Bestsinceslicebread

B - if the Lowland had balls and wanted an 18 team league and even better increased relegation because of such, would most be in the same mindset of that, and with the SFA and SPFL being governing bodies and if they make one rule for one league and a different rule for another league for no good reason with no justification then if the Lowland wanted to take it further, even outwith the SFA ruling then i don't see any reason why the Lowland would lose, again my view. Would they do it?, (NO), do they want and 18 team league?, (doubt it) D - I said its my view on the posts and at that particular point I said I bet they would change their view with hindsight if they had originally voted for no relegation previously. Every year, I've seen it, not all but most think they will come straight back up from relegation from the SPFL2 and it doesn't happen. If each of these teams, Cowdenbeath, East Stirlingshire, Berwick Rangers, Albion Rovers and Brechin City had contributed and voted for no automatic relegation when in the SPFL2, do you think they are all still in the same mindset, knowing now that it will take a while for them to get back up to SPFL2 if they ever do, I doubt it very much, but that's my views. I will say those former Spfl2 teams mentioned will be in this league for quite a while, unless they become worse run than they are now and end up being relegated or they have changes and become better run giving them a chance to be promoted. Again my viewpoint, as it is a forum but most what they have voted for has backfired on them

Some fantastic points raised here> A... Yip out of the 3 x B teams the teams who has benefited the most is Hearts as they have seen the young lads, 16,17,18 all doing great with experience playing in the Lowland men's league, having improved from last year with games that I have watched past couple of seasons but correct it is part, at the expense of Scottish football. There is only one thing should happen, a reserve league. B... The Lowland with 16 teams officially and including two guests but the Highland is officially 18. If the Lowland wanted more, take the SFA to task, the SFA/SPFL would lose. You cannot have it for one league on a level and not have it the same for the other league in the same level. C... If teams are weak then they get relegated and your comments if it happened this season making both bottom clubs relegated would be ideal, not because the teams are weak but on a bigger scale, there is bigger movement relegation/promotion which does get people excited. D... So true, every team relegated from the SPFL2 I bet, wishes now they had voted for relegation opened up from the SPFL2, especially Brechin as it would be a higher chance of going back up. 'Be an example', totally agree with you but the Lowland league, in their greed & self is known for doing what's best for them even though they know its not the best thing for Scottish Football. When you have Civil Service Strollers nominating that there should be no talk of relegation from the Lowland league until the SPFL2 open their relegation is a total joke. Don't these teams realise that if they get relegated from the Lowland league, they will not automatically got straight back up. if they opened it up it would give any relegated team a greater chance of going back. Just look at Cowdenbeath, East Stirlingshire, Berwick Rangers, Albion Rovers and Brechin City. I wouldn't say the league is corrupt as they have been given power to veto relegation but there are people in position thinking of themselves to the detriment of Scottish football, again when the chairman Tom Brown was the deciding vote to allow B teams in the league in the first place and then recently telling everyone that the conference tier 5 league was a done deal and no matter what they Lowland and Highland leagues vote, the league is coming in, relegating some 200 teams, (His position to me is untenable but the league allow him to continue) and then you have Civil Service Strollers voting in the AGM that relegation from the Lowland league should not be talked about until the SPFL2 opens up their relegation. I have been to games involving the Lowland, East, West, South, highland and North in past few years and its been enjoyable and personally all I was to see is our Scottish Pyramid thrive having an enthusiastic fan base of our Scottish pyramid, something we can all be, yes, all be proud of even if not right now but we are getting there, slowly. I will say that in the past 4 years we have actually came a long way from where we are, its still a long road but hopefully we will get it right and enjoy Scottish football and watch it thrive once more

My view: The Lowland League since its inception is by far the strongest its ever been in season, 23/24. Every team has improved from last year and I would hazard a guess and say the same of Edinburgh Uni and Gretna but both teams are weaker than the rest and if relegation does happen to the bottom of the Lowland league I would say its one of those two will be relegated and the following year the other team who survived will go down next if relegation happens in 24/25. Personally I don't care who was here first or who was last etc.. my view, your strong you stay up, your weak you get relegated, its just simple math. The standard again will rise in 24/25 as if the EOSFL champions or the WOSFL champions are promoted either one will be strong and wont be relegation cannon fodder, again, Lowland league teams will try to improve both on and importantly off the pitch, to get things right, with new managers, new ideas, better committees and hopefully all with an objective view to improve their team and the benefactor will be the Lowland league. The league will become more interesting, bigger crowds, bigger sponsorship and hopefully the Lowland realizing they don't need B teams. Personally, a 18 team league would be excellent for all and I mean without B teams, (well the the same tier 5 level is at 18 teams) and if greater relegation and promotion are added to and from then, this will put the onus on the SPFL2, knowing that they are the only league not having automatic relegation, which the SFA and SPFL will see and if pressure applied to both and in turn could act to put pressure on the SPFL2, yes I know the clubs are the ones who vote for it. You have the teams Cowdenbeath (10th), East Stirlingshire (16th), Berwick Rangers (13th) and newly relegated from the SPFL 2 , Albion Rovers (15th) and who were all against relegation and think they realize the Lowland isn't as bad as they thought, some have reached their level as the four former SPFL2 team are mid to lower end of the table and I bet you every one of those teams now, in hindsight, would have voted for relegation and promotion to and from SPFL2 giving them a better chance of coming back. With SPFL2 team relegated and show no signs of immediate return, this shows you how tough the Lowland league is. In a few years time the Lowland will be very strong and hopefully even more interesting and competitive league. Obviously the league has problems, in my view, people in charge like Tom Brown who said on 'Official Catchup', both Lowland and Highland leagues need to accept the new 'Tier 5' league is coming and guys like him sound as if they are only interested in themselves and also teams like Civil service strollers who are credited with voting that no relegations should be considered from the Lowland league until SPFL2 open their relegation up at the Lowland league general meeting. I will say, any team for the next 4 to 6 years who are relegated from the Lowland, I don't see much chance of them coming back if relegated to the EOSFL or WOSFL, so beware. The pyramid is alive and functioning but most of us know it isn't working the way it should be and is very slow but 10 years time hopefully there's a big shift in the right way.

This is fantastic news, well done Bankies and the fans etc... Sure it will continue. At this level, hearing growth like this for any team is superb and hope it happens to many more

Agreed, I was thinking the same. I go to games in the WOSFL, EOSFL, LL and occasionally in the north when working up there but never see any complaints from the other teams, fans, committees etc...

Feck this pish, Send it to where it belongs, in the Junior Forum

Bens 2.0 up at half time Lose 3.2 with goals from Arthurlie on the 92nd and a 97th minute winner Congrats to Arthurlie

I love it when I'm on your mind, above just proves it lolol ffs that you out of two tin pot tournaments, now ready for the important cups lololololol

Gartcairn 2 Clydebank 2

Gartcairn 2 Clydebank 0 HT

Definitely a red card, so referee was correct. No way was it a penalty when the lad went to cross, so Bot got their just deserts when the Bridge of Don player missed the penalty. Is it me or did that park look really bad and bumpy?

100% agree but this has all been brought on by Gall himself so he has to deal with it

Well it worked for Hurlford and they did it way back in 99 season, throwing money and they haven't really been a failure but they have learned and after paying silly money seasons here and there over past 20 years, they have learned and settled down to compete and be viewed as a WOSFL premier league team and sorry if its came across wrong or others have deliberately misrepresented me, jealousy is meant from individuals, regarding fans, followers or club member. I personally couldn't give a toss if one team spends astronomical money on players because as a player, you want to play against teams like this, gives you a lift and a buzz to play better and win against them. Regarding your comment of a fool i have to say I'm not surprised by you. When I posted 'our level can cope' means that they will all survive, why, because teams have always paid big money now and then but many teams haven't followed suit and those teams who have failed, have usually have went to the level that they should be at but the definition of failure is viewed differently by many. Many supporters of other teams, followers etc... see Darvel as a team who have failed. To me, if you said 10 years ago, 'you know that Darvel, (a wee local Ayrshire football club with crowd of 30 to 50 a game), are going to win the premier WOSFL league and create one of or the biggest cup upset in Scottish football,' then I would have said to that person that your are full of shit and this wont happen in my lifetime but it has, so to me, their little adventure has been a success and we know it would never last but too many other clubs its been a failure. Johnstone burgh have spent big this season but they have been going since 1956 and have they ever spend big before? I'm unsure, so i don't begrudge them trying to do so in their lifespan. Darvel been going to 1889 and i don't remember them ever spending big with money until Gall came in and again, I don't see a problem. Out of interest, for example, is or has Gall been a supporter of Darvel for a long time and is this the reason why he has put money into Darvel? and taking it further, most people on here are supporters of a team and into football and if each of you came into money, as in lottery win etc... millions , would you put money into your club, would you put funny money into your club to win leagues, cups and progress?. I believe true supporters would and without doubt this will happen in the future so there wont only be teams like Darvel, Jonstone Burgh -(whose only thought is to get promotion to the premier league, anything else is a bonus) and Gartcairn - (whose only thought is not to be relegated from premier league and anything else is a bonus). No matter what, every team has a X amount of money to spend per season and yes every team is different from each other money wise, either with more money from sponsors, or bigger fan base etc... but no matter, the team has to be run in a way that is well thought out and organized and make sure they don't spend beyond their means or run in a way that they forecast the worst possibility of a bad season and they still have sufficient money to help cover

100% agree with you pyramid but it can also be done quickly, if team not fulfilling contract then contract can also be ripped up and player leaves for another team. Players can then take it further with team if he so wishes but main point is that he finds a team straight away

The bold part, that is defiantly not true. They are under contract and will be paid accordingly to contract and if not then they can take action against the club and usually win. yeah we know there is a bit of ducking and divign regarding contracts and how players are paid but for the most part most are on contracts as professional players

I get what your saying but its definitely not shite, if a club want to do that sort of thing, pay higher wagers then so be it as football will cope at our level, clubs either wont pay it or try and make sure they get a good deal as well. I think for many who complain it, is either jealousy or some saying that what they are doing is ruining the football or the level of football For other clubs. We have to remember some of these clubs have been going for over 100 years and some are brand new and as time will go on through their lifetime, they will go through great times and bad times and it happens at every level but its how they are run by the owners committee making the right decisions. I think what Darvel did for our level was fantastic, spending money, putting Darvel and the WOSFL on the map and in my view the biggest cup upset ever in Scottish football but if they are struggling then it happens, they will go back to their real level but with great facilities. I just see Darvel as a wee small football team from a town, that their aver crowd is usually 50 people at games but that's my view Regarding paying high prices for players, even Hurlford did it, for 7 - 8 years they were horrendous as 90 or 91 their club was vandalized and set on fire so they couldn't pay for players so their just brought in amateurs and then a new chairman took over about 9/10 years later and then paid out funny money for a higher standard of player with the goal to get promotion and they did get promotion and they were in the top league but think it didn't last long but then either new chairman or more money came in and it happened again and they have been in the premier for a long time and considered a premier team, so it does work. From what i know Gartcairn have taken advantage of Darvel's problems and its a bit deeper which I wont go into but its helped Gartcairn as they were struggling at first. I think teams like Clydebank, Beith and Auchinleck are doing what we mostly consider and view as the right way as in not spending thousands and thousands of money and good on them but I'm fine with what Gartcairn, Johnstone Burgh and even Darvel did, although I think Gall brought everything on himself and has to live with the hassle n slagging as most don't want to make him forget it. I will say this can happen to any team, come into money so yeah, spend it how you see fit, on the club faculties/ ground or players or even spend on all and good luck to them but be prepared when things don't go well as it can and will happen to some. As regards for opposing clubs, well the players, they love it playing against far superior players as it gives them a buzz. Whoever gets relegated from the premier, the 3 teams, possible 4 etc... then to be fair they will deserve to go down as they gathered less points than the rest, they are not going down because a few other teams spent a lot more money.

Nope, Darvel have nothing to do with the player now and everyone is happy including the Taxman

I will say again; Gartcairn are not paying him more than he got at Darvel, so your guy is completely wrong. Actually, In fact, Darvel were paying him way more than he gets from Gartcairn Think what you want from that but its actually factually correct

why

Gartcairn are not paying him more than he got at Darvel, so your guy is completely wrong. Actually, In fact, Darvel were paying him way more than he gets from Gartcairn

A four hours drive. What do you think Pollok will do, Travel up the night before and stay overnight in Hotel or leave early in the morning of the tie?

Thanks for that Fair Any idea if it was it Civil Service who instigated the proposal and who seconded it?

I agreed with you and hope it does I think its the Lowland who can stop another team being proposed to the Lowland. it was talks about on the Catch up podcast

Have to admit, I thought East Kilbride would have steam rolled Tranent but was totally shocked. Even if Tranent were a totally footballing side and played on the deck with constant passing like EK, if they thought Ek were better at it then it would be a good idea to change their style for this game to long ball game. Always the way, make sure the forwards do not allow the defense to play out of the back and make sure long balls are fired onto the forwards and lots of diagonal long balls. Love to see if there's any highlights of this game, It does sound superbly well done to Tranent. P.S. my prediction for the league was Tranent to win and East Kilbride second but sure it will be one of them with the other second

Sorry Pyramid Watcher, from what I know, researched and heard, I think it was the Civil Service representative at a general Lowland League meeting at the start of the season who proposed that relegation and promotion to and from Lowland League should not be talked about until the SPFL2 open up relegation from the SPFL2 to the Lowland. Some other Lowland team seconded it and it had been hushed under the boardroom carpet. Regarding the West. If Beith win the league and do not have a license then they cannot be put forward to the Playoffs but the WOSFL should be able to nominate the next team who has a license. This is similar to the deal that if Hearts B or Celtic B win the league they cannot be put forward by the Lowland League for the playoff but can nominate the next team who can be put forward. Going further up, its the SFA or SPFL who has to put the team forward for the Champions league, Europa League etc...