FairWeatherFan

The Lowland League granted a waiver for East of Scotland clubs past the March 31st deadline. The Lowland League advert for applications back in February gave a deadline of May 15th. Any applications would have to be assessed, so that pretty much takes them to the Lowland League AGM. It'd probably be decided sometime in the next couple of weeks. Ian Maxwell and Rod Petrie attended last year's Lowland League AGM and will probably back this year to do the same sort of presentation. They won't want the same kind of questions that they just had from the EoS.

17 clubs with licensing applications in, Dunipace and Bo'ness to come. Tweedmouth with their improvements and I imagine their has been gradual improvements with Inverkeithing as they find their feet. That's a lot of positive movement by clubs. Same with all the u20 teams. Even the Linlithgow Rose and Bo'ness United Junior teams show a certain growth even though the link isn't as obvious as an u20 team under the main club's umbrella. Also just happy to see all the clubs make it through the season. Early doors with Selkirk folding and the "cricket scores" there was plenty of doubts of how things would go, there were even some scares with Tweedmouth and Eyemouth. Hopefully the admin screw ups that saw point deductions and cup expulsions are a thing of the past.

I would like to see Clydebank to vote to investigate a start up WoSFL. Have the meeting, send out notes of interest to the other West Region clubs, possibly youth clubs with amateur sides. Confirm with the Lowland League, East of Scotland, South of Scotland and SFA they could have "Pyramid" status to access licensing, league champions entry into the Scottish Cup if unlicensed and entry to the LL play-off in 2020/21. If you could get all that and enough interest for 10+ clubs breakway in 2019/20 with fixtures supplemented by South Region Challenge Cup and EoS Cup competitions. It's a lot of work to get done in a month, so very much doubt it'll even be attempted. It's probably going to be another year of either trying to negotiate entry through the SJFA or a year to plan a WoSFL.

For 2019/20 only. Also with Eyemouth and Tweedmouth finishing worst and 2nd worst across the EoS you'd only end up with one of those clubs. Because of that St Andrews are already guaranteed to play one of them in 2019/20 as it stands. Based on their track records Tayport and St Andrews would either get promoted into the 2020/21 EoS Premier or the 2020/21 EoS First. Eyemouth and Tweedmouth would be in the 2020/21 EoS South.

Licensing runs by the calendar year and not by the football season. Most of the time this is actually beneficial. Clubs audited late in the calendar year will basically end up with 18 months notice. Audited Aug 2018, Changes Jan 2019, Audited Aug 2019 season's already started so get a derogation until May/June 2020.

Never said finish bottom. Said be like Fort William as they've their entire time in the Highland League and have never finished higher than 11th. 2 divisions with less clubs will give more of a level playing field and allow for more chance of a successful season. 3 divisions where those clubs clubs end up in the largest division will see less chance of a successful season.

Can't really agree to something that's purely hypothetical What has to happen with the ERSJFA is decide what they're doing in 2019/20. Go through with the regional Super Leagues and give up on the pyramid, 16 team Super League hoping to get into the pyramid. Which will be difficult to do as we're already seeing whispers of at least one club trying a late application to the EoSFL.

Premier League of 16 with 2x First Divisions/Conferences underneath. There's not enough members currently for 3 Conferences. As for 2020/21 as far as i'm aware there's not an official proposal as yet.

Hawick Royal Albert's 21st Century so far... Bottom of their division 10/19 times. Single digit points totals 6/19 times. When the EoSFL had two tiers, HRA played in the Premier Divison once. That was the very first season of the Premier in 1987-88 and they were relegated. Tweedmouth since joining the EoSFL. The reason I compared them all to Fort William is because they are regularly at the very bottom of their division. That's only particularly harsh on Ormiston who've never actually overall bottom of the EoS.

The West plays 24 games, Central plays 26 and South plays 32. Seems like a nightmare to organise for the fixture secretary trying to balance that and cup games. The likes of Eyemouth, Tweedmouth, Hawick and Ormiston basically stuck at the bottom of their leagues for nothing to play for years on end like Fort William. Or spend a single season with seeded conferences. The best of them become a region wide First Division 16 and what's left becomes two North and South Divisions each with 14?

Bonnyrigg Rose are the 2018-19 EoS Champions after winning the round robin play-off amongst the Conference champions. Currently unlicensed, we don't know if they will be eligible for promotion to the Lowland League. Elsehwere, Cove Rangers vs. Berwick Rangers will contest the SPFL Play-off. Most likely scenarios Cove Rangers win, then Sauchie Juniors will get a spot in the EoS Premier. Berwick Rangers win and both Sauchie and Leith Athletic will be in the EoS Premier. Lowland League Relegation candidate: Whitehill Welfare EoS Premier Division: Blackburn United Bo'ness United Bonnyrigg Rose (EoS Champion) Broxburn Athletic Camelon Juniors Crossgates Primrose Dunbar United Dundonald Bluebell Hill of Beath Hawthorn Jeanfield Swifts Linlithgow Rose Musselburgh Athletic Newtongrange Star Penicuik Athletic Tranent Juniors Best 6th Place 1st: Sauchie Juniors 2nd: Leith Athletic 3rd: Preston Athletic

For an independent WoSFL to get set up in time for 2019-20 I think it would need Clydebank to take the lead with setting one up. Don't see the LL or EoS doing it on anyone's behalf. All the whispers of interest isn't going to do anything.

Congrats to Bonnyrigg, and good luck to them on the licensing front. It's sad that there's still that uncertainty hanging over them and everyone else on that issue.

Right now with the current EoS clubs you're basically splitting Edinburgh in half. So the EoS aren't going to plan for regionalisation at Tier 7 because it's a bit redundant and too messy. If they know in adavance that all the other South of Tay Juniors are going to come in, they'd still probably prefer seeded Conferences to set up a region wide EoS First Division at Tier 7. Tier 6 - EoS Premier Division = old East Region Superleague Tier 7 - EoS First Division = old East Region Premier Tier 8 - EoS Second North & South = old East Region North & South There's a reason why the East Region moved to that model so there's an expectation the EoS would try to replicate it. Maybe the EoS clubs will decide not to go that way if they ever had to deal with the situation, but the East Region existed with 2x region wide divisions from 2006 and the historical EoS clubs and LL clubs that will filter through have been used to playing region wide as well. As for the West. They believed what they've been told from the SJFA that they were in the pyramid for 2019/20. They've even looked at re-arranging the calendar, considering a split in the West Premiership and clubs have applied for SFA licensing. Turns out that's not come to fruition. I'm not sure in May there's enough momentum to get an independent WoSFL together for 2019-20.

Not quite the game I was expecting this to be

I know there's still some outstanding league fixtures to be confirmed (and played), but is there a compiled list of league season averages available?

There's never going to be enough time for clubs to filter through the current format for things to end up like that. The West is going to get a proper Lowland League feeder in the next year. The EoS, SoS, LL and now hopefully West of Scotland clubs will make that happen. So the EoS Premier is going to end up being a mix of old Super and Premier and they're going to want a region wide Tier 7 EoS First Division as you'll have a lot of clubs used to region wide travelling from their time in the EoSFL and East Premier. It's at Tier 8 you'll see regionalisation if more East Juniors move to the EoS.

2019-20 West Premiership and hope to end up in the pyramid again. Don't see them joining the EoS. Although I would like that as it could see further West clubs declare and lead to a WoS league.

Officially there is no overlap. The SoS mission statement is: The EoS mission statement is: So much of the Strathclyde area, minus some of Ayrshire which is usually seen as South West Scotland, is in a murky grey area. The EoS has already taken in Jeanfield Swifts from Perth and technically were okay with Clydebank applying last year. Which is why everyone is okay with the idea of a West of Scotland league.

https://www.clydebankfc.com/club-statement-pyramid/

Everything since November PWG related has been purely Lowland League area related. So it appears the North has been overlooked once again. He couldn't even get the number of clubs in the SoS correct and uses JJP instead of JPP in one sentence.

I think the Junior side of things was very valid until the new year. You had the Ian Maxwell email in October. While it was never meant for public consumption, it made it seem like job done. Then once the November and January PWG meetings passed with things no further forward the doubt should have really crept in.

I think this is the SFA trying to punt responsibility of discipline below tier 6. Which makes sense since they've been saying they don't have the resources. Anyone know what JJP and JPP are meant to stand for? Also not a good look for Maxwell not knowing the number of clubs in the SoS.

They're on the previous page.

There's just been two newspaper articles on the topic with both clubs saying they'll try again next year. Isn't natural for it still to be a topic of discussion?