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Lowland Development League


HibeeJibee

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1 minute ago, HibeeJibee said:

Unless they'll open-up the cup to any senior club (i.e. on the basis of the adult team) that won't be the case. For a long time it was only open to SFA member clubs; then latterly to SFA member clubs and non-member clubs playing in one of the senior U20s leagues. As there aren't senior U18s leagues the last method can't work? Some clubs haven't anyone that age anyway (e.g. unis).

The non league sides who have their license would be ok I would imagine as you say don't know about the other teams from the U20 league they would maybe be allowed in, not all their players would be over age for it, as you also say the Uni sides would be gubbed.

The Project Brave thing is all loaded towards the top sides if some of the non leaguers don't get it I doubt if Mackay would give a stuff most of the non full timers in the SPFL have already been shafted by the new system.

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Aye, as I say by the looks of it 7 of the 16 Lowland + 6 EOS clubs with SFA membership have U19s and/or U17s teams from which they could put a composite U18s together.

There must be fairly few players regularly featuring in Lowland & EOS U20s league who are playing 2 years above their category.

Edited by HibeeJibee
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6 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Aye, as I say by the looks of it 7 of the 16 Lowland + 6 EOS clubs with SFA membership have U19s and/or U17s teams from which they could put a composite U18s together.

There must be fairly few players regularly featuring in Lowland & EOS U20s league who are playing 2 years above their category.

Never seen much of the L&EOS U20 league but teams must have a mixture, when Cowden had a side the last 2 seasons was mostly made of players well below the age limit. Imo your better fielding the younger players at that level once guys are 19/20 they should be looking to be pushing to get in a 1st team.

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 minute ago, gaz1959 said:

Conference A will have 13 and Conference B 14 as Sauchie were in Conference A.

That's not what the fixtures say, 12 in Conference A and 15 in Conference B (ie 7 fixtures plus one idle every week)

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1 minute ago, gaz1959 said:

The idle team each Friday is in section A for league games. Sauchie were in Section 4 for the group stages of the league cup, so that section only has 5 teams

Right OK got it, the idle team being listed under Conference B makes it look like a 15 team league.  Makes sense now!

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I believe we've pulled out of the league this season due to difficulties in getting a squad together. Too many of last season's u19's lost to Junior teams as well as a number of signings targets also being snapped up. Plus apparently Friday night's causing issues.

 

Gutted, but decision made in order to save any issues and to plan properly for next season as we have two u19 teams running this season.

 

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Scottish Youth Cup drawn today. Sadly it has been reorganised to U18s level, in opposition to SPFL scrapping U20s in favour of reserves. As a result only 10 Lowland/EOS clubs have entered, whereas previously almost all did.


First Round
Gala v Queen of the South
Kelty v Partick
+ rest byes

Second Round
Ayr v Gala/QotS
Tynecastle v Airdrie
Spartans v Hill of Beath
Kelty/Partick v Preston
East Kilbride v Alloa
Edinburgh Utd v Haddington
+ Camelon bye


With 32 unseeded clubs vying for 18 places in the Last 32 you would have expected a single round with 14 ties & 4 byes.

However for some reason there's both R1 with 3 ties & 26 byes, then further R2 with 11 ties & 7 byes.

Due to this Gala and Kelty among others must fight their way through 2 ties to reach the main stage, while 7 clubs - including Camelon - will get there without kicking a ball :blink:.

Edited by HibeeJibee
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2 hours ago, gogsy said:

I think there will be quite a few of the Kelty u-20 team eligible for this, probably fill the rest of the team from the u-17 squad.

Edit Probably other way round, u-17 team with a few of the u-20s that are eligible,

When I seen your 20s against Crossgates last week quite a few of them looked like they would be too old for the cup, will make the trip up to this though should be an interesting tie.

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Gala Fairydean Rovers can confirm that we will be delaying the implementation of an Under 20’s team until the beginning of next season.

We are grateful to all those who assisted us in trying to establish an Under 20’s side this season, especially Kenny Donaldson, Grant Davidson and Mark Gammie.

We also wish to thank all of the players who worked hard and were committed to joining the team this season.

The club will continue to use our Border Amateur side as a Development Squad in the meantime.

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Disappointing and frustrating to have 3 clubs enter then fail to make the start line... that, plus withdrawals at the tail end of the season, have become tryingly more common in recent seasons.

With the action starting this weekend it also gives regrettable knock-on effects. Blackburn and Gala were both in Section B of the Qualifying League which now has 4 clubs compared to 6 6 & 5 in the others (on paper the clubs will have 2 blank weeks out of 5 too); also the conferences are now 12 & 13 (on paper leaving 2 clubs idle in Conference A each weekend or leaving the conference 4 weekends short of games if patched-over).

Gala and Sauchie had been drawn in R1 of both knockout cups. Blackburn had bye to Knockout Cup R2 leaving a gap there.

Edited by HibeeJibee
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Sadly there’s a reason why West Lothian doesn’t have an U21 league, it’s difficult to keep teams of that age going as they get signed up by other clubs in the area to play first team, or simply lose interest (I’m sure that’s true of other areas). Friday nights probably present another issue. It’s not an insurmountable problem but it perhaps needed more forward planning than some anticipated.  Hopefully we’re back on board with it next season as it’s a big part of the reason why we moved to EoSFL, and there’s more time to plan for it.

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Its over ten years since Fife had an u-21 league as well, I think the last two Fife u-21 teams (inverkeithing and Rosyth (Rec)?) ended playing up in one of the Lothian leagues.
We had a pretty good U21 side several years ago, one that had worked it's way right thru the age groups and three players are still in our senior squad. Had to play in an Mid/East Lothian based league (I think) but it's the only time it's happened. The rest of our teams have topped out at u19 recently.
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19 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:
1 hour ago, Nittenrab said:
Everybody needs to remember, it's not just an under 20's league but a reserve league as well. 2 older players playing every week can only help these young lads develop.

Limited to 5 games per overage player is it not?

Think it now 6 games per overage player this season. So in theory you could plan to play 2 overagers every week. On the theme of a reserve league,Scottish football shouldn't have scrapped it all those years ago, it was working back then.

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