New clubs in the East of Scotland

[FairWeatherFan]

Hawick Royal Albert United is officially official

 

[naebor]

Not having a go at the ERJFA but the fact is the game is a bogey in the East for clubs south of the Tay and clubs really need to wake up to this. 5 years ago the ERJFA had a better league product than the LL and EOS could offer with an attractive national cup contest where as the LL and EOS could only offer club licenses as an incentive. Fast forward and Kelty and Dalkeith opened the floodgates shifting the power. Now the LL and EOS offer the better league product all the ERJFA can offer is the Junior Cup and that’ll be over if the WOS goes ahead.
 

The final on Friday night was very good between Livingston and Thornton, I do prefer EOS set up but there were a few hundred fans, the teams both had quality player. The match also had drama and excitement, both teams could go two to two with most eos teams this year, even the big guns would need to work hard to break them down having seen a lot of EOS games. I think the ERJFA will work localised as there’s more chance of reaching the Senior Scottish cup than ever before. Also lochee did not disgrace in junior cup as they were beaten by a very good talbot side in the semi.

[Ginaro]

4 hours ago, naebor said:

I think the ERJFA will work localised as there’s more chance of reaching the Senior Scottish cup than ever before. Also lochee did not disgrace in junior cup as they were beaten by a very good talbot side in the semi.

I suppose that might be true but only in the sense that the South winner has a chance of beating Lochee over one or two games rather than the full season. (Presumably there will be a play-off between the North and South Super winners for the overall title and Scottish Cup spot?)

Lochee did well in the Junior Cup but they were the only east side to make it to the quarter-finals, and lost 4-1 on agg to Auchinleck when it was 2-1 the season before.

4 hours ago, naebor said:

both teams could go two to two with most eos teams this year, even the big guns would need to work hard to break them down having seen a lot of EOS games. 

I've seen reports that the Premier South teams are on the same level with the lower end of the EoS, so perhaps they could join the EoS and see if they can go toe to toe over the course of a season. 

Edited June 2, 2019 by Ginaro

[stanley]

There are only four borders sides plus Tweedmouth spread over two conferences so every second Saturday is a slight exaggeration.  Yes, they would be travelling over the forth regularly but doesn't that beat playing local sides every week?  Most of the journeys wouldn't be that long anyway.

Edited June 2, 2019 by stanley

[Ginaro]

4 minutes ago, Wee Fifer said:

Been a lot of discussion as to why Thornton never followed Glenrothes into the EOS and on this evidence I’ve no doubt they would be contenders in either of the conferences, but as one of my mates put it they’ve had a fantastic season, still have a local derby with Kennoway and participation in the junior cup. Why would they want to travel over the Forth every second Saturday to face basically amateur sides from the borders  when they will be better tested against the like of Lochee , Broughty and Tayport.

If posters on the Junior forum are to be believed, the Super League will be split into North/South divisions with 9 or 10 teams in each. So Thornton won't be playing any Tayside teams in the league, and apart from Kennoway and Lochore then they'll be going across the Forth every second Saturday anyway. 

[Burnie_man]

Not like you to make so many errors.
Newburgh, lochore, Tayport you can add to Fife
Makes that only about 8

Well before the era of "self identification", haven't Tayport identified themselves as a Tayside club ever since they entered the Juniors? They've never entered a Fife competition eg Fife and Lothians Cup.

[superbigal]

Well before the era of "self identification", haven't Tayport identified themselves as a Tayside club ever since they entered the Juniors? They've never entered a Fife competition eg Fife and Lothians Cup.

Tayport is in fife.
Thought you only dealt in facts [emoji6]

[Burnie_man]

1 minute ago, superbigal said:

Tayport is in fife.
Thought you only dealt in facts

Explaining why people maybe forget that fact!

[Ginaro]

48 minutes ago, Wee Fifer said:

I don’t know anymore than you do about the changes for next season just giving out the opinion of a friend who follows the club. What I do see though is that having finished third in their league and winning the Fife and Lothians they must be doing something right. Hardly likely to have sleepless nights over losing a fixture with a club dying on its feet. 

Well, ask your friend what his opinion would be if Thornton weren't playing the Tayside clubs but instead were up against: Whitburn, Kennoway, Fauldhouse, Pumpherston, Livingston, Armadale, Bathgate, Lochore, and Harthill. And they seemed to enjoy the 5-0 win over Glenrothes, suppose it's an easy six points gone! 

[San Starko Rover]

The final on Friday night was very good between Livingston and Thornton, I do prefer EOS set up but there were a few hundred fans, the teams both had quality player. The match also had drama and excitement, both teams could go two to two with most eos teams this year, even the big guns would need to work hard to break them down having seen a lot of EOS games. I think the ERJFA will work localised as there’s more chance of reaching the Senior Scottish cup than ever before. Also lochee did not disgrace in junior cup as they were beaten by a very good talbot side in the semi.

Fair enough and I’m glad it was a good game with a decent crowd, hopefully you had a great day out. You’re assuming a ERJFA remaining outside the pyramid will be given access to the senior Scottish Cup and that’s quite a big assumption especially if the WRJFA join the pyramid. I’ve no doubt the current bigger ERJFA teams can hold their own against the EOS but will that be the case in the next few years or will they begin to lose players to EOS teams as players may see it as a more attractive league? As I’ve said I’ve genuinely got nothing against the ERJFA but I can’t see them surviving much longer south of the Tay as the power has shifted to the EOS and the only thing I can see keeping most teams there is loyalty to the grade.

[parsforlife]

. I’ve no doubt the current bigger ERJFA teams can hold their own against the EOS but will that be the case in the next few years or will they begin to lose players to EOS teams as players may see it as a more attractive league?.

Players choosing LL over juniors was a factor in the number of clubs moving over IMO, junior sides didn’t think the LL would affect them at the start but they found out relatively quickly that their league was losing status in the eyes of players. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see similar happening again.

[San Starko Rover]

Players choosing LL over juniors was a factor in the number of clubs moving over IMO, junior sides didn’t think the LL would affect them at the start but they found out relatively quickly that their league was losing status in the eyes of players. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see similar happening again.

That’s exactly what I mean and it’s showing even in the Juniors as the WRJFA have been stronger than the ERJFA as they’re not effected much by the LL same probably for the Tayside clubs but the Edinburgh, Lothians and Fife teams have to complete for players and in my opinion the EOS will now weaken the ERJFA.

[Vollyman]

Tayport is in fife.
Thought you only dealt in facts [emoji6]

Several years ago Tayport applied to enter the Fife and Lothians cup on the grounds that they are located in Fife. Their application was rejected by the Fife and Lothian clubs as Tayport competed in the Tayside league and cup competitions.

[Pyramidic]

54 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

 

That’s exactly what I mean and it’s showing even in the Juniors as the WRJFA have been stronger than the ERJFA as they’re not effected much by the LL same probably for the Tayside clubs but the Edinburgh, Lothians and Fife teams have to complete for players and in my opinion the EOS will now weaken the ERJFA.

 

While supporters and Committee members of ERJFA clubs south of the Tay have shown tremendous loyalty to the grade, I suppose players' loyalty is mainly to their pay packet.

In this respect I am on dodgy ground. Can the likes of  Whitburn, Kennoway, Fauldhouse, Pumpherston, Livingston, Armadale, Bathgate, Lochore, and Harthill continue to compete with the pay packets of EOS Premier clubs? I suppose if EOS are forking out on ground improvements, the ERJFA clubs can continue to filter a greater proprtion of their revenue to players' pay packets.

However, I take the point that there will be far greater kudos for a player to compete in the Senior Pyramid in the East with the associated possibility of personal advancement up the tiers.

Edited June 3, 2019 by Pyramidic

[Vollyman]

Since the start of April Thornton have played Fauldhouse four times (3 times in 14 days) and Armadale twice [emoji4]They played both of them in October as well.

Six of the games mentioned were in cup competitions

[naebor]

While supporters and Committee members of ERJFA clubs south of the Tay have shown tremendous loyalty to the grade, I suppose players' loyalty is mainly to their pay packet.
In this respect I am on dodgy ground. Can the likes of  Whitburn, Kennoway, Fauldhouse, Pumpherston, Livingston, Armadale, Bathgate, Lochore, and Harthill continue to compete with the pay packets of EOS Premier clubs? I suppose if EOS are forking out on ground improvements, the ERJFA clubs can continue to filter a greater proprtion of their revenue to players' pay packets.
However, I take the point that there will be far greater kudos for a player to compete in the Senior Pyramid in the East with the associated possibility of personal advancement up the tiers.

A few of my mates have been playing for these clubs, and some not all still pay pretty decent wages this season, so immediately some clubs are okay but can’t predict the future on if this is sustainable or not.

[Pyramidic]

1 hour ago, naebor said:

A few of my mates have been playing for these clubs, and some not all still pay pretty decent wages this season, so immediately some clubs are okay but can’t predict the future on if this is sustainable or not.

Thanks for the feedback - it provides a useful insight into the competitiveness of the ERJFA "South".  I for one think that Junior supporters are likely to be happy enough with the localised format.  What they are unlikely to be happy with is if there is a further downturn in the "quality of the product" if the better players migrate to the EOS.

Is the ERJFA Superleague South going to be roughly equivalent to ERJFA Premier League (2011-2018) or a lesser animal?  Time will tell.

[Burnie_man]

1 minute ago, Pyramidic said:

Is the ERJFA Superleague South going to be roughly equivalent to ERJFA Premier League (2011-2018) or a lesser animal?  Time will tell.

I think we can tell already.

[Burnie_man]

28 minutes ago, Wee Fifer said:

I know of someone at Kennoway who’s pay packet I suspect will put to shame that of anyone at Blackburn, do you seriously think even they will be competitive in the EOS premier next season.

How would you know, you're an East Fife fan and not an expert on what goes on below the SPFL, remember

 

 

Edited June 3, 2019 by Burnie_man

[Guest]

Players don't always go where the cash is gents. There are many motivational factors involved in a players decision to sign for any club, money is one of them, but won't be an absolute determinant of where they ply their trade.

And frankly, because one players is earning a lot of money at one club doesn't mean everyone else in the league is on that subsidy. Depends on how teams spread their budget and what they are attempting to achieve and what level they function.