The East Kilbride FC Thread

[Cowden Cowboy]

1 hour ago, The_Judge said:

We're never going to see eye to eye on this.  The final result doesn't show how close the ties were.

Montrose scored twice in the last 14 minutes against 10 men to secure their place.

Cowdenbeath were level with LL opposition after 180 minutes.

Cowdenbeath scored what proved to be the winning goal against Cove with 20 minutes to go in the second leg with the benefit of (imho) an incredibly 'generous' refereeing decision.

What fair minded person could say that indicates a big jump in standard?

I think he said 'jump' not a 'big jump'

[FairWeatherFan]

16 minutes ago, ekok said:

Hi you could not be more wrong about our performances, results causing sour grapes.  If you read my initial post I was very clear we were well beaten by Cove, you just don't get it, it is the process that is an embarrassment,  no matter which Clubs are involved.

The English example was just that, not suggesting for a minute 3 up and down between Tier5/6, it is the principle that matters.  The fact that certain posters are happy to defend a process that flies in the face of every single aspect of sporting integrity and as far as I know the only such one in world football ( I still stand to be corrected) then let's keep rewarding failure and all will be well.

We failed in last two games, accepted the fact, genuinely wished Cove well and will move on. Maybe should try it.

Not the biggest leagues in the world but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_association_football_leagues_without_promotion_and_relegation

I'm sure if you dig deeper you'd find lower tiers that don't have automatic relegation.

You've even got the likes of Argentina's top flight that uses a 3 year average (used to be 4 years) to determine the teams that get relegated https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018–19_Argentine_Primera_División#Relegation

As for comparing Scotland to England. The forerunner to the National League/Conference was the Alliance Premier formed in 1979. This was so that the non-league clubs in England would offer up one candidate for election to the Football League. Rather than the mish mash of candidates that would usually be offered up from the various regional leagues which allowed for the existing Football League member to usually win re-election. Even then, the first 7 champions never got elected. It took until the 1986-87 season for them to get automatic promotion to the Football League.

Scotland has at least started it's Pyramid era with the chance for its non-league Champion to win promotion on the field from its second season.

[Cowden Cowboy]

4 minutes ago, FairWeatherFan said:

Not the biggest leagues in the world but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_association_football_leagues_without_promotion_and_relegation

I'm sure if you dig deeper you'd find lower tiers that don't have automatic relegation.

You've even got the likes of Argentina's top flight that uses a 3 year average (used to be 4 years) to determine the teams that get relegated https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018–19_Argentine_Primera_División#Relegation

As for comparing Scotland to England. The forerunner to the National League/Conference was the Alliance Premier formed in 1979. This was so that the non-league clubs in England would offer up one candidate for election to the Football League. Rather than the mish mash of candidates that would usually be offered up from the various regional leagues which allowed for the existing Football League member to usually win re-election. Even then, the first 7 champions never got elected. It took until the 1986-87 season for them to get automatic promotion to the Football League.

Scotland has at least started it's Pyramid era with the chance for its non-league Champion to win promotion on the field from its second season.

Correct it's a work in progress and will evolve but not based on the only  part of that evolution being just going to auto promotion/relegation asap

[cmontheloknow]

2 hours ago, The_Judge said:

We're never going to see eye to eye on this.  The final result doesn't show how close the ties were.

Montrose scored twice in the last 14 minutes against 10 men to secure their place.

Cowdenbeath were level with LL opposition after 180 minutes.

Cowdenbeath scored what proved to be the winning goal against Cove with 20 minutes to go in the second leg with the benefit of (imho) an incredibly 'generous' refereeing decision.

What fair minded person could say that indicates a big jump in standard?

Edinburgh City won the play off and with largely the same squad, went 11 games in SPFL L2 without a win, then won game 12, on 5th November.

You'd have to go back to October 2015 to find their previous LL defeat. They only dropped one point from 31/10/15 until the end of the season, 14 unbeaten.

Seems a jump (not big, and never said it was)  to me.

[ekok]

Thanks for information  , I stand corrected. Really hope Cove make it, no  disrespect to Berwick, the more movement between the Tiers the better. 

[MAC THE KNIFE]

& THE GOALS CITY SCORED IN THE PLAY OFFS WERE FROM THE PENALTY SPOT

[suitsuit]

I grew up with the Scottish Leagues being a closed shop so I'm still at the stage where I think it's great that there's even a small opportunity for new clubs to come in to the SPFL.

Here's a wild suggestion but I'm sure that the SFA considered something like this in the past. How about if the same club finished bottom of League Two for two seasons in a row then they automatically go down, no need for a playoff? This of course would've meant Cowdenbeath going straight down last year instead of playing off against Cove.

I think the pyramid play-off will evolve but I can see it being in baby steps rather than the SFA just adopting straight relegation in a few years.

[The_Judge]

3 hours ago, The_Judge said:

We're never going to see eye to eye on this.  The final result doesn't show how close the ties were.

Montrose scored twice in the last 14 minutes against 10 men to secure their place.

Cowdenbeath were level with LL opposition after 180 minutes.

Cowdenbeath scored what proved to be the winning goal against Cove with 20 minutes to go in the second leg with the benefit of (imho) an incredibly 'generous' refereeing decision.

What fair minded person could say that indicates a big jump in standard?

 

1 hour ago, cmontheloknow said:

Seems a jump (not big)  to me.

Glad we finally agree .

[Cowden Cowboy]

I grew up with the Scottish Leagues being a closed shop so I'm still at the stage where I think it's great that there's even a small opportunity for new clubs to come in to the SPFL.
Here's a wild suggestion but I'm sure that the SFA considered something like this in the past. How about if the same club finished bottom of League Two for two seasons in a row then they automatically go down, no need for a playoff? This of course would've meant Cowdenbeath going straight down last year instead of playing off against Cove.
I think the pyramid play-off will evolve but I can see it being in baby steps rather than the SFA just adopting straight relegation in a few years.

Relegation from the SPFL is nothing to do with the SFA. It is purely a matter for the SPFL

[FairWeatherFan]

12 minutes ago, suitsuit said:

I grew up with the Scottish Leagues being a closed shop so I'm still at the stage where I think it's great that there's even a small opportunity for new clubs to come in to the SPFL.

Here's a wild suggestion but I'm sure that the SFA considered something like this in the past. How about if the same club finished bottom of League Two for two seasons in a row then they automatically go down, no need for a playoff? This of course would've meant Cowdenbeath going straight down last year instead of playing off against Cove.

I think the pyramid play-off will evolve but I can see it being in baby steps rather than the SFA just adopting straight relegation in a few years.

There was something similar in the SFL after East Stirlingshire had finished bottom so many years. After 2 years the club would be downgraded from full membership, but then they'd need to finish bottom another 2 years before being expelled.

[suitsuit]

7 minutes ago, FairWeatherFan said:

There was something similar in the SFL after East Stirlingshire had finished bottom so many years. After 2 years the club would be downgraded from full membership, but then they'd need to finish bottom another 2 years before being expelled.

Aye I remember East Stirling being used as the example. So basically East Stirling would've been chucked out and then there would've been a ballot like when Gretna folded.

[HibeeJibee]

18 minutes ago, FairWeatherFan said:

There was something similar in the SFL after East Stirlingshire had finished bottom so many years. After 2 years the club would be downgraded from full membership, but then they'd need to finish bottom another 2 years before being expelled.

Actually it was even more contrived than that.

Having finished bottom for 2 consecutive seasons, you faced a vote as to whether you'd be downgraded to Associate Membership or not. If you were downgraded, you had another 2 seasons to win a vote at an AGM or EGM to have it revoked. So you also had to lose at least 2 votes - as well as finish bottom time after time.

How did this mechanism fare in practice? East Stirlingshire finished bottom for 5 seasons running from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and the last 2 fell under the new clause... they promptly won the vote  with an unofficial "warning" that they might get less sympathy next time around. They promptly finished 2nd bottom in 2007-08 - by 1pt ahead of Forfar - and so their 4 year clock got reset.

It was never a serious proposition... rather a fig leaf to suggest access was possible.

[parsforlife]

It was never a serious proposition... rather a fig leaf to suggest access was possible.

Think it was more aimed at the ES board when it looked like they were being run into the ground just and only still playing to collect prize money in a ‘C’mon guys at least try’ manner


Nearly always when a vote is involved clubs are given a reprieve, its why I’d expect Whitehall to still be a LL club next season.

[HibeeJibee]

5 minutes ago, parsforlife said:

Nearly always when a vote is involved clubs are given a reprieve, its why I’d expect Whitehall to still be a LL club next season.

Similar situation historically with re-election in the Football League.

FWIW my understanding is any LL vacancy is voted on by LL Board and not LL clubs.

[The_Judge]

East Kilbirde star Sean Winter feels like he's achieved nothing after playoff defeat

 

•  10 MAY 2019

Sean Winter insists it feels like he’s achieved nothing at East Kilbride after they came up short in the SPFL play-offs once again.

Kilby were this season bidding to banish the pain of their penalty shootout defeat to Cowdenbeath two years ago, but on Saturday they were brushed aside by Highland champions Cove Rangers in the second leg of their play-off semi-final.They lost 3-0 in Aberdeen and 5-1 on aggregate, leaving them staring at a seventh successive season in the Lowland League.

Despite Winter winning two league titles, and countless cups during four campaigns with the club, he said: “It still feels like I’ve achieved nothing.

“It’s all about promotion in this league and when you don’t get that it’s tough to take. We know the setup, we know how it works, but when you put all that effort in to winning a league and then you fall at the play-offs, it’s like it’s all been for nothing.

“I’m still devastated. "I've won two leagues in four seasons and we finished second last year as well.

"It's been a frustrating season for me. I've had a few injuries and when I came back I found it hard to get back in the side because we kept winning games.

“It's hard to take and now we’ve got a full year to go before we can hope to try again.

"But it’s going to be difficult. The league is getting better every season. We just have to give it our best and go again.”

 

[Andy H]

On 05/05/2019 at 19:04, HibeeJibee said:

Actually it was even more contrived than that.

Having finished bottom for 2 consecutive seasons, you faced a vote as to whether you'd be downgraded to Associate Membership or not. If you were downgraded, you had another 2 seasons to win a vote at an AGM or EGM to have it revoked. So you also had to lose at least 2 votes - as well as finish bottom time after time.

How did this mechanism fare in practice? East Stirlingshire finished bottom for 5 seasons running from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and the last 2 fell under the new clause... they promptly won the vote  with an unofficial "warning" that they might get less sympathy next time around. They promptly finished 2nd bottom in 2007-08 - by 1pt ahead of Forfar - and so their 4 year clock got reset.

It was never a serious proposition... rather a fig leaf to suggest access was possible.

What should happen is Bottom is relegated to HL/ LL, the HL and LL winners play each other, winner is promoted and loser has to play 2nd bottom of Division 2.  But they will never do that

Edited May 14, 2019 by Andy H

[johnmc80]

Looks like darren o’dea is signing up for next season after doing a u-turn on hanging his boots up. Still only 32. Should do a job at this level if he can stay fit.

[HibeeJibee]

Early chance for EK to land some more silverware.

Final of last season's EOS Cup confirmed as being held at the start of next season: v Edinburgh City at Heriot-Watt Uni on Saturday 6th July (3pm):

http://www.edinburghcityfc.com/Matches/edinburgh-city-vs-east-kilbride/

[leomessi1984]

4 hours ago, johnmc80 said:

Looks like darren o’dea is signing up for next season after doing a u-turn on hanging his boots up. Still only 32. Should do a job at this level if he can stay fit.

Will bring some amount of experience in!

[johnmc80]

Will bring some amount of experience in!

Need to try keep the core of the squad together and add another 3 or 4. Looking at how yourselfs and shire are gearing up, and the strong squad bsc allready have together, its going to be a real battle this year. Thats even before berwick get added to the mix. Looking forward to it.