I realise I may have made error here but possibly not. I look at eos website - and it says Girvan have a South region cup match v lothian thistl (- which I would like to go to see). But on the junior association website it says they have a league match away to v Annebank. I now they are in a special situation (senior also junior) but surely they do not have to field 2 teams at one time on this weekend? Or do they have reserve team which will play?

I believe they had to scratch from the South Challenge Cup Quarter Final last year because of a clash of fixtures.

One match will not go ahead as planned. As Rob states, last year they chose to play a league fixture over the South Challenge Cup tie. Their own website, updated yesterday, lists the Annbank game.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think they should make their mind up ?

They have chosen to join the junior league, but still retain their senior status. Yet no doubt their opponents in the south challenge cup will get a bye, as Girvan will probably decide to play their league game.

They are still allowed to compete in the senior cup, but are in no way representative of the western juniors, and would probably never qualify through winning the super league or junior cup.

Don't get me wrong, it's good to have teams joining the junior ranks, but they can't have it both ways. (or maybe they can)

I actually like the fact that they have a foot in both camps. The more teams that do it, the quicker we'll maybe get rid of the out of date Junior - Senior divide. Absolutely ludicrous that for decades Girvan couldn't ever play Maybole competitively. And in the same part of the world, Nithsdale and Kello seem to trade each other's squads every season or so.

I imagine they will play the Lothian tie - last year they felt that playing Whitehill (I think) was less important than a March game against Hurlford that they felt would be more important to the run in. In the end they lost, and still went up but hindsight's a wonderful thing. The date this time is much less likely to interfere with their league games and I doubt they are looking at promotion anyway.

The Annbank game was issued weeks ago - the Lothian tie last week.

I wish Linlithgow would test the waters on this and apply for the same status as Girvan
I am sure the SFA are looking for this and whislt its not moving senior it is a step
Prestonfield passed a uefa inspection for a womens champions league game and also an sfa inspection for the SFA cup last year
so they cant ask for much in the way of improvements
why sould we not be allowed the same perks as Burntisland Shipyard ect ect

I am from Girvan but hadn't heard about this.

They will need to scrap one, as no they don't have a reserve team good enough to play.

The Rose would need to meet the current SFA requirements for Associate Membership, and if they met it, it would mean Scottish Cup football at Prestonfield every season. They'd need to run a youth team (funding is available) and employ a B Licence coach. The ground must be close to the standard required.

I should add that ground standards for the Scottish Cup are not the same as those required for Associate Membership. Associate Membership is a lot stricter.

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/res/documents/...ip_criteria.pdf

Rule 1.7 might prevent it, but I'm sure it could be overcome seeing as Queen's Park, Glasgow Uni, Girvan and Burntisland are also members of another national association.

The Rose would need to provide improved toilet facilities for home and away supporters (may arrive sooner rather than later).

More importantly, they would need to demonstrate commitment to engage with youth through schools and the wider community. In all my time watching them, I can't ever recall them lifting too many fingers to engage with any part of the community beyond looking for money in a way that requires least effort possible. Have they ever been near a primary school, the academy or any of the youth teams?

Given that there are probably suitably qualified coaches already working with the community's youth teams, this would be a piece of piss to overcome if the current committee would take the lead and stop wait for everyone to come to them.

Fear of change (letting the juniors down??) and a lack of wider ambition within the current hierarchy are probably the only things stopping the club moving forward at relatively low cost. Pity really because prudent management of facilities is what has provided the platform to move forward.

On the other hand, they must now know there are opportunities within the SFA framework. Given that most clubs without a major benefactor bring in less money than they would want to, it's really time to weigh up the positives and negatives. There would only be one conclusion in the current climate.

I think that rule is referring to a national association in another country, such as the English FA, rather than another association in the same country, such as the SAFA.

This rule was brought in around 1886 to get clubs to concentrate their efforts on Scottish competitions and stop entering the like of the English FA Cup, which Scottish teams regularly did up to that point.

Ah ok, I wasn't sure of its origin. Thanks for clearing that up.

Can I respond to HTG's views on the Rose and it's committee.
I find it incredible that you have chosen to pass comments on a committee that has been on the go all of four/five weeks.
Did you put yourself forward at the AGM to join the committee along with the new folk?
Have you approached any of the committee and offered your help and expertise which would be greatly appreciated I'm sure.

Did you actually read my comments? I said that the Rose are one of the best placed junior clubs in Scotland because they are prudently managed and have been for years. It must be obvious I'm talking long term here. I'm not referring to what's happened in 4 or 5 weeks. If the new committee moves all of this forward, I'll be delighted. So ...

Was I wrong to suggest they have failed to engage with youth football in Linlithgow over a long period of time? I go to 90% of Rose games with a guy who coaches kids in Linlithgow and I've never heard a peep from him about the Rose showing an interest. I repeat ... if the current committee moves out the way we have a chance.

Have they demonstrated as a matter of track record a willingness to embrace change? Last season, Davy Roy was interviewed during the club's Scottish Cup run. Any chance of linking with the seniors? No. LRFC is a junior club and that's the way they'll stay.

Do they need toilets to meet the standards required? How long have they needed a new toilet within the boundary wall of the ground instead of that embarassment on the hill? I said I'd heard that a new toilet was on the way. But ... we built a whole new stand at a cost of thousands and never gave a backward glance to providing a basic facility for supporters. I know the reasons why those decisions were taken. I disagree with the reasons. Whether I'd been on the committee to show my disagreement would not have mattered a jot because for years only 3 or 4 opinions actually counted. Maybe that will change?

To finish - the Rose committee (over years) have managed the finances and most aspects of the development of LRFC very competently. But if you don't think they have missed opportunities which were staring them in the face then I disagree with you. And it's nothing to do with lack of resource - it's the result of a series of considered decisions which have set their policy. Last season there was a tremendous chance to exploit some of the media coverage the club was getting - didn't happen. The sale of replica kit was handled appallingly and they are now struggling to recover lost ground. They should have agreed to production of Scottish Cup programmes for the home games against Dalbeattie but didn't (and support was offered ... free).

I hope we'll see a wind of change and a new ambition. But some of what I have heard recently suggests otherwise and the new committee members will need to be bolder than some of their predecessors. I wish them every success because I want to see the Rose improving year on year.

Not that i know anything about linlithgow rose or how its run, as far as i can see HTG was only commenting on the subject as he sees it. Dont think he was dissing the committee really. If we start seeing improvements with the new committee or whatever you have then im sure the compliments will come flooding in! Anyways aye i think a junior team (possibly linlithgow) should test this route into the scottish cup. Weve already seen in the first few seasons that the junior teams can match the seniors, lets give it a go!

It wasn't the English FA Cup

It was just the FA Cup. The FA wasn't set-up with any 'geography' in mind - although the practicalities of the day would have imposed some limits (and those were reduced by the rise of the prefessional clubs in the English North West). It was the SFA imposing the 'one association' restriction that caused the FA to be regarded as the 'English' FA.

On a similiar note, I wish media organisations (particularly BBC News) would stop referring to our premier cup competition as the 'Scottish FA Cup'. It is known as the Scottish Cup plain and simple.

Ah right, fair enough, but in my defence (and apologies if I incur the wrath of HibeeJibee) I used "English FA Cup" in order to differentiate it from the Scottish Cup, which as HibeeJibee points out is routinely referred to the "Scottish FA Cup".

Really?
Better tell the SFA that.

According to the Introduction to the Rules of The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup (the "Rules")
1. Name of Cup
The cup shall be called “The Scottish Association Cup.”

What, everyone went around talking about the "Co-operative Insurance Services CIS Insurance Scottish Football League Cup" did they? Or did they call it the League Cup or the CIS Cup... My point has nothing to do with the technical names for the tournament, but what supporters and domestic (Scottish) media call the tournament. Hardly anyone hear will routinely say that they are playing in the 'Scottish FA Cup', they call it the Scottish Cup. So should the UK-wide media.

Last year we had a problem in Lithgae when anyone mentioned the "Scottish". Was it the big cup, senior cup, junior cup, our cup or what? We certainly didn't call one of them the Scottish FA Cup though.

That is precisely why I call it the Scottish FA Cup. Whenever I'm talking about the "Scottish" I'm usually talking about the Scottish Junior Cup - so to differentiate between the two I call it the Scottish FA Cup.

I'll still call it the big cup or the senior cup.

While we're on aliases, do some people call you the Gangster of Love?

Or even Maurice?

Yes they do.
Cause I speak of the pompatus of love.

Actually they don't really - they just call me a fat b*****d.

According to lothian thistlle fc web site Girvan have pulled out of cup. As web site say they should be dealt with as this is second season in row they have disrespectted this tournament. They did not even play 1 game this time why did they entre???? If Junior club act like this keep them out of senior competitions and a pyramid if we ever get one, it is just dis respect to clubs / eos league I hope girvan are fined heavily fior this behavoiur.

We got chucked out the cup. Think 'pulling out' was supposed to make it look better.

Is that because of last year?

If the "current commitee" had not been there over the last god knows how many years .tossers like you HTG would not be interested in free loading along on there success.

Has somebody stole your rattle??? I wasn't aware that guys who paid their way around the junior football scene were traditionally seen as freeloaders - you clearly have no idea how much money I put into the Rose so you can take your freeloader and tosser stuff and shove them right up your arse.

You have paid no attention whatsoever to the points I've made reflecting the fact that the committee - past and present - got us to where we are in junior football. This thread centres on requirements to play senior football at a junior ground. The comments have largely been written against that backdrop. The facilities - developed by our committee over years - are more than adequate (except toilets) for junior football. They are at least as good as any I've seen in junior football. But, there are plenty of Rose supporters who are certain that opportunities have been missed in the past for a raft of reasons. Some of those reasons - but not all - are still only known to a few people at the heart of the club.

davie roys love child me thinks

Newport
cant see where you are coming from here
HTG has raised some very valid points
nobody is perfect and the Linlithgow committee is certainly far from it
or should I say the old committee as the new members have made huge strides forward
but HTG pays his way and is entitled to his say. Can you deny new cludgies are needed
I suspect not yet the club spent £100,000 on a glorified pigeon loft without even trying to
look at new facilities for the punters requiring to relieve themselves of the beer they have spent there hard earned cash on in the social club

freeloading is a bit much from someone who going by your user name supported a club
who did well one season yet went out the game a few years later
did you do anyting to help when the shutters went up there I suspect not
you just jumped ship and latched onto a succesful club like Linlithgow
GLORY HUNTER

I believe so

Oh DEAR .looks like newport guy hit a sore point with htg.HTG likes to dish it out but seems he cant take it back(sounds a right auld duffer!).

From the outside looking in, HTG seems to have made a few valid points. This is a club that refuses to issue programmes, even when requested by the SFA. And as HTG points out, the toilet facilities at Prestonfield are dreadful. The Rose could EASILY be the biggest part-time club in central Scotland but it seems a few people like Newport County are happy to let their future be lit by a 40 watt bulb.

On reading previous posts i think newport county did not like "the current committee being kicked to the side part".Which i didn,t like either.I can see htg has very relevant grievances which the new committee members seem to be taking forward through the correct channels, so lets get back to supporting the Rose .Start by us stuffing the beggers on saturday

There was me thinking that I thought I'd made myself clearer too when I said that I wished those who have recently joined the committee at Linlithgow the best of good fortune. Already we are seeing differences in approach and attitude. That doesn't detract from the fact that there are many on the current committee at Linlithgow who have been party to decisions made by previous versions.

If you want some specifics, here's one example. New committee members arrive. Player sponsorship arrives. Great stuff - the club earns a new revenue stream for little pain. Why did it take so long? It was proposed to the committee years ago but fear that they would not attract sufficienyt sponsors held them back. Lochee have had player sponsors since 1992. Lots of junior teams with a fraction of the Rose's profile have had them. But our committee were uncertain they could sell this. So rather than test the water they backed away. Also, an example given to me showed the line of thinking very clearly. Way back in the late 70s/early 80s, Malky Morrison had his boots sponsored. Suddenly the other players wanted free boots and there was unrest in the camp. Memories of that unrest have remained intact for 25+ years. As I said, not a resource issue, just a way of thinking. And the fact that I've heard this stuff within the last 4 or 5 months shows the challenge to change from cautious but prudent handling of the club to ambitious but prudent handling of the club.

For the benefit of those who have posted here because they think I'm having a go at new committee members, I have heard rumours that the toilets issue may reach a resolution soon. I would not be in the least bit surprised to see the programme issue resolved for bigger games where there is potential to raise extra revenue. All power to them. Much may change in a short space of time. Of course these new arrivals on the committee are throwing themselves at the challenge. I applaud that but can those who think I have been too negative on here not see that they are doing so because we stood still on certain (money-making) opportunities for too long. Some of the issues are not about money making, they are about engaging with supporters who now have a myriad of choices about what to do on a Saturday afternoon ... including Setanta. You could let them go with a "they're not true supporters anyway" attitude but that's just more money lost in the long run.

To repeat, the committee have done a great job across the piece over years. The new guys are doing fine. Opportunities were missed. We may be seeing the nettle grasped now. Fantastic!

I've been missing this one as I thought it was a thread about Girvan.

HTG's comments are valid, especially regarding the toilet. However, as one of those who just go along and pay to watch a match I'll be told to shut up, no doubt. Before that, I'd just like to say that the Rose committee over the years have kept the Rose at the top both on and off the field as opposed to near-neighbours who have a good couple of years now and then. Davie Roy is the common thread throughout this period. I started following the Rose 45 years ago and he was at the helm then. It's good to new new faces are coming forward and they are inheriting a position of strength to progress from. I don't know what goes on in the committee room but I look forward to stuffing my program in my pocket as I stride into the toilet without having to hold my breath for a couple of minutes!

Pretty much nails it on the head
the current player sponsorship issue that has been a huge success has gone to show
that mistakes have been made in the past
hopefully in the near future things like a programme will show them that they have made mistakes there as well
It seems the new members have managed to change a few minds given the strength in numbers they had with so many joining up
I will say it again many of the run of the mill fans have hte same feelings as HTG
they have been distanced from the committee for years, for too long its been them and us instead
of "we" that is hopefully changing with events like the fans forum and will hopefully progress

this does not deflect from past mistakes which yes have been few but have been there
but lets hope the new era continues at pace

Newport County, HighstRose are either of you halfwitts able to engage your eyes and brains before jumping on anything that HTG says?

If you did engage these you would see that he didn't have a go at the committee he was actually stating facts while praising them past and present. The Rose committee have done brilliantly over the last few decades and the 'new' committee are taking us another step forwards which we needed. Are you actually that deluded that you believe that mistakes and opportunities haven't been made or missed in the past?

At the end of the day the best thing for the Rose is for everyone to help in whatever way they can (be it paying their money every week at the gate, buying a season ticket, raffle/treasure chest ticket, sponsoring a player or giving up their time to help the committee, all of these are just as important as each other) and keeping us being a top force in the Juniors.