Ginaro

I wouldn't say it will go smoothly even with clubs being knocked out the SCC, it'll just help to reduce the number of postponements using the next Junior Cup date. Might not be as bad as some make out, but it will be bad enough that it just adds to the decline of the Junior Cup - no way is it going "back to its original form" as Ronney said. Probably the best chance to keep it on track is for 5 conferences meaning fewer league games. Can you explain how clubs not in the SJFA will have to abide by their shite, when SCC ties will be unaffected and league games won't be getting moved out of the way for the Junior Cup?

True but they are more likely to come in late Autumn, by which time a few SCC rounds will have taken place and freed up some clubs. This season some of the outstanding ties that you mention could've been played on the next SCC round two weeks later if the west team was out of that cup. @Stag Nation most of the postponements were in the North so guessing weather related, KRR had a ground sharing clash (this would surely be moved to a Sunday or another ground next season), and Wishaw's changing rooms were burnt down in the week before their game.

Correct, postponements will be the issue. However a number of clubs will be out of the SCC by the time Junior Cup games are likely to get postponed - since the SCC will have an extra round - so gaps will open up. There will be undoubtedly still be problems though, especially for the successful clubs fighting on all fronts. Not sure how much negotiating would be going on, presumably the SJFA will be told "Here's the SCC and WOS derby dates (international weekends, new year etc.)" and asked "Now where do you want to put your four dates?". Unless I'm missing something, it would be impossible not to leave spare weekends given there's only 30 league games + 5 SCC + 1 WOS cup taking place in a 42+ matchday calendar. You're essentially copy and pasting the EOS Premier format, but removing the exclusive Scottish Cup and EOS qualifying cup dates from the calendar, leaving enough space for the Junior Cup. Once clubs are out of the SCC that will also provide more dates. Are the LL/wos really going to take the time to impact on their associations fixtures to accommodate the junior cup, a completely separate associations flagship cup? Whilst the LL are the most approachable people surely their flexibility has a stopping point. The qualifying cup is the EOSFA's flagship cup and it has two exclusive dates - of course that's easier to organise with the LL/EOS fixture secretary being the same person, but the LL already does this. If most of the WOS clubs are SJFA members they will presumably make sure the initial fixtures include the Junior Cup. Is this the SOS version of the Tuesday night in Elgin trope?

Let's assume that everything was going to be normal for 2020-21 with 30 league games, SCC, SJC (no replays), and WOS Cup to fit in. The main components of the EOS fixture list are: Season start and end date (before the LL play-off which is aligned to the League Two play-off final) The Scottish Cup / Alex Jack Cup The South Challenge Cup (no league games scheduled on the rounds before the QFs) It would be perfectly possible for the WOS/LL to communicate with the SJFA once those dates are set. The SJFA then tells the WOS/LL which 4 Saturdays to keep free of WOS matches, and the rest of the fixture list setting proceeds as normal. There's 40 Saturdays available (not including Boxing day), plus at least two early season midweeks. I make it 5 SCC, 4 SJC and 1 WOS Cup where no league games would be initially scheduled. So unless my working is wrong there should be enough space to fit in the Junior Cup. And yes in future more clubs will get licensed and take part in the Scottish Cup, but they will have floodlights so some league games can be played midweek.

The final two paragraphs of that story always raise a chuckle.

There were only three applicants and all were known before the end of March deadline. Took until the end of April at the EGM to confirm that only Glenrothes were accepted https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/glenrothes-strollers-bid-join-east-scotland-league-rejected-juniors-accepted-979226 We think there's nine applicants but there's three clubs who haven't announced this season, really only one of which we are speculating about.

Pretty sure the number of conferences will depend on how many clubs are taking part, and a west conference would probably need more than the 5 clubs already in the west.

I don't think it will be as bad as that - assuming replays are scrapped of course. There's enough space in calendar for the Junior Cup to have set dates for each round just like the EOS qualifying cup, and gaps can be left in the league fixtures. The issue will be if a game is postponed, then a number of teams will be affected if they want to play it the next Saturday.

Kincardine in Fife has an FK postcode and Alloa postown. Postal counties haven't been used by the Royal Mail since 1996. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_counties_of_the_United_Kingdom Bearing in mind the only mention of this is on the junior thread. As well as the CFC there is a Edin South Vics in the LEAFA who play at Fernieside, Tynecastle's old old ground.

All that inside info and you can't even spell their names correctly... I also have no inside info - but not sure how Threave wanting to drop down from the LL a few years ago means they wouldn't want to join the WOS - sure it's more travel than the SOS, but it's less than if they were to get promoted to the LL.

Well if you leave the SOS at tier 6 the alternative to a 3-way play-off is to have all the west clubs apply to join the SOS (after all it's what the SFA wanted licence applicants from the west to do). At which point you need conferences to sort things out anyway. Of course this discussion could be academic once we find out later this month which SOS clubs have applied. There's meant to be 3 or 4, so even less chance of a licensed champion capable of playing in the LL being produced. Didn't realise that was the case. But their website, twitter and facebook haven't been updated for ages so not sure how we're expected to know they have applied for the WOS.

In that case they can apply for the WOS and try to remain at tier 6 with their performances on the park, and not just their historic status. Though if as you say there's basically no chance of them ever winning the LL play-off then does it matter if they are removed from tier 6? Well if they don't tell anyone then how do we know they've applied? We're not psychic. Maybe @Kennie can confirm?

Noticed this from Cumnock soon after saying they'd applied for the WOS:

Earlier in the day there was discussion of how the Junior Cup could fit in to the WOS calendar. @glensmad Here is a list of the original EOS week by week fixture schedule for this season. As you can see, without the Scottish Cup/Alex Jack Cup and EOS Qualifying Cup, the EOS would gain five matchdays. Plus a couple more if they played extra August midweeks like the West did. Once the end of season deadline, Scottish Cup, and South Challenge Cup dates have all been set - the SJFA could then decide their dates for the Junior Cup. After that the WOS league games can be slotted in around those dates, just like the EOS do around their own competitions. The only problem is, what happens if a Junior Cup game is postponed - do they wait until the date of the next round; do they play it the next weekend if both clubs are from the same region; or do they negotiate with all the affected clubs across the regions to get it played the next weekend? 🤔 League Scottish Cup Alex Jack Cup South Challenge Cup Qualifying Cup League Cup Junior Cup Saturday 27 July 1 Wednesday 31 July 2 Saturday 3 August 3 Wednesday 7 August Saturday 10 August PR1 1R Saturday 17 August 1R Saturday 24 August 4 (now SCC) 1R Saturday 31 August PR2 2R Saturday 7 September 5 Saturday 14 September 2R 1R (not needed) Saturday 21 September 1R 3R Saturday 28 September 6 2R Wednesday 2 October 7 (floodlights) Saturday 5 October 8 Saturday 12 October 3R Saturday 19 October 9 2R SF Saturday 26 October 10 3R Saturday 2 November 11 Saturday 9 November 4R Saturday 16 November 12 Saturday 23 November 13 3R F 4R Saturday 30 November 4R (P-P) Saturday 7 December 14 Saturday 14 December 15 Saturday 21 December Christmas Break Saturday 28 December 16 Saturday 4 January 17 Saturday 11 January 18 Saturday 18 January 4R SF Saturday 25 January 19 5R Saturday 1 February 20 Saturday 8 February 21 5R Saturday 15 February 22 Saturday 22 February 23 QF Saturday 29 February 24 QF Saturday 7 March QF 2R Saturday 14 March 25 Saturday 21 March 26 Saturday 28 March F 3R SF1 Saturday 4 April 27 SF SF2 Saturday 11 April 28 SF Saturday 18 April 4R Saturday 25 April 29 Saturday 2 May 30 Saturday 9 May LL PO leg 1 Saturday 16 May LL PO leg 2 SF Saturday 23 May F Saturday 30 May F F?

Rugby has a "close time" from 18 May to 1 August. Given the movement restrictions are unlikely to be lifted for a few weeks at the very least, finishing off the season before mid-May would basically be impossible as teams don't play midweek. Extending the season into June means playing on harder pitches, and then you'd need to move the close time to keep the same break. The SRU are right to call it now and then hope things are better for the leagues restarting in September. Football can wait longer and restart sooner, so copying rugby isn't the way to go.