Dev

This development was mentioned a couple of years or so ago. If Athletic or Loch Ness don't use it could there be a UHI team in the NCal soon? Ground-sharing must also be a possibility so two teams benefitting?

No trains stay on track for ever.

Good enough reason for them all to go!

Not being bothered about this mess which he is guiding is his weakness.

If the proposed Conference Division is there to help the 3 or so B teams why should any other SPFL club support it? If it is so good then it will increase the gap between the three and the rest of the clubs in the league. Don't support that - vote against it! Any pressure from the SFA on the other clubs could give them just the nudge they might need in order to vote NO. Next would be Maxwell & the Board to go. This shake-up needs a prod to start it and SFA "bullying" of the other SPFL / SFA member clubs could just be what's needed.

Some clubs which claimed not to have received the details were roundly rubbished by a few on here but the clubs were telling the truth. Surprise, surprise! The other thing is that the SFA has responsibilities for the whole of Scottish football so when they go on about the Big 4 in the proposed new Conference they are intentionally shoving all other Premier Division and lower clubs into the bin - presuming that they don't count. Why would any club outside the 4 vote in favour of proposals which will create an even greater gap between them and the big 4?

So when was this sent out to SFA member clubs (and legues)? How long ago?

Cheers. Years ago the P&J used to give estimated attendance figures. Presume that they don't still do it.

I think that you've hit the nail on the head. Possibly that could be why there may be changes being brought in as, if the two clubs mentioned don't have grounds which meet the desired standards for Divisions 3 and above, then the WoS don't want that to happen again? You certainly can't send these two clubs back down at this stage but you can try to prevent this situation from happening again.

Trying to make some sense of the idea which was mentioned in the opening post. Don't have any idea if there is something like this being put forward but, if it is, is it something like this?: Maybe it's just that no licenced clubs will go down to Division 4 because it is to become a transition division. However, guessing that no unlicenced club would be relegated this summer if it finishes above the designated bottom 6 relegation places. i.e. no relegation if 7th bottom or higher in the table this time around. That would mean Division 3 running with more than 16 clubs in 2023/24 as it has done in 2022/23. It would allow the league to accept new clubs which are working on reaching the required ground standards etc by letting them into Division 4 but keeping them there until they reach the necessary standards AND finish in a promotion place. Could this pave the way to an agreed merger with the S0S or with current amateur/under 21 leagues - thinking Caledonian Amateur/Central Scottish etc? That could give a pyramid right down into the amateur league's ranks. That would be s sensible move in many people's views.

Just a guess. Could this be something to do with the Fourth Division being looked at as a transition division for new clubs from the amateurs/Youth leagues? Lower ground requirements and extra time given to them to help them make the move up the league. Why differentiate between licenced and unlicenced clubs though? If this was put forward by Carluke Rovers and Gartcairn does that mean that they are both about to gain their SFA licences?

Has anyone done a record of the approx attendances for league matches this season? I see that they are available for the Lowland League.

Yeah! Renfrew.

Just couldn't resist with the way things are at the moment.

There's been mention of Troon, Renton, Renfrew, Blairgowrie and Carluke Rovers on other threads. Petershill and Dyce cannot be too far off. However, we shall see.

Will Abbey Vale be in the Scottish Cup next season as SoS League champions?

Carnoustie?

Apologies for bringing politics into the matter but your logo kind of says it all at the moment. Get a mess! Needs sorting out asap. Vote SNP. Get Scotland.

Lots of youngsters head off to other countries, not just to English clubs. They'll get a lot better experience than hanging around in B squads. Others who are with non OF/Hearts clubs already have a better chance of progression anyway as they are already featuring in first team squads and have realistic chances to play against existing SPFL Premier and lower division clubs - which, of course, is already a better standard than any Conference could ever hope to be!

Looking like it maybe up to 14 teams next season if Dalbeattie Star and Glasgow Wellington come in and no-one leaves. This should make it more interesting viewing. Don't suppose there's any signs of Heston Rovers making a comeback? Who's favourites to win next season? Will Wigtown & Bladnoch recover and start to hold their own again - hope so. Any more clubs looking towards getting an SFA licence - this has only been halted temporarily - maybe Lochar Thistle?

Here's another interesting piece of pure speculation from this source (via NewsNow): Window on Eurasia -- New Series: Kyiv Map of Post-Russia Not Only Features New Countries but Also Restores Territories Seized from Others and Sets Up Special Mandates in the North (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com) Saturday, May 6, 2023 Kyiv Map of Post-Russia Not Only Features New Countries but Also Restores Territories Seized from Others and Sets Up Special Mandates in the North Paul Goble Staunton, May 2 – Most predictions about the future reordering of the space now occupied by the Russian Federation focus only on the appearance of new states to be carved out of what is now the Russian Federation. But Vitaly Kulyk, a Ukrainian futurologist, argues that there are two other kinds of territories that must be taken into consideration. The director of Kyiv’s Center for Civil Society Studies has come up with a detailed map showing how he thinks the current Russian space may be divided in the course of a complex civil war after the defeat of Russia in its war with Ukraine and the collapse of the Moscow regime’s control over the country (medium.com/@vitaliikulyk_79175/after-the-victory-first-kyiv-map-of-postrussia-f8aed1093ea). Kulyk’s ideas concerning the new states – and he provides detailed maps – resemble those of others. But he makes two points which most other prognosticators don’t. He says it is critically important to restore to neighboring countries territories Moscow has taken from them and to set up special mandate territories in areas with fragile eco systems lest these be destroyed. The Ukrainian futurologist acknowledges that most regimes in the anti-Putin coalition oppose changing the external borders of the current Russian Federation, but he and his colleagues have concluded that “some historical justice is necessary with regard to Japan, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Finland and Ukraine. In his map, the Kuriles and Sakhalin are to be returned to Japan, Pechora to Estonia, Orenburg to Kazakhstan, certain border areas to Finland, and other border regions to Ukraine. Perhaps even more significant, much of what is now the Arctic region of the Russian Federation is to be placed under a mandate in the form of a global natural patronage system. Kulyk’s ideas are only that ideas. But they are important in that they are a clear indication that dividing up the Russian Federation is going to be far more complicated and involve far more violence than almost any of those now talking about this process are prepared to admit. As a result, they are useful even if in the end, they are never fully realized. Posted by paul goble at 5:32 AM

OK. Pure speculation. Maybe the crafty Ruskies are trying to encourage Ukraine to attack an area which suites Russia. It's east of the ZNP Station which has been reported to be a place where explosives have been stored. If the prevailing winds come from the west then an accidental explosion might send nuclear radiation eastwards into the evacuated areas. Maybe getting the inhabitants out before the balloon goes up?

I see that the EoS has gone public about one new club joining them for next season i.e. before their AGM. Is the WoS going to do similar or, if there are any new clubs, will we have to wait until the AGM for news? Anyone know?

Yes, indeed, but they're not all complete fools. Some will look ahead and see the dangers.

Don't suppose, by chance, that there are any local elections coming up soon?