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Can see it being tough for the Premier league to vote for a change to the 12 team league, 11-1 voting system, 3/4 visits of the auld firm... More so thinking that how and in the future with Cove, Kelty, Bonnyrigg, Talbot... there aim is now to get into League one. Though clearly in Coves placing 90 minutes away from the Championship. My thoughts then turn to the traditionally full time, 2nd tier Clubs, 3rd tier in terms of Falkirk and how they can mitigate against this influx and more competition for tier 2 & 3 places. Would the likes of Falkirk, Queen of the South, Ayr & Dunfermline be trying and pushing for an 18 team Championship instead? That being a straight home and away 34 game season, no splits. Gives a bit more room for the above clubs to ride out a lean season or 2. 3 teams relegated, maybe the 3rd bottom playoff in the same style that is in in place at the moment, clearly promotion to the premier as before, until there is change from the top tier. Then that would leave a 12 team 3rd tier, keeping the 42 clubs in the league system, though if anything that league could be added to, up to 18 teams I suppose. I'm not going to get into any Colts chat. To increase the number of clubs in the national league system above 42 probably something that the SFA would discourage. Though on the other hand I can't see the national league set up being reduced below 42. In a handful of years both the lowland and Highland league will be very competitive leagues nevermind the division their Champions be getting promoted into. So an 18 Club 2nd Tier, think it has any traction? A self preservation for the current Championship teams, otherwise I could see a Falkirk or a Dunfermline playing Lowland league football in a handful of years. Or how long will Falkirk be sitting in League one for, can see a few of these bigger clubs finding it hard too make their way back up with the more competitive League One. Cove and Queens Park maybe taking 2 of the 2 championship places for next season, with Queens now not amateur with a strong youth set up, they will be looking for Championship football their main stay at least. Has been near 40 years since they were last in tier 2 I think. I think an 18 club Championship would be pragmatic for all clubs, I welcome differing thoughts for discussion.

Well if they can get into the new 3rd Division, it will be full of the smaller ex junior Ayrshire teams, only a few teams outwith that, not that big a deal. It'll be a 16 team league with an away day to Glasgow, one to Alexandria the the rest Ayrshire or South Lanarkshire. Guess that would provide Threave with good competitive football and mid table they would be doing well to achieve, then no doubt a Bonnyton Thistle to join them for the 2023/24 season. If the WoSL Division 4 starts to balloon with membership from ambitious amateur league clubs, I can see Division 3 & 4 then being regionalised North/South. How the South of Scotland league fit into tier 6, well on standard of football they don't. If they remain at tier 6 or not no odds, sure if and when Threave leave to go to the WoS only one or 2 licensed clubs left to exercise the playoff robin anyway. For example look at Glasgow Uni this year, they might just qualify for the 2nd Division WoS. Before that they were a fair, mid team Amateur Caly league team. So going by that, there are dozens of amateur teams that could be compete at a decent standard against all these ex junior teams. Drumchapel aswell, looks like they'll just miss out on playing WoS premier next year. I guess over the next 10 years any decent amateur team that can access the required facilities will apply of the WoS or the EoS as that is the natural progression. Fewer amateur leagues around as a result. More teams than now in the pyramid. Suppose that is what the WoS Division 4 is for like the EoS Division X.

Come on, Castle Douglas is in Southern Scotland terms pretty far West, not a patch on Newton Stewart or Stranraer that is true, though it's way past the far side of Dumfries, so west it is. Big Criagkillie is right the road network east to west is a nightmare in the Borders heading Ayrshire way and vice versa, deceptively a lot of hills!

Well Brechin were in the Championship in 2018. Things can change especially with the super strong Juniors still filter through. My point being Annan, Gretna (I know they play EofS in the past), Dalbeattie, the SofS league would be completely unsuitable for them, dropping from the Lowland league & would be a disservice to players given the chance to play at the highest level they are able to achieve. The strength of other parts of tier 6 is clear to see, 4 teams still left in the last 32 of the Scottish Cup, compared to 1 tier 5 team

Yeah the SofS league being at tier 6 isn't much of a problem for the clubs in it. My belief would be that the SofS would be best served playing at tier 8 or 9 parallel to the WofS Division 3. As firstly the Champions of the SofS will doubtful ever to be able to be competitive against WofS & EofS Prem Champs in the playoff for a Lowland league place. Hence being at tier 9 would best serve any SofS Champion getting promotion into the West of Scotland 1st or 2nd Division providing a step up and more competitive football and hence the more ambitious clubs to find their nature level. Likewise it would service Greta, Dalbeattie Star & Annan better if and when they were to get relegated from the Lowland League. In the case of the former, Gretna this is a real possibility in the next few years, maybe even this year and probably will be the catalyst for any change to the current set up. You would hope the Lowland League in a year or 2 could have a more pragmatic approach to relegation/promotion between themselves and the WofS & EofS, it is still early days we haven't seen a West of Scotland Junior club gaining promotion to the Lowland league yet! Ah, I just noticed that Pollok are proceeding to getting floodlights at Newlands, thought it was impossible because of the residential location. So the top of the West & East have their floodlights and SFA licenses in place or well on their way, any glaring omissions?

Well suppose you'd add Brechin to the list as well! Yeah will be interesting to see the make up of the Highland league in 5 to 10 years time, firstly maybe a 16 team league, few of the weaker outliners relegated, a few Tayside teams there, Banks O'Dee few other northern superleague teams. Then the highland league could be filled with Dundee & Aberdeen derbies.

Genuine query; Thought in the case of Pollok because of the residential location of Newlandsfield that Floodlights wouldn't be allowed hence, licensing and Lowland league access would be beyond them unless they move to a new stadium. Is the pitch size at Pollock another issue too? Find it strange the big East Ayrshire Clubs, Glenafton and it tributaries, or more so their downstream brothers, cousins... gave this season a bye, as finishing top still gets you into the Lowland League Playoff, correct? Something no doubt Clydebank at the very least will be aiming and ready for regarding licensing.

You sure? It reads 'SLFL' being the Lowland League yeah? So 3 permutations that no team team gets relegated. This thread is Lowland league trapdoor, not League Two Trapdoor. So for example, Elgin or Brechin go down, Kelty or Bonnyrigg go up, EOS/SOS playoff winner goes up. Hence no relegation from SLFL. Seems a possible permutation. My point being the bottom clubs in the Lowland league may battle all season, for no relegation, so no battle. Bizarre. No SLFL Trapdoor.

Firstly, I'm not a gambling man though you know what I'm saying. Secondly, I'm partly responding to the top of this thread, there are 3 permutations in a 16 team Lowland League where no team is relegated. Am I reading it wrong or has it changed? So you stand corrected or I?

A battle for what? If Lowland League Champion goes up and Brechin or Elgin go down there'll all be there again next season. There are clearly the haves and have nots in the Lowland League and no more clear than yesterday 6 easy wins that you could have picked with your eyes closed and 2 tight 1 goal wins. The Lowland League has the ability to be a great competitive league though the gap between the bottom and top is getting silly and doesn't sell it well as an marketable product. Especially that the whipping boys will be all there again for a few more seasons at least. At least one team to get relegated automatically no matter what permutation should be a minimum? Possibly Vale will be leaving anyway due to Floodlights to push a vacancy application process, which is bizarre. Again then you would hope that the highest placing licensed EOS Premier league team would then gain entry under them circumstances.

Yeah, no doubt they'll have a common sense approach to fulfilling their fixture list on schedule.

I wouldn't call it excuses, it's fact. Talbot, without floodlights, 6 game Senior Scotttish Cup run roughly all Saturday games, same for Scottish Junior Cup roughly, all Saturdays, for them not enough fixture dates in the calendar to fulfil a league campaign by the end of April. Nothing stopping 16 team west junior top flight from having a champion by end of April? Clearly the above makes it impossible. The most interesting development this year is Cumnock starting their application for a SFA Licence. The biggest quantum leap in the West for sometime.

What, I fail to notice? Pretty irrelevant to be fair! Though clearly as a tier 6 league and in line with possible play off with East of Scotland Premier Champions...

LL league 13/16 have floodlights if not more, so they can have a full fixture card for midweek any time of the year if and when required. West Juniors and East of Scotland Premier less so. No doubt East of Scotland league be on top of things fixture wise compared to the West Junior Premier, so then do you see it possible for the West Juniors to have their league campaign finished by the end of April? This is my point, the practicality of fulfilling fixtures before a certain date, something the West Juniors seem incapable of achieving.

Though as practical as that sounds, what are the chances of that happening? The only way to run it at 16 teams is to start straight into a Saturday / midweek fixture list of league fixtures from mid July mirroring the Highland league approach to fixtures until the evenings become too short. Though again the chances of that happening?

There's one big point that has to be taken into consideration when thinking the straightforward possibility of the west juniors coming in at tier 6; That being them able to fulfil their league campaign for any potential East/West playoff for Lowland League entry. East of Scotland League is completely wrapped up including Championship Playoff, where in the West Juniors Talbot still have over a quarter of their league fixtures to fulfil. http://www.scottishjuniorfa.com/sjfa/competition_leaguetables.cfm?page=1758 Having 16 team leagues at this level isn't too workable to fit in with play off timescales and next years East of Scotland 16 team premier is probably too many teams and games for a league at tier 6 where many clubs don't have floodlights. Yeah, the west juniors joining the pyramid sounds simple and to sort though without addressing the fixture backlog and that most teams in the West Premier still have at least 3 or 4 games to play by the time the East of Scotland had completed, on that simple basis it would be a non starter. So for now the West Juniors can dream on of joining the pyramid as the Scottish junior cup and a good Senior Scottish Cup run by a club and no midweek floodlight fixtures on the calendar will cause havoc with completion of the league campaign, and clearly making it impossible to complete by any set date. There's only so many weekends in the football calendar year. To integrate have 14 team top divisions West junior and East of Scotland Premier?

Yep, six foot under the sod. RIP

That's the bottom line!

So you'd like your own team to get relegated? Fair enough.

In ways they look the most equipped, already have a a team in Development League West and plans for a new Stadium on the way. New Stadium ready to go in the coming months for Cove as well. Would be bizarre if Spartans get promoted with their tenants the only other team to be promoted to the SPFL.

Cove Champions, Cowdenbeath now with 3 games to play and 7+ points to make up, so playoff bound. (Well Berwick still have 5 games to play to pick up 3 points to make sure, Edinburgh City likewise though from 3 games) Spartans and East Kilbride in action tomorrow night and with final league games on Saturday. Spartans a point ahead though have East Stirlingshire on Saturday. Lowland vs Highland Champions playoff games pushed onto Saturday 28th April & Tuesday 1st May, Highland League Champs play at home first. http://slfl.co.uk/playoff-dates-confirmed/ So who would you all like to be in the SPFL next year from them 4 Clubs?

Though with East Stirlingshire moving to The Falkirk Stadium where will Stirling Uni Lowland League play their games and then the knock on Stirling Uni EoS team.

Lets go with current league structure and guessing what will happen to the East of Scotland league next year. One Division or two? Or two parallel Divisions on a East, Mid Lothian and Borders in one the rest in the other. Let Tynecastle go to one Lothian Thistle to the other if they are still in the league. 13 teams currently though sounds like Dalkeith, Clydebank and possibly Bonnyrigg IN, there could be more though. Stirling Uni EoS (their reserve team) OUT head to Caledonian Amateur League so it has been said. Say there are 16-18 teams, playing a 30 to 34 league game season at that level too many games? An interesting approach that would appease the strong former Junior clubs in a tiered 2 Division league would be say 2 leagues of 8. Then taken from the idea above; They play twice 14 games, half season top 2 in 2nd Division replace the bottom 2 in the 1st Division. Then 2nd half of season 8 and 8 again another 14 games. 28 league games total, 2 promotions and relegation a season, makes the season 2 games shorter than a 30 game 16 team league, so more palatable at that level and more competitive and exciting league. New stronger clubs joining in the lower divisions can gain access to top league quickly. Same approach could be used with 24 team league.

Denny to Dalmellington on a crisp winters morn, many a Glaswegian team finally finding out the delights of Muirkirk, the big smoke trips of the Ayrshire country boys, yep it'll be interesting and exotic for the first few seasons. Give it a year or 2 and you could see some joint 3rd tier South West/North East divide being set up. With them leagues making up the lesser games as the odd team goes Senior and new clubs enter. Doubt the West would run at any higher than 64 teams, then they would have to revert back to a 5 Division League. Clydebank are leaving, maybe Bonnyton would consider an application. Wonder what other Clubs have p***ked up their ears to apply for the juniors next season, any top amateur Clubs come to mind?

Think it's a good idea and progressive, though be interesting how it works out. Take the Highland League approach start the league last week of July and reserve the weekends for the League games.