyance, and no club from the SoSFL gets promoted, that leaves the SoSFL with 16 clubs. There's also the possibility that Dalbeattie Star could get relegated this year depending on certain scenarios. That takes it up to 17 and I don't think the SoSFL has ever had that many members at one time. So they could very well reject any applications.

On the other hand EoSFL would probably take as many credible members it can get and run divisions.

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I'd imagine the extra support Clydebank would bring would be a big positive in the EoS teams accepting them, they look like a fairly attractive prospect for the league especially for the Lothian clubs.

However I was at Holm Park on Saturday and while I know there's work planned/started, it looks more than a year away from being granted a license, so I'd not be surprised if they hold off on applying for a year

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2 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Has the SFA not twisted the arm of the SoS to reluctantly accept the likes of Edusport and Bonnyton Thistle? It's not fully clear yet how much leeway the leagues have on that.

Even if nothing has been said, the SoSFL is probably well aware they risk losing their status if they were to reject applications.

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9 hours ago, heedthebaa said:

Id be surprised if any EOS clubs had an issue with Clydebank joining, surely another positive step. As for the players i would think a bus trip and a night oot after the game a bonus 

The SFA wants more junior clubs in the pyramid, so there would be 'pressure' on both leagues to accept them. Which league  ? it is up to the Bankies, because they have to make the application , not the SFA. Financially the EoSL is their best choice, but becoming champions (to progress to LL) would be more difficult than in the SoSL, given the East's higher quality. 

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That's the $64,000 question. They need the appearance of a pyramid for UEFA reasons but don't want all 160 or so SJFA clubs joining club licensing en masse, so as long as it is a trickle rather than a flood I suspect they will stay supportive of clubs doing a Kelty for now. Time will tell.

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I could see the SFA believing that argument, but I wonder if it stands up to scrutiny?  Surely the majority of clubs in the juniors, amateurs and elsewhere are really just focused on fulfilling fixtures, playing locally in the league and hoping for something more exotic in the cup: I wouldn't have thought licencing was even on the horizon for any more than, say, a couple of dozen clubs over the next few years.  That wouldn't be too much of a drain on the SFA's resources - or would it?

-----

A team from as far west as Clydebank entering the EoSFL does make the pyramid look a bit farcical; maybe that's what the SFA need to give them a kick up the bum over the issue.

I would think it'd make more sense for them to enter the SoSFL if they're looking for a speedy promotion, since there's nothing in the South of the quality of LTHV, who could quite easily block promotion for years to come.  Travel costs, general quality of league, etc would have to come a distant second to a quick promotion to the LL, which may even be automatic for licenced South winners if unlicenced LTHV win in the East.    

I realise that Clydebank aren't licenced yet, but I take it that it is mandatory for the East of Scotland and South of Scotland leagues to accept applications from any club that is licenced - since the SFA want any club gaining a licence to commit to the pyramid, anything else would be a double standard...

--Edit--

...the point being that the East and South of Scotland leagues could never be said to be 'full' since they will always have to take on any newly licenced members in their 'region' (whatever that is).

You'd expect the same to be true of the Highland League, and I wonder how hard Banks o' Dee have tried to enter the HL.  According to the HL constitution it would take a written application from any prospective member, which would be considered at the AGM before the end of May.  Surely there'd be recourse for any licenced rejected applicant, such as Banks o'Dee or Golspie Sutherland, to appeal to the SFA since being licenced gives them a right to enter the pyramid.

 http://www.highlandfootballleague.com/History/Item/2017-18 SHFL Constitution & Rules approved by the AGM on 29 May 2017.pdf

(see paragraphs 2.2 and 6.5)

Edited by RabidAl
Added blurb.
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On 1/19/2018 at 10:23, RabidAl said:

 

...the point being that the East and South of Scotland leagues could never be said to be 'full' since they will always have to take on any newly licenced members in their 'region' (whatever that is).

You'd expect the same to be true of the Highland League, and I wonder how hard Banks o' Dee have tried to enter the HL.  According to the HL constitution it would take a written application from any prospective member, which would be considered at the AGM before the end of May.  Surely there'd be recourse for any licenced rejected applicant, such as Banks o'Dee or Golspie Sutherland, to appeal to the SFA since being licenced gives them a right to enter the pyramid.

Though a club can't become licensed until they join one of them leagues or at least commit to joining for the coming season.

In the Highlands that is interesting so only one of the 2 clubs mentioned can apply and in the chance that Cove would get promoted and a place would come available and doubt Golspie have any notion of doing so.

No Junior clubs can get a license now unless committing to joining the pyramid for the following season, the SoS and EoS leagues works perfectly for that as clubs don't have to be licensed.

West and North region Juniors are missing a trick not making their top division Tier 6 and it would also stop any chance of Boys club and Amateur club cue jumping that is often banded about on here on the make up of the Lowland League.

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Sorry Unknown Fan, I can see from my 'Notifications' that you've quoted me in this topic but the council's content checker on the public access PCs that I use hates P&B and doesn't always let me see the final page of threads and other pages for some reason...so I have no idea what you've written!

Anyhow, I thought this was an interesting excerpt from Ormiston FC's website, about the availability of funding to teams in the EoSFL:

"It was felt at the time of the merger that with the help of East Lothian Council improvements at the football ground could be made sufficient to gain membership of the Scottish Football Association and thereby entry to the Scottish Cup. The Local Authority, however, have been less than forthcoming with any help and in the meantime the SFA have moved the goal posts with regard to the facilities required for entry and our dream of being able to compete on a level playing field with the many Clubs in the East of Scotland who have this privilege seem further away than ever. It is a little known fact that those Clubs in the East of Scotland League which, by an accident of history, are also Full Members of the Scottish Football Association have, during the 26 years in which we have been in the East of Scotland League, received funding from the SFA well in excess of £225,000 while we have received nothing."    http://www.ormistonfc.co.uk/content.php?pg=gct&pd=37

I may be misinterpreting it, but it says to me that the SFA's coffers wouldn't necessarily be affected at all by a fully integrated pyramid - even if all the juniors, etc moved across.

 

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An email was recently sent out by BSC proposing a West League within the SFA pyramid. They proposed that West would sit at the same level as East and South leagues and between them they would play off for access to the Lowland League.

Apparently a number of teams are interested. Does anyone know which teams they are or might be?

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27 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

Is there an actual closing date where applications have to be submitted for next season ?

Just doing a search on Tweedmouth found the first mention of them applying to join on June 2nd 2016 and then were elected on June 10th 2016. End of May seems a likely deadline to be put up for election. Maybe they'd put out a more fixed date if they get a number of early applications.

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15 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:


Just telling you what i’ve been told...

End of March = March 31st seems to be the time frame. The waters been muddied either by applications becoming public knowledge after that date, or in the past later application have been accepted. KEFC was the most recent member i've seen use the end of March deadline that seems to have some knowledge of these things.

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