cmontheloknow

Have to say, following Club Licencing documents is not a hobby of mine - were ground standards changed much? I know the overly ambitious pitch size was downgraded. What about cover? Still 100?

But if most go, what is left? A properly functioning pyramid will have all in. Having a few more Junior sides in is not a pyramid.

I'd put money on the boundary being revised northwards to Montrose/Brechin if the SJFA members do come into the pyramid.

http://www.solwaypress.co.uk/archiveViewer.asp?ID=224&r=f Edit: as noted above, the SoS were not fully persuaded by their bid, they ended up playing their first season at the Everholm in Annan before getting used of Raydale.

They chose to accept those clubs, rather than had to and they were individual clubs, not a large bloc moving at once. Just as they can choose to accept Clydebank or not. They rejected Gretna 2008.

I don't believe for a second the South of Scotland League, unless compelled to, would open its doors to a significant proportion of the SJFA's membership. You're suggesting effectively a hostile takeover of a league 70 years old. Not going to happen. I think what is more sensible and what will happen is that 2 new leagues will be established at level six - a new West league (covering the northernmost part of the West) and a new league 'up north', effectively Highland Div 2.

Aside from the geographical differences (when the SoS first formed post WW2 it did contain a few Ayrshire sides but there were none from the Dumfries end), the South set-up is primarily amateur clubs playing senior football. It is a bit like the Ayrshire District league - some teams so much stronger than the rest but a lot of very weak sides using the amateurs are recruiting grounds and paying expenses only. The South sides that have a licence in the main don't want up. Any re-evaluation of the current set-up should be considering where the SoS should be in the 'natural order' I would aay not one immediate step below a division that sends its members potentially from Stranraer to Brechin for a league game.

Common sense would see the boundary revisited.

The results of the Junior survey will be revealing : What did North say about whether Junior clubs (not specifically E/W) should join the pyramid? If the link is confusing, they were asked: Should Junior clubs join the Pyramid? Y/N Should the Juniors come in at Level 6 (Option A) or Level 5 (Option B)? Was the club currently meeting Club Licensing requirements?

What's to stop Clydebank joining the EoS and transferring should the WoS ever get off the ground?

To the best of my knowledge, yes.

It's time to bring back the Best Team In Auchinleck Cup too!

The SJFA questionnaire was issued to the entire membership.

I wrote to Gordon Smith years ago outlining reasons why Division 4 N/S (as it was then called) was flawed, and he did respond with his reasons countering mine. That email correspondence is lost to time but it was well towards the start of this decade, if not before. I honestly cannot remember when. Change has been on the cards and the SJFA have refused to play ball all the way along. The creation of the LL did seem to appear out of nowhere but dialogue had been ongoing for a while prior to that. I do believe TJ was resolute in putting the interests of his members first BUT a day of reckoning was inevitable so that brinkmanship seems to have gained the members very little. As it stands, the SJFA want to either have their clubs in at L5 or 6. But there is every likelihood that wishful thinking could be misplaced and they come in at L7, below a new WoS league, the EoS, the SoS and potentially a HFL Div 2.

But it shouldn't come to them dying. They should be at a level that they can prosper. That is the purpose of the pyramid. *IF* we were starting from scratch, a rural (mainly amateur in terms of player status) league from one of Scotland's least populated regions would not be immediately below a semi-national league. The clubs within it cannot afford that next step and Threave were relegated out of the LL having not that long before resigned from the EoS for travel difficulties. The South set-up would benefit from feeding a West of Scotland-wide division (such as the West Super First) and any clubs able to play more widely could work their way up to the LL. Personally, I don't think gates would improve should the big Junior sides come in. Not all have large supports that would travel so far - maybe as a one off perhaps. I was at Wigtown v Talbot in the Scottish Cup, from memory about 200 were there. I'd been to Wigtown before for a derby with Newton and the crowd was smaller but not significantly. At the Talbot game there were a few more around the other sides. Wigtown v Newton 4/4/15 Wigtown v Auchinleck 13/8/16

The South of Scotland League is not fit for purpose as a feeder to the LL and I say that as a fan of football in that region. It's crazy to expect a club from say Stirlingshire like Dunipace to travel down there for a league game, or for those clubs to have to come up. Ok, Dunipace will perhaps get their trip to Kello next season but it's not a trip they'd make every 2nd week. An influx of Glasgow area teams would markedly alter the characteristics of a league for, in the main, D&G sides. And how many of those SoS sides are in any position to get licenced AND want promotion?

Is there any fixture software that can produce a fixture list that gives certain teams say 30 away games next season? Asking for a friend.

Don't think Junior clubs need to resign until their regional AGMs which will be later perhaps than EoS as the Junior season will go on until mid June.

Just on simple maths, if 40 are owed than about 120 are in (haven't checked the current roll). if the 'overwhelming majority' are in favour, to me that suggests a figure north of 70%, perhaps in the region of 70-100 clubs saying 'aye'? If the 40 snails / ostriches vote no, I can't see it being enough to switch the overall position to a no.

I think my 5 mth old daughter has got more to say.

While the Senior non-leagues have a few, I think I'm right in saying that Kello Rovers, being from outwith Ayrshire ar ethe only geographical anomaly in the Juniors (though I suppose Stirlingshire is a bit complicated in East/West).

Apart from Banks o' Dee - in 2009 admitting three sides much poorer onfield (2 from a lower division, one that dodged the drop on goal difference) and all with poorer facilities - none of the others had seats (or lights?), Strathspey's ground as alluded to up the thread was very basic.

Aye but the most recent expansion was from hoovering up and effectively killing off the Saturday amateur league.

Hypothetically speaking, if there ever was a vote of no confidence in the SJFA leadership, who would it be aimed at? Do the membership have any say in who runs the show beyond electing the office bearers?

There does appear to be some confusion though over whether the coordinates are either decimal degrees (which makes it Dundee Airport) or degrees, minutes and seconds (which makes it north of Brechin / Montrose).