Lowerleaguelover

It’s been the most competitive league I can remember with the situations top and bottom. I hope lochore stay up . Dunbar have to win for me, Kinnoull will beat Preston, unsure how Glens v Star will go, expect it to be close.

Jeanfield and Luncarty

A few management changes for next season in the premier league it would seem. The Haws looking for a new manager, Jeanfield and assuming Luncarty come up, all 3 will have new teams in place.

This has definately been one of my favourite divisions in many years. Such a good league this year and still can’t call the winner. Dunbar arguably in poll with 2 to go. Glenrothes have some tough games but also a number of games. What a season!

Has the promotion situation been clarified? With Rose winning the premier league, are there 4 places or 3 places up for grabs?

Luncarty dominated the west side, start to finish. Huge for them, given where they have come from.

Good point on Dunbar having the points. Glens don’t appear to be slowing up at the moment and have momentum. Number of games will definitely become a factor. Availability of players starts to come into play with midweek fixtures. Dunbar and Glenrothes are as good as up. One place remaining as I see it.

Another big weekend in the race for promotion with 4 of the teams in the mix facing off on Saturday. Glenrothes looking favourites for the title for me.

This league is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in years. Twists and turns a plenty and expect a few more.

Have Whitehill let him go?

I’d hope with the vax programme rolled out that’s not going to be the case but of course things can change. The season started in October this year, starting in august would still see us in a better position than we are now and if we have a ‘what if next season’ mindset then why bother starting? Assume an august start, we could prioritise league games and be not far off 50% before winter hits. What is certain there is no ideal scenario but we started and we made it this far with hard work, let’s see it through then nobody can cry foul.

The call it early decision was based on uncertainty, stability is more prevalent than it was at that point (thus with vaccines, LL decision taken) and the timescales can work if we want them to. hypothetical option; - 8th April - communicate that the league will play out to 50% 5 weeks to get match readyish to May 17 (every club in same position) - if required further 1 or two weeks contact training/friendly matches, takes us to 31st May - 3/4 weeks to get to 50% threshold, 26 June. Depending on how many weeks break teams feel appropriate at end of season, push start date into august (why the rush to start in July, allows time for more clarity on pandemic progress before new season starts). Personally I don’t think a big break is required after the 13 months of large breaks/stop start (unless of course some are desperate to spend their week queueing at the click and collect garden centres) but take a vote on what is appropriate. If there’s a debate about congested fixtures, happens every year, if there’s a debate about spending anti lockdown time in football, June is still part of the football calendar every year, it’s a small extension. Fairness and transparency, winners win and losers lose. Clubs may have agreed to contingency, not an imposed date on that contingency when a workable solution exists.

We can kick a ball now, non contact. Fitness can be resumed. Contact begins May 17th as it stands. Genuine solution could be pause, if we are viewing this as early in the season then carry on from July. Bring in the cups, place the new teams in a new bottom tier. Sorted!

I’ll agree to disagree. Good luck to your club.

I’m not getting personal with you, so can you try to do the same. Whether ‘my mask is slipping’, and your agenda certainly is, the dundonald proposal looks pretty neutral to me and worthy of consideration without a witch hunt. There should be parity across tiers in approach as a minimum. Personally I’d be open to alternatives also but null and void is the worst outcome for everyone who made sacrifices (and did a hell of a job I might add) to get where we are, In my opinion.

I’ve been consistent in my opinions. Equally consistent is the run of 11 defeats in 12 your team suffered, you want a 3rd crack at survival while punishing the teams at the top end?? Why should you benefit again but the top end don’t? Here’s another option resume the new season where we left off?

My opinion is my one and isn’t representative of an official club position, it’s ok to give one here isn’t it? My position remains, I would like a return and 50% played. I’m sorry if that differs to yours. I support a pyramid and not benefits handed to selected teams, like those getting play off opportunities and those avoiding looming relegation, more than once I’ve nothing against your club, great set up, but I think the outcome you prefer suits your agenda, maybe the outcome I support suits mine, but I believe in dialogue to find a better answer than null and void

One month after the start of the return to training, some will have had one dose. If well-being is genuinely an issue, a new season shouldn’t start till sep/Oct. But it’s not really what you are concerned about is it...

For you or others who have well-being concerns then I feel for you. If that’s your concern with the situation, come early June when pre season demands 3 times per week attendance, the pandemic landscape will not have significantly changed in terms of all players and officials being vaccinated. If that view is shared with a large number then we are not ready for a new season and we have bigger concerns than the current campaign.

Fair enough, if the well-being is a concern for some I understand. The well-being of those not playing and wish to do so is an alternative perspective (expressed by many on many social platforms).

In what will be 15 months,there has been little football played. In my experience a large number of players are desperate to return, perhaps you see a different opinion (football is not a burden on anti-lockdown life in many peoples eyes). With regards to members running the league, perhaps a vote will ensue. I respect your alternative opinions. I have an opinion that null and void suits those who want a reset because of the performances to date and where they lie in the table and those who don’t find the team at the top very attractive.

Nothing has changed apart from declaring a ppg champion in the very league that the east teams aim to join through promotion...To detach the Lowland from the East like they are an unrelated entity is to detach the concept of a pyramid. You missed the part about the priority being to achieve the very contingency you reference, presumably you are in support of that part.

Whilst I get the point you make, I don’t see the relevance in the ‘why’ the ll/HL made the decision. The point is, they did and to be selective of where it’s appropriate now goes against the very grain of pyramid integrity. Brora played 3 games, all of our leagues are beyond that stage. My challenge with this is and I don’t begrudge those two teams getting opportunity in a, hopefully, one off circumstance, is that we should not place elevated importance on ‘the big guns’ whilst diminish the efforts of the lower tiers. If it’s ppg, it should cascade to all tiers. If that’s promotion and relegation, all tiers, if that’s promotion only, all tiers. The teams who are in that position deserve to be (their form was better than anyone else over the available fixture set). Null and void gives those outside of promotion and relegation no upside, it does however give an escape door to those in trouble. Priority 1 should be trying to fit the remainder of games to 50%. It’s possible.

I stand by the attempt the clubs involved have made to look at a solution, especially given it doesn’t seem to be self serving. I can see your point however and Perhaps a mail round all clubs could have avoided the view of underhand approach. I get your frustration on that. As I said, me personally, have no desire to enforce relegation, but I do believe the decision in lowland/highland means the minimum outcome has to be all tiers receive that reward (integrity of pyramid).

It’s not unusual for clubs to create proposals and ask whether clubs support it before proposing to league committees at any level. The club proposing it don’t gain from it other than it solves a structural problem. Those in relegation positions through ppg will clearly oppose it, but those who either live with the conferences or lose the good work at the top end of the table lose out from null and void, no approach suits all. The outcome for your team is understandably why you are passionate about the subject but making it personal about the proposer whose club isn’t really gaining advantage is not fair. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture, a highland league team has won the title having played 3 games - to say that is nothing to do with the east is not correct - it results in them getting a shot at promotion, the lowland and east leagues filter up to the same pyramid. I do think relegating is very harsh, interested to see what league structures and numbers stands as the alternative options.