Cheggers04

Due to injury, Irvine afc require a GK for the season ahead. Preferably we would like someone with decent level amateur or junior experience as we play in the first division with hopes of making it to the Premier this year. We have a good setup with own park/training facilities and also a GK coach. If genuine interest please email irvineafc@gmail.com

Local leagues was the perfect way to go to get everyone back competitively playing but most importantly it avoided any doubt or hassle that was had last season my basically making the season not finished and not awarding promo or relegation. By agreeing to start the league as normal and then the possibility of having to call a GM in feb/March to decide if teams should play each other once in this season to decide promo/relegation is a slap in the face to every team that was in a promotion place when the league stopped last season. It was agreed last season that some teams had only played half their league games (some less than that) so it was deemed unfair to give awards or relegate but now they're saying it's ok to do it by way of a GM if it looks like things won't be able to finish [emoji23][emoji23]. Clubs should have done the correct thing and voted for local leagues and then start a fresh in August 2021. The SAFA announcement last night has saved any further embarrassment tbh and I dont envey the AAFA commitee for their tasks ahead.

No chance of getting a season finished, especially after the vote in ayrshire last night. Mind u as u say we will do will to see any football started

Am no saying dont play, quite the opposite actually. Personally a think this 2 week layoff is nonsense when they're yet to prove a spike has been caused by a football related incident at amateur level. It'll only get worse if sturgeon follows boris into the 3 tier setup. Do what the WOSFL did. Put it to a vote of the clubs and if they want to play then play. WOSFL teams aren't all testing their players so how are they any different from amateur with the exception that they can lock their gates so general public can't come in.

When I say sit out the season, i mean just play local friendlies etc. A bit like what the kids are doing at the moment. As much as I'd love to see the competitive season started asap, would you rather play local friendlies each week and that way there is no real impact if stopped again, or start another season that may not get completed again? Imagine the Crosshouse, Irvine, WK and Mauchline teams having to go through the same thing again by sitting in automatic promotion spots then having it taken away again by not completing the season for a second time? The association from what I gather are doing all they can to get things going but it night not be a bad idea to play non competitive until april/May then kickstart the new season in July with the current format that was to be played this season. The WOSFL have announced they will award trophies and medals for this season coming but not award promotion/relegation because 9 teams have withdrawn without penalty. What's the point in that? Would be as well just letting teams play non competitive games until everyone can or wants to compete

The question is.. would we be better sitting out the season and encouraging the SFA to make sure we restart in July/august next season, regardless of the situation? Or do we keep hoping that we will get a clear run at it from start of november and not have a stop start season. I know I'd rather start asap but I think a stop/start season would do more harm than good and would just piss people off and result in them wanting to pack it in. All clubs have worked hard on their fitness for 8 weeks and most will now be back to square one come 25th oct. Takes a hell of a time to build the fitness, takes a fraction of that to lose it and good luck telling your guys to keep running 5k's on their own

Good luck filling your team with junior players for a season to be left hanging when the wosfl finally gets going. Am sure your loyal amateur players would take a season off then come back once the juniors have left at the drop of a hat. Shows junior players mentality if they're not willing to play without pay or expenses. Also highlights the problems at some amateur teams for all to see, that's if you didn't know about it already, if true of course[emoji102]. Dont like to hear of any teams struggling but if it's true then fairplay, been making a mockery of the amateur game in ayrshire for years and who would have thought it would take a pandemic to stop it!! What's the most baffling thing about all this is 17 year olds can play and train but 18,19,21 and ammies can't... now who decided this? I find it very strange the government did and tbh what difference is allowing the Wosfl to start but not ammies? Neither are allowed fans at the moment so what's the fuckin difference? Let the boys play and give them something to look forward to every week

Technically its not much different than normal rules tho. If the spectators are on your side of the park then is it not up to your committee to police it? A think that's what the rules are anyway. But lets be fair, if the local youth turn up with a carry out and stand at the side, there is only so much u can do. As you say in a public park you can't do more than ask for a bit of commonsense but in the same respect they can still tell u to f**k off [emoji23][emoji23]

With this being in the red/amber zone then surely any other coaches or committee members just stand further back? Or have I misinterpreted the rules? I'd have thought it only really matters when you're close to the pitch like inside an astro with a cage around it? I could be wrong tho lol

Confirmed? A see the fella boyd has joined Irvine meadow

Type into Google Brunston Castle Golf Club and put that postcode into your sat nav. Daillys pitch is on the wee off road up to the golf course

Well said. Backing proposals then not even bothering to turn up and vote for it #Shambles

They've lost a player to Irvine as well apparently

Dont understand it myself tbh. I'm all for caution etc but it's getting stupid now. I can send my son who's 9 to training from next week where it's full contact but adult teams aren't allowed to stand 20 yards apart and do passing drills? I know of at least 5 junior teams that have been full training for the last 3 weeks and I'm talking about contact training.... What makes them different to amateur? Obviously they've more money but I don't think they could afford weekly testing of their players.. Can the SFA actually punish teams for training? Fair point about the beer gardens, can have a team day out for 3hrs in a beer garden but can't pass a ball back and forward to each other [emoji23][emoji23]

If you have the means to train with social distancing then what's the issue? How is adult social distance training with non contact any worse off than youth football with full contact? Surely I've more risk of catching it from my kid if he's been to training than when I've went to a social distancing gathering? From july 15th Pt's now allowed to arrange outdoor group sessions as long as proper measures in place but you cant do the same with a football? Hows that any different? Can go for a haircut but can't kick a ball 20 yards away to a teammate... where's the logic in that? There is talk of punishment for teams caught training, what are the punishments? Personally I've seen amateur and junior teams training already so what's the issue if you're taking the correct measures to ensure everyones safety? Drive past any astro when the weather is decent and you'll be hard pushed to find an empty space on it with the amount of people playing in these "restricted" times. Another point, what was the outcome of the Ayrshire leagues debate after clubs suggested changes, when will clubs be notified? Assuming they haven't already or we would have seen the discussions on here [emoji23]

I take it that it would be a no go for more of a summer based season?

Personally I think the committee do a great job and it's a thankless task at times because I know it's extremely hard to get members to join a committee in any sport so dont think for a minute I'm having a go at the executive... far from it actually!! I do however think whilst the current climate provides extreme uncertainty, I also think it provides an opportunity to look at things as a whole and see if changes can be made to the current setup to make it better for all involved. Teams fold each season for various reasons, probably the most obvious one is player commitment and for that reason alone I think you'd stand a better chance of keeping clubs in the association if they weren't playing in a league of 9 or 10 teams. Say you're going for promotion and another team also in the hunt has 2 home games against you because you play each other 3 times, hows that fair? Luck of the draw I know but its hardly appealing in my opinion. The main reason for any of my comments on this thread and directed at you since you commented is to find out if it's the executive who decide which proposals go to the floor or if all proposals go to the floor to be voted on by the member clubs.

Thanks for the update and clarification Graham. Can I ask if any proposals put forward by clubs are presented to member clubs to vote on? Or is it a case of the executive decide what they like and what works then put it to a vote from the clubs? Regardless of associations trying out larger numbers in a league for a season or not, they're still willing to try it out. The AAFA proposal of 11-12-10-10 is just cop out tbh. Its basically saying this season didnt happen but you're not getting your membership fees from last season back and any suspensions will carry over to the 20-21 season. It also only suits the teams who are sitting in a relegation position. Fair enough you cant award titles etc and I totally agree with that but you cant say the season basically hasn't happened but still uphold suspensions and not refund membership fees. Whatever way you word it, that's what's happened if you don't look at a reconstruction

If it was 14 in the premier then I'd probably put 3 up but then a decision has to be made on 2A-2B how you get the 5th team outta that. For me the current league proposal doesn't work, as I said earlier I think it's an easy out so if they didnt want a full reconstruction then the only fair way I could see it is 12-12-10-10 and you relegate and promote based on a ppg average from what the leagues look like now on the website

I try my best mate [emoji1787][emoji1787] The premier division of the caley league also has 14 teams in it and it has some of the best ams teams about . Can definitely work with that number no problem. Ayrshire clubs have been asked to put forward proposals by Thursday a think it is so will be interesting to see if anything comes across and also if the league committee actually let the member clubs vote on it. In my opinion I think it's only fair the member clubs get a say in their own future, end of the day they're the ones paying the membership fees

You'll never please everyone but in my opinion I would reconstruct the leagues and award places based on a points by game average. I wouldn't go as far as awarding someone a league trophy but as I said, if it's good enough for the top division in Scotland to be finalised by a points per game average then why can't they do it with amateur? The biggest mistake was the SAFA not telling each association what to do with their respective leagues. They were quick enough to tell all clubs that they cant train etc but they wouldn't make the decision on how leagues should finish? It should be uniformed across the country and fed down from the top to the bottom. What's the point in having a governing body who wont make the difficult decisions and have just passed the buck onto the associations to do as they please. The SSMAFL has 16 teams in its premier division so clearly it works. There is two local cups for all ayrshire clubs or 3 if you count the Donsport. Is there really a need for all of that? There is an argument that with 14 teams in the premier league would be too many league games and run the risk of seasons still being played in june. Why is that an issue? Surely that's the price u pay for being successful and putting together a cup run. Last couple of seasons you've had teams not playing for 2-3 weeks when they've only 2-3 league games left. Another question I would ask is why cant ayrshire produce a fixture list more than a week in advance? Junior clubs and boys clubs have their fixtures 3 months in advance then if a cup competition comes into play then they take priority. Btw the match sec has done a fantastic job over the years, not saying anything bad against him but I do feel that fixtures could be laid out for 4-6 games at a time minimum.

If I was a team in 2A or 2B then I'd be crying out for a reconstruction. Why would anyone want to play in a league with 9 or 10 teams then have to play each other 3 times and possibly throw in a made up cup for extra games so your season doesn't finish in February? The AAFA have followed the guidance from sfa/safa all the way through the pandemic with the exception of proposing a premier division with 11 teams in it (which has never been done before and was always made clear at previous formation meetings that the premier had to have 12 teams, no more, no less). You cannot just say that's it the season is finished and you all paid money and played for nothing to then be punished the next season by suspensions carried over and no relegation/promotions from a season that apparently "doesn't count". The association need to do the honourable thing and agree to a reconstruction or go back to the setup of 12-12-10-10 and award promotion and relegation places based on a points per game average for the season just played. If it's good enough for the top league in scotland then it's good enough for amateur football. Changing the constitution for one season so that the premier has 11 teams next year is the cowards way out

Any changes must be put forward to the league by a certain date. The league then decide if it's a viable option and if so then they put it to a vote by the member clubs. That's only if the executive committee deem the change as a reasonable option. Just because someone suggests a change doesn't automatically mean that it will get put to a vote by the member clubs. When the restructuring of 2a/2b was brought in, I know some of the suggested league restructuring ideas weren't put to a vote cause the league said it wouldn't work. I think (I could be wrong) that one of those was a 14 team premier but because the premier teams are likely to go further in cups than the lower leagues, it was deemed too many league games to fit into the season

Constitution changes are always made by the executive committee which in itself is wrong imo. Why ask for suggestions from clubs to make changes each year only for the committee to decide if they want to put them to a vote or not? Surely the clubs should vote on any suggested changes at each AGM since they pay a membership fee. Having an 11 team premier is just a joke tbh. This scenario should have been used as an opportunity to make real changes to the league setup. No reason why you couldn't run 3 leagues instead of 4

Would seem like the fair option for the teams at the top of the 1st division although I think it was mentioned a couple of years back that 14 teams in the one division was too much. Would like to see it happen tho and make 3 leagues in ayrshire instead of 4