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4 minutes ago, Pyramidic said:

 

 

https://www.whitlettsvictoria.com/item.php?pg=news&pd=1002&it=1006

Wednesday 27th May 2020 - posted by John Dalton

Vics Launch u20's Development Squad

Whitletts Victoria are to apply to join the Lowland Development League (West) next season, a new under 20’s development league which will be the latest extension of the player pathway created in recent years by the Clubs’ charity, Vics in the Community and will have close links with the clubs’ first team squad.

And the Club are delighted to announce that former Ayr United midfielder Duncan George has agreed to take charge of the youngsters to aid their development, with players being registered Whitletts Victoria players and available for first team selection.

Vics in the Community spokesperson, Blair Monaghan said this was an exciting project that will complement the work currently underway to create a player pathway to the first team.

“Since Vics in the Community’s formation in 2018, we have worked hard to establish a number of community projects as well as starting to develop a player pathway which will eventually lead to us organising teams at every age group from 4v4’s through to the first team, giving players the opportunity to play at the highest level they possibly can” said Blair

“With Whitletts Victoria playing next season in the new West of Scotland Football League, the under 20’s will work very closely with the first team squad and there will be opportunities for players to train alongside and with the first team, catch the eye of manager George Grierson and work their way into the first team squad.”

“And in Duncan George we believe that we have the right man at the helm to give the young players the right development. He’s played the game at senior level with Ayr United and Stranraer, played in the juniors with Auchinleck and Irvine Meadow, has coached at pro-youth and junior level, including a spell at Whitletts, as well as having scouted for Premier League clubs so he knows a player and how to get the best from them. The young players could not have a better person to learn from and continue their football education.”

Head Coach Duncan George said that he was delighted to take charge of the team and looked forward to the challenges that lay ahead.

“This is an exciting opportunity for players to play in a brand new league set up against the best young players throughout the West of Scotland. There is a wealth of young talent out there and this provides the ideal platform for them to showcase their talents and show that they can play at a higher level” said Duncan.

“Through time it will complete a player pathway for local youngsters to play for Whitletts Victoria and I’m looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”

The u20’s Development League is organised by the Lowland League and matches will be played on a Friday night with the Club looking to secure Dam Park Stadium as the venue for its’ home matches with players having that first team matchday experience.

Blair Monaghan added “This will be a competitive league against some of the top teams and young players in the West of Scotland and we are looking to secure the best possible facilities for the players to showcase their talents and have that first team experience.”

 

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https://newmainsunitedfc.com/statement-club-apply-for-entry-into-lowland-development-league/

STATEMENT: Club apply for entry into Lowland Development League

NEWMAINS UNITED have applied to join the Lowland Development League.

The Victoria Park side have submitted a request to field an Under-20s team after moving to the newly formed West of Scotland League structure last month.

It will allow the club to continue with their plans to build a player pathway, with future first team stars being blooded in a competitive environment.

The new team will be managed by the club’s academy manager John Campbell and Dean Beaton, with games being played on a Friday night.

Eligible players must be 19 or younger on December 31 2020, with two overage players allowed to feature in each game for a maximum of six games each during the season.

 

 

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Does this mean that Berwick Rangers have plans to join the Under 20's Development League?

http://berwickrangers.com/berwick-rangers-and-berwick-juniors-agree-partnership/

Berwick Rangers are proud to announce that a formal agreement has been made to reconnect ties between the Football Club and Berwick Juniors, meaning the town’s largest youth football club will once again be known as Berwick Rangers Juniors.

This partnership, which will be mutually beneficial for both parties, fulfils an early goal set out by the new Board of Directors when they arrived at the Football Club in January and comes following a number of positive discussions between club representatives and members of the Berwick Juniors committee.

Among the commitments made by the Football Club to the Juniors include the use of facilities at Shielfield Park, including meeting rooms and recreational space for fundraising, as well as agreed access to the pitches at Shielfield Park, Old Shielfield and Ivinson. 

With the Juniors having 12 teams, the facilities arrangement will complement the agreement the Juniors have with Berwick Cricket Club, who provide pitches and their clubhouse for some of the set-up’s younger teams.

Coaches of Berwick Rangers Juniors teams will also benefit from the launch of a coach in-service programme, which is set to launch next Wednesday (June 10). On this Zoom call, former Berwick Rangers Junior and current St Johnstone man Liam Craig will speak to Juniors coaches about his career and move into coaching. Craig has also lined up more professional player guests as the monthly programme grows and it is hoped this will play an important role in the development of Juniors coaches moving forward.

The Board of Directors will also lend their expertise to the Juniors to help further professionalise how they are run, supporting them in their marketing and communications, as well as with grant applications.

The Juniors, meanwhile, will formally adopt the Berwick Rangers Football Club badge and continue in their Black and Gold kits, while the use of ‘Berwick Rangers Juniors’ will also begin across all social media and marketing.

Members of the Board of Directors will also meet quarterly with members of the Juniors committee to review progress within the partnership.

Speaking about the link-up, Vice-Chairman Craig Forsyth said: “To say we’re excited to have reconnected with Berwick Juniors and have them playing under the ‘Berwick Rangers’ name again is an understatement.

“In recent years, the clubs have enjoyed a positive, informal relationship and, although some may react to this announcement with a little bit of cynicism given the breakdown of formal relationships between the clubs in the past, we hope they can look beyond those mistakes and towards what we believe will be a bright future for both Berwick Rangers and Berwick Rangers Juniors.

“Berwick Rangers Juniors are now an official part of our pathway and I’d like to personally thank the Juniors committee for all of the positive discussions we’ve had in recent months. I believe this is the start of a long and successful partnership.”

Chairman of Berwick Juniors, Steven Ingram, added: “Our committee have been watching with interest the changes at Berwick Rangers in recent months and with the club’s new vision and increased community drive, it seems like the perfect time for our two organisations to connect.

“From the Juniors’ perspective, this reorganisation should lead to and produce a clearer pathway for young players to see the link and progression that can be made through hard work, dedication and loyalty to the First Team at Berwick Rangers and beyond. We’re also delighted about the coach education opportunities that have been offered to us, which can only benefit our youngsters as they look to progress in the game.

“These are certainly exciting times and we look forward to watching this partnership flourish. In doing so, hopefully these youngsters will become enthused with Berwick Rangers and the club can become a true community hub.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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http://www.youthfootballscotland.co.uk/west-region/item/21202-owen-mccarrey.html

Beith Manager Hails New Development League

Written by  Owen McCarrey

 

“There is no better time for a youth player to come in and shine,” according to Beith Juniors gaffer Bryan Young, as he spoke to YFS about the new Under-20s Development League for the west of Scotland.

 

The new format will come into force next season, following the approval of plans for a new West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) that will merge into the SPFL pyramid system. 

 

The WoSFL will join the sixth-tier, alongside the existing East of Scotland Football League and South of Scotland Football League. The establishing of the league is the dawn of a new era for football in the west of Scotland and opens the door to more opportunities for youth players.

 

It was announced on the April 14 that 67 of the 68 clubs who applied to be part of the WoSFL had been reviewed and accepted. 

 

63 of these clubs had been the members of the West Region Junior Football Association (WRJFA) and after several months of voting and discussions between the clubs they felt that joining the SPFL at the sixth-tier was the best way forward for all clubs at junior level.

 

“For Beith as a club, there was a lot of thought put in to it to be honest with you,” Bryan said, speaking on the decision from the Juniors side to join the SPFL set-up.

 

“For me personally coming into the role such a short time ago and being my first job, it was quite exciting and quite frustrating at the same time because there is so many unknowns at the moment, but if I was to answer it I think it’s a real positive for Scottish football as a whole.”

 

Previously, junior football has been the starting point for many younger players’ careers and has given them the experience that is needed of playing in a first team consistently. It was also a platform for younger players to be scouted and be picked-up by professional clubs. 

 

Bryan agreed, adding: “I think this new u20s league is very exciting, if it’s done the way it should be done. With the whole Covid-19 situation, money is going to be tight for these clubs, there is no better time for a youth player to come and shine.”

 

The creation of the Development League has seen youth teams begin to affiliate with new WoSFL members and create development teams to allow younger players a new pathway to the first team. 

 

Auchinleck Talbot, a team who have dominated junior football for many years, winning countless trophies, have recently affiliated with Crosshouse 2004s to create an U17s side. 

 

A statement on the ‘ATFC Youth Academy’ Facebook page said: “We are delighted to announce that we will have a new U17s team in the academy. Crosshouse 2004s have agreed to move to play under our banner as Auchinleck Talbot u17’s. This is a great addition to the academy as we look to strengthen the pathway towards the new West Development League & hopefully to the first team”.

 

Bryan, only entering his second season as The Cabes’ manager, also believes in giving youth a chance: “The best advice I could give any young player is, just because someone tells you you’re not good enough that doesn’t mean you aren’t.”

 

The gaffer played almost his full career in junior football, spending 12 seasons at Auchinleck Talbot. He won five Scottish Junior Cups in that time, making him one of the most decorated players in Junior football. 

 

Having previously coached Johnstone Burgh under-21s and Johnstone Burgh 09s, he still coaches Pollok 09’s as well as managing Beith.

 

“People told me I was too small, but you need to overcome it and adapt your game. At Auchinleck I done my first six months grinding it out, being on the bench to try and prove myself, it was really difficult. 

 

“Self-belief is one of my main messages. It doesn’t matter what people say, if you don’t believe in yourself no one else will.”

 

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i.e. Link to the Youth Football Scotland web site where you can listen to this 15 minute report.

 

http://www.youthfootballscotland.co.uk/component/k2/item/21199-guest-report-player-pathways-in-youth-football.html

Guest Report: Player pathways in youth football

Written by  YFS Editor 1

 

As part of his HND course, radio presenter Cameron Conner has produced a fifteen minute report on pathways within Scottish youth football. It includes discussions with a wide variety of guests, as listed below:

- Paul Greig (Raith Rovers Community Foundation),
- Michael Wilson (Peebles FC),
- Tony Begg (Penicuik Athletic FC)
- Andrew Johnston (West Lothian Youth Foundation),
- Aaron Moffat (Corstorphine Dynamo FC)
- Declan Fergus (Heart Of Midlothian FC) 
- Robbie McIntyre ( Edinburgh City FC)

 

 

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Oh how I love how teams make up their own name for a league they are applying to join when it does not exists. The official name of the league registered with the SFA is Lowlands Development League.

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10 hours ago, gaz1959 said:

Oh how I love how teams make up their own name for a league they are applying to join when it does not exists. The official name of the league registered with the SFA is Lowlands Development League.

Again, I don't think its a big deal.
Everyone knows that they are registering with the Lowland Development League which is officially all-in but I'd say that as far as I'm aware every team believes that the development league will be regionalised to a East and West conferences, (looks like two conferences per area), as this is an easier workable project.  Sometimes people have just forgotten due to the excitement of the league growing exponentially      

Edited by Bestsinceslicebread
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It totals 29 newbies so far as I hear via social media, P&B, etc. It was 29 last season, but losing Newtongrange Star makes it 28. Prospective total of about 57 sides. Easily four conferences and could be split up further if needs be.

Does anyone know if one or more of Kilwinning Rangers, Largs Thistle and Pollok are intending to put a side into the Under 20's Development League?

Is there a chance that Drumchapel United or Glasgow University will enter teams? Or any other club?

At present it looks like 2 additional Lowland League sides will feature i.e. East Kilbride and Gala Fairydean Rovers.

From the EoS there seems to be 7 :

Edinburgh South, Glenrothes, Jeanfield Swifts, Kennoway Star Hearts, Kirkcaldy & Dysart, Tynecastle and Whitehill Welfare.

Then from the WoS , so far, it looks like 20 :

Arthurlie
Bellshill Athletic
Carluke Rovers
Clydebank
Darvel
Gartcairn
Irvine Meadow
Johnstone Burgh
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 
Maryhill
Neilston
Newmains United
Rossvale FC
Shettleston Juniors
St Cadocs
St Roch's
Troon
Vale of Leven
Whitletts Victoria
Yoker Athletic
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