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Junior Football needs to evolve or it will die


pollokfan87

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You can be brave and go for it, and if there's postponements in September and October it could throw the end of season into chaos.

if you schedule season finish end of October you still have November if required which is usually not too bad.

In extreme cases there are plenty astro parks available too finish the season if required. Not ideal but would alllow the season to b finished as i say in extreme cases.

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if you schedule season finish end of October you still have November if required which is usually not too bad.

In extreme cases there are plenty astro parks available too finish the season if required. Not ideal but would alllow the season to b finished as i say in extreme cases.

It wouldn't need extreme cases for this to be a regular occurrence every season, some clubs playing on deeper into winter to get a season finished is not exactly desirable, and for that reason alone it wont happen.

As I said above, people should maybe focus on achievable improvements.

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You can be brave and go for it, and if there's postponements in September and October it could throw the end of season into chaos.

Ha ha. Feart of the day that never comes.

You can be brave BUT....... Isn't actually being brave.

Anyone any idea of the number of games postponed in September and October over recent years? I take your point that it may extend the season but it's very unlikely if organised properly- could even finish the season with a cup to keep everyone's interest going - league could finish late September.

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Ha ha. Feart of the day that never comes.

You can be brave BUT....... Isn't actually being brave.

Anyone any idea of the number of games postponed in September and October over recent years? I take your point that it may extend the season but it's very unlikely if organised properly- could even finish the season with a cup to keep everyone's interest going - league could finish late September.

Could be brave and join the pyramid. Stop fannying about in a pretend wha's like us world that doesn't actually exist.

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Your own club should lead the way then you already have a license!

Why should one club lead the way? What does the licence have to do with the pyramid? Lothian Thistle don't have a licence - they're in the pyramid.

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But they're not. A pyramid isn't dependent on being licenced. The criteria for playing at Premiership level are different from those required at SPFL2 and in turn from Lowland League. So everyone is in a position to do it. The "be brave" comment was aimed at reaching a point where nobody has to "make a move".

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But they're not. A pyramid isn't dependent on being licenced. The criteria for playing at Premiership level are different from those required at SPFL2 and in turn from Lowland League. So everyone is in a position to do it. The "be brave" comment was aimed at reaching a point where nobody has to "make a move".

I think it's big decision time for junior football. There may be some within it who wish to pursue the pyramid route and be involved in potentially reaching spfl. Others for a whole range of reasons dont- and if this forum is to be trusted those numbers amount to almost 85 % of the junior clubs.

As such, junior fitba becomes its own entity and can push boundaries with all those sides that want to be exclusively 'junior'. A kind of breakaway grade of the game so to speak that wouldn't necessarily be restricted by a lot of what the sfa want. They can try new things - the filly summer season being one of them.

My personal opinion is they should be part of the pyramid but that's probably only because I'd like us to have one easily understandable system that has the potential for any club to start at the lowest level and progress with on and off the field progress.

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Why should one club lead the way? What does the licence have to do with the pyramid? Lothian Thistle don't have a licence - they're in the pyramid.

They don't have a licence therefore cannot be promoted higher so it's a moot point as to whether they are really in a Pyramid if they can't progress as it stands, and can't be relegated either.

Being brave in this regard costs £2,000 before the SFA will even speak to you about a licence.

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They don't have a licence therefore cannot be promoted higher so it's a moot point as to whether they are really in a Pyramid if they can't progress as it stands, and can't be relegated either.

Being brave in this regard costs £2,000 before the SFA will even speak to you about a licence.

No they don't. But if they did then they could whereas junior teams could get a licence but couldn't. Happy glass ceiling. And of course with an extended pyramid LT could be relegated.

And whilst there may be some expense securing a licence it's returned in spades when you've got one.

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We’re not anywhere near that and whilst most clubs that are “within” the so-called Pyramid are not going down the licence route to enable them to progress, then what we have really isn’t a Pyramid. What we have is an additional level below the SPFL and that’s it, LTHV (and Leith Athletic) can’t go up, they can’t go down, they are stuck in the EoS whilst at the same time blocking the progress of clubs who do have a licence (and clubs are leaving it to go Junior!)

Then there’s the HFL where you can’t go down, and you can’t get in it regardless of licence, and now there’s talk of breakaways!

As for getting a licence in the first place, the SFA are doing little or nothing to encourage clubs to apply. A £2k fee to start with before they even start talking ground improvements and additional requirements will see many clubs thumb their noses at it, particularly Juniors.

The whole thing is a shambles from start to finish. As the song goes, rip it up and start again……………..

So to get back to the point of the thread, we need to make the Juniors a bit more professional and fit for purpose than it is currently as unless there is a seismic shift in Scottish football, 99% of clubs will be exactly where they are now in 10 years time, and by the look of it we’re gaining clubs from the “Pyramid”, not losing them.

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99% of clubs will be exactly where they are now in 10 years time, and by the look of it we’re gaining clubs from the “Pyramid”, not losing them.

Can anyone provide average attendance stats for the last 10 years for junior sides? I often felt that a lot of sides had a mostly older fanbase and relatively little in the way of fans from younger age groups coming through to replace them. I may be wrong, but for a lot of clubs that would see them somewhat worse off in 10 years time.

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So to get back to the point of the thread, we need to make the Juniors a bit more professional and fit for purpose than it is currently as unless there is a seismic shift in Scottish football, 99% of clubs will be exactly where they are now in 10 years time, and by the look of it we’re gaining clubs from the “Pyramid”, not losing them.

That's my point, if it's likely that the same teams are in the same place, wouldn't it be exciting to have junior football serve up something different?

My example was a different calendar but it could be on the way it's organised or how it's marketed or any number of different ways to be innovative and provide something that the 'pyramid' doesn't.

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This is probably the season that broke me. I'm now irreversibly sick to the tits with planning to go to games every week only to be sitting on a Saturday morning looking at this forum waiting for the inevitable call off.

Junior football has to realise it's in competition for your time and your money so it's unwise to continually let people down, but despite having repeatedly shown that an unbroken, uncongested season can't be managed due to the weather we persist with a failing, shambolic model.

Get the games played at the times of year when they CAN be played and get floodlights in for all competitions wherever clubs can afford them. That would be a start.

Your thoughts more or less sum up the problem. Let's face it we have NOT had winter weather this season. Rain has been the culprit, with few reports of games off due to frost or snow. Take Monday Tuesday this week, almost certainly a full card of fixtures would have had no weather problems. nThen look at the overall picture from November to date,

Camelon for example have played three from 21st November with Fourteen Saturdays to 20thFebruary. Of these eight Saturdays accounted for R3, R4 with R5their third try on Saturday.

In the West similar case, where one club have had five Saturdays occupied with a R2 West cup game. Plenty of other examples along the same line. What is clear is that we most certainly had a winter shutdown

Not my figures but a mate provtdes the following Fixtures postponed in all three regions 654. That amounts to 1308 games that clubs have to catch up on. As usual the successful teams suffer most. Those with the plastic and out of cups, will see their season over late April.

Expressed in other posts disgust at the uncertainty of fixtures is costing clubs a fortune with income lost. We cannot say it will be made up later since many games will have no connection to championship or battling relegation.

Lets face the fact something must be done to keep the leagues in balance. Look to Friday night fixtures. If anyone tells me that the present system is working they must be blindc as to what the real situation is.

Lastly; Don't blame Tom Johnstone. He is Secretary and his job is to administer what is laid down to him. How many clubs are talking to one and other, and will come up with proposals to try another approach to our game that has sunk so much in recent years, at the AGM?

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