Dev

With so many Russian families already directly affected by the Invasion through loss of loved ones and or friends it seems like a super idea to provide them with the training to strike back at the Mafia which runs the country.

It also gives Girkin protection from arrest for his dirty work!

Let's see? If it was voted upon today then presumably the relevant AGM was where the vote was held - so was that today? Just asking as I don't know the answer. Less than 12 months warning of significant changes to promotion/relegations etc etc would not be reasonable would it? Waivers are not the issue.

When do the changes come into effect? Is it the start of 2024/25? Surely any changes have to be brought into effect with min. 12 months notice from the relevant AGM? All such AGMs have long gone. That would mean new rules in time for the start of the 2025/26 season wouldn't it?

This was here on P&B after they came into the EoS. Whether or not it happens?

It need not be necessary to sell the ground if a carefully worded long term lease can be agreed instead! In any case there sounds as though there is a serious need to check what can physically be done first of all at the existing ground if it is proposed to bring it up to SFL standard. If needed works cannot be done then they'll have to relocate.

Then there's clubs which have expressed hopes of going for a Licence - so they would have plans for flood-lights too, given time: Crossgates Primrose; Glenrothes; Edinburgh United; Ormiston Primrose; Tweedmouth Rangers. Fauldhouse United also have plans to get flood-lit. Presumably they'd be thinking about Licencing too?

What you all seem to be saying is that clubs really need to buy into their local catchment areas. Link with community groups outside football etc. Many will already do that and they don't need to be clubs in established towns and villages, or communities such as: " that big belt of what the sociologists would call "established middle class" housing from Newlands all the way down to say Clarkston and Giffnock where a lot of their fans seem to come from " which Hillonearth rightly refers to. It's one reason why Community clubs are cropping up and now reaching the Pyramid leagues. Those clubs are buying into the future loyalty of those ex kids /youth players after they reach the middle-age stage. It's a cracking good example for older, more traditional, clubs to try to follow.

At the end of the day every club has to provide a home ground for Wosfl matches. They either long-term lease or own their own ground or hire somebody-else's. All ways mean significant costs for maintenance or hire each season. If a club is up for playing in the WoSfl that is what they must be capable of taking on. If the ground happens to be outside the club's "home" community that is an issue primarily for the club concerned as it may well affect levels of support, viability etc. The problem for the club comes when the location, whether owned, long-term leased or hired on a seasonal basis, is no longer available or they cannot afford the up-keep or to pay any rent due. If they can do all of that then what more is needed. The team on the pitch will be what most think about not the behind the scenes situation, after all. End of sermon!

"Russian media outlets are now reporting that Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov has just left Russia for Turkey. Incidentally, the Deputy PM happens to be the richest member of the government (at least according to reported wealth). 1:48 pm · 24 Jun 2023" · This Tweet from not so long ago. What is the latest? Did he go? Has he returned? Anybody know?

Surprised that there's no ramp for wheelchair/disabled access.

Now that the FC to City reverse is cut and dried it shouldn't be too long before we know what name Craigroyston are playing under this coming season.

There's a huge irony in that substitutes were brought in firstly at the highest levels and then the numbers were increased. This filtered down to the lowest levels of the sport and, inevitably meant that clubs were drawn into using the maximum number of substitutes permitted. Clubs at the lowest levels of the game have gone from being just 11 players with a few reserves to being 11 plus substitutes plus reserves so there are more players per team than there once was. Inevitably this means that there are fewer teams but more players failing to get into starting line-ups. It's a crazy situation. In addition, the use of substitutes has meant that the pace of the whole game has been raised and lasts for the full 90 minutes. It is arguable that this has lead to more injuries to players i.e. you are more likely to pick up a damaging contact injury if the pace of the game doesn't decrease towards the end as it used to do. Does the use of substitutes need to be reduced outside the top levels of the sport so that there can be more teams and more players getting the chance to be in the starting line-up. Players are less likely to stay with a team if they're just used as substitutes or reserves and more likely to spend Saturday afternoons elsewhere. What's other's experience of this? Thoughts?

As usual quite a few long treks. These stood out to me anyway: Banchory St Ternan v Maybole Buchanhaven Hearts v Ardeer Thistle Burghead v Lesmahagow Fraserbugh Utd v Shotts Bon Accord Hurlford Utd v Sunnybank Islavale v Greenock Nairn St Ninian v Ardossan Winton Rovers Vale of Leven v Newmachar Utd Whitehills v Caledonian Locomotives

?? Is that correct. It would make Craigroyston into Edinburgh City "B". Stand back!

www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/25/prigozhin-wagner-ukraine-loyalty-question-offensives/ Prigozhin exile may stop Wagner in Ukraine, experts say Doubts over loyalty towards their leader may also curtail troops from being used again in military offensives ByColin Freeman IN KRAMATORSK25 June 2023 • 6:55pm The chaos inflicted on Russia’s armed forces by the Wagner Group coup attempt may prevent it from mounting any further serious military offensives in Ukraine, analysts said on Sunday night. While the mercenary group’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has ordered his fighters to return to their frontline bases, doubts over the 25,000-strong force’s loyalty is likely to limit their future use to the Russian military’s high command. Ben Hodges, a former US general, said that even if Wagner’s units were broken up and distributed across the rest of Russia’s military, regular army commanders would be unlikely to fully trust them. “Wagner troops will either walk away or be distributed across the Russian Army as individual replacements, who will be under suspicion,” he wrote on Twitter. Under the terms of the truce that saw Prigozhin call off his coup attempt on Saturday, Wagner troops who took part in the mutiny will be offered immunity from prosecution, while others will be permitted to sign formal contracts with the Russian army. It is unclear, though, how many will want to take up the offer – or whether Russian army commanders will really want them in their ranks. “The whole coup business still seems very murky, but it means that many soldiers have now lost faith in their central command,” said Daniel Ridley, an ex-British soldier who runs the Trident Defence Initiative, a private training programme for Ukrainian forces. “We may now never see another joint Russian offensive, and what territory Russia still has in Ukraine, they may now struggle to hold on to.” Wagner’s forces have been involved in some of the heaviest fighting of the war, particularly in the gruelling 10-month battle around the Donbas city of Bakhmut, which the Kremlin has claimed as one of its few victories. While much of that fighting has been done by Wagner’s ex-convict recruits, who have died in their thousands, the group’s hardcore of professional soldiers remains largely intact, Mr Ridley said. It was their ranks, he added, not those of the ex-convicts, who appeared to have been leading the coup attempt in Russia. Professional kit “You could see that they had professional kit and looked good – these weren’t the convict troops,” he said. “They’re not a spent force at all, otherwise they wouldn’t have attempted the coup in the first place.” That group’s professional expertise, he added, had been crucial to the Russian push around Donbas cities like Bakhmut and Soledar. Their successes, though, had also nurtured an esprit de corps that made them see themselves as separate from the Russian regulars. “These people are loyal to Wagner, it’s quite a famous unit now,” he said. “They won’t lightly drop the Wagner patch to sign up for the Russian ministry of defence.” In and around Bakhmut, where Wagner troops know the ground intimately, the Kremlin was still likely to have to use the Wagner force in some form. “They are willing to take losses and they are also very aggressive,” Mr Ridley added. However, Russian army commanders are likely to now fear that if they order Wagner troops into any costly battles, they could risk a mutiny in the ranks that could spark a repeat of Saturday’s insurrection.

Prigozhin is a 100% Mercenary. Everything to do with this alleged mutiny stinks. No-one harmed except maybe a helicopter crew (staged?). The Russian military 100% oblige his calls not to resist. Planes used by Putin and Lukashenka making planned false journeys. The whole thing stage managed. Why is the real question. Maybe looking for Ukraine to make a big mistake and go after the Zaporizhzhia NPP - giving Russia an excuse to go nuclear and blame Ukraine for pulling the trigger? That would have drastic consequences which could cause some people in western countries to turn away away from supporting Ukraine. It is also a way to reward his mate Prigozhin for his efforts so far by distributing significant payments in his direction. Prigozhin doesn't work for nothing. This time Putin could be using this as an opportunity to hoard away roubles? Putin and Prigozhin have a long history together. Could this be a last throw of the dice for them.

That's a fair spread of teams between the Divisions with all but one club in Div.1 represented: Prem: 11 Div.1: 15 Div.2: 6 Div.3: 8

Cheers. That's a big increase. Interesting to see Annan Athletic and Dumbarton buying into the idea too and, maybe, other SPFL clubs will look at doing so in the future. Premier Div. has 12 teams; Div.1 has 12 teams; Div.2 has 9 teams and Div.3 has 10 teams and Div.4 has 9 teams. That a fair spread of interest throughout the league.

Many thanks to The Faceman and to FairWeatherFan.

Thanks. Counted 54 teams listed. Wondering who Team 55 is?

I see that the EoS has released the teams and groupings for next season with a small increase in numbers starting the season 2023/24 compared to the start of 2022/23. Up to 40 from 38. Is there any news about the teams and groupings yet for the WoS?

Hasn't Knightswood plans for a new ground, and that is how they were acceptable to the WoS?

A club or team labelled Edinburgh City Whites joined the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur League in Division Two at the start of 2022/23 season. They are still there next season. Their edited details as at the start of 2022/23, from the league handbook: EDINBURGH CITY WHITES Secretary: David Burton Address: Alternative: Wendy Anderson Ground: Forrester HS 3G Colours: White/Black They may be a separate club from FC Edinburgh? Anyone know more?

No pyramid system is without its' issues so the Scottish one has to fit Scotland as best possible.