New clubs in the East of Scotland

[stanley]

2020-21 could look like this if all the following happen :

-Brechin City are relegated and replaced by Kelty Hearts/Bonnyrigg Rose

-All Fife teams other than Tayport join the EoS

-Bo'ness United gain a licence and are promoted to the Lowland League

-Craigroyston continue and Eyemouth United return

EoS Premier

Hill of Beath Hawthorn
Camelon
Broxburn Athletic
Tranent
Dundonald Bluebell
Penicuik Athletic
Jeanfield Swifts
Linlithgow Rose
Musselburgh Athletic
Crossgates Primrose
Sauchie
Dunbar United
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale
Leith Athletic
Tynecastle
Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts

EoS First

Blackburn United
Whitehill Welfare
Newtongrange Star
Dunipace
Heriot-Watt University
Haddington Athletic
Kinnoull
St. Andrews United
Oakley United
Burntisland Shipyard
Glenrothes
Edinburgh United
Preston Athletic
Dalkeith Thistle
Coldstream
Stirling Uni reserves

EoS Second

Ormiston
Peebles Rovers
Craigroyston
Tweedmouth Rangers
Easthouses Lily
Hawick Royal Albert
Arniston Rangers
Eyemouth United
Thornton Hibs
Kennoway Star Hearts
Lochore Welfare
Newburgh 
Rosyth
Kirkcaldy & Dysart
Lochgelly Albert

Alternatively, make it regional and have a division one north & south.

I think I'm right in saying that if Brechin are relegated and replaced by a Lowland League club and Bo'ness go up to the Lowland League then four teams will be promoted from the EoS first to the premier without any playoff?

Edited February 9, 2020 by stanley

[Robert James]

3 hours ago, PastyMan said:

Back in Cornwall the Isles of Scilly boasts the smallest league in World football with just 2 teams. I can think of clubs in West Lothian that will be happy to match ... or even better that to remain Junior

The two Isles of Scilly 'clubs', swap players at the end of each season, to ensure that neither one of them dominates year pon year.    Must be unique !

[Black & Red Socks]

Steady on. It remains undecided whether there will be a Second Division and if so whether it would commence next season.

Fair comment, but I really can’t see why there shouldn’t be and why it shouldn’t commence next season - it’s the eminently sensible move.

 

Continuing with Conferences into next season only suits those possible Junior sides looking to move and who will most likely have a misplaced sense of entitlement if they do move over. There have been two chances for them to move and to have Conferences accommodate them. Surely there shouldn’t be a third and the structure of the league should now be moulded to what is best for the current teams and not what is most appealing to possible new entrants who have not exactly shown themselves to be enthusiastic previously?

 

Still, it will be up to the EoSFL membership what to do.

[HibeeJibee]

29 minutes ago, stanley said:

I think I'm right in saying that if Brechin are relegated and replaced by a Lowland League club and Bo'ness go up to the Lowland League then four teams will be promoted from the EoS first to the premier without any playoff?

That's correct.

[Ginaro]

1 hour ago, Che Dail said:

I want to agree with you but Ballast Bank has a perimeter fence around the main park - presumably the league officials determined that it met the criteria - I'm sure a couple applicants last season did not and weren't admitted. 

A chain link fence like the one Thornton obtained planning  permission for would be more like £20 - £25 a linear metre (on a good day) supplied and installed... a few quid, unfortunately.

EoS Mandatory requirements:

1. Enclosed self-contained ground such that admission can be controlled and charged for. The ‘football ground’ must give an overall appearance and impression of being a football ground. It is a matter for the Office Bearers/Board to determine whether a ground meets this requirement

2. The boundary wall/fence must be permanent and such as to obscure viewing into the ground from publicly accessible areas

The fence around the park is more to stop balls and kids going out onto the road, and there's about half a dozen entrances for the public to get in (it is still available as a public park outside of the running track after all). The orange fencing is to meet criteria 1, while nothing there meets criteria 2 at the moment. Obviously the highland games causes problems in terms of adding a taller and more permanent fence to prevent viewing.

[Gazzah]

Pretty sure Inverkeithing's "perimeter fence" didn't cost a few grand, £25 for 50m on Amazon (probably need 8-10 of them) plus some poles to hold it up. There's also Peebles without a perimeter fence at all. But really, if it means all of the Fife teams are together in the EOS then I'm sure they will give Thornton time to sort out their fence.

 

 

10 grand that fence is [emoji15]

 

[Che Dail]

48 minutes ago, Ginaro said:

The fence around the park is more to stop balls and kids going out onto the road, and there's about half a dozen entrances for the public to get in (it is still available as a public park outside of the running track after all). The orange fencing is to meet criteria 1, while nothing there meets criteria 2 at the moment. Obviously the highland games causes problems in terms of adding a taller and more permanent fence to prevent viewing.

So basically they'd just need to replicate the orange thing a few metres back from the pitch barrier and they're good to go then? 

Not great but like you say if it gets them all in together to move things forward then it's probably a good thing. 

 

[Cameron Wilson]

6 hours ago, Ginaro said:

The fence around the park is more to stop balls and kids going out onto the road, and there's about half a dozen entrances for the public to get in (it is still available as a public park outside of the running track after all). The orange fencing is to meet criteria 1, while nothing there meets criteria 2 at the moment. Obviously the highland games causes problems in terms of adding a taller and more permanent fence to prevent viewing.

If i remember correctly Inverkeithing applied to the EOS before the junior exodus started. At that point I think the EOS may have been just glad to have new teams applying since they almost went out of existence after they lost teams to the Lowland League and Craigroyston and Easthouses moved to the juniors. So perhaps the EOS were a bit more forgiving on ground regulations than they were last year with Sygenta and Glenrothes Strollers.

[Cameron Wilson]

Great to see Kirkcaldy making their intentions public. Although it was interesting to note that not even a year ago (May 19)  they were pooh-poohing the EOS and suggesting teams would come back to the juniors. This from their vice chairman in Fife Today https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/juniors-renamed-as-kirkcaldy-ym-and-dysart-merge-to-form-community-football-partnership-1-4938138

Quote

 

Cllr Cameron also stated that Kirkcaldy & Dysart FC have no immediate plans to follow the recent mass exodus of junior clubs into the East of Scotland League.

“We’re happy at the moment to stay junior,” he said.

“We’ll look at in year on year, but we’ll definitely be junior next year – it suits us.

“One or two East of Scotland clubs may well come back to the juniors because it’s not been what they wanted.

“The problem is they now need floodlights to get their SFA licence and clubs have no chance of progressing because they’re never going to have the finances to do these things.

“Until we get a bit more competitive and maybe outgrow the league we’re in, we’re happy to stay where we are.”

 

Shows how things can change pretty quick. 

[FairWeatherFan]

4 hours ago, Cameron Wilson said:

If i remember correctly Inverkeithing applied to the EOS before the junior exodus started. At that point I think the EOS may have been just glad to have new teams applying since they almost went out of existence after they lost teams to the Lowland League and Craigroyston and Easthouses moved to the juniors. So perhaps the EOS were a bit more forgiving on ground regulations than they were last year with Sygenta and Glenrothes Strollers.

Amongst the original 13 applicants that were accepted following the March 31st 2018 deadline there was a 14th club that applied from the amateurs. They were advised to withdraw and apply again, instead of having it rejected.

So they did have standards back then.

[Marten]

5 hours ago, Cameron Wilson said:

Great to see Kirkcaldy making their intentions public. Although it was interesting to note that not even a year ago (May 19)  they were pooh-poohing the EOS and suggesting teams would come back to the juniors. This from their vice chairman in Fife Today https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/juniors-renamed-as-kirkcaldy-ym-and-dysart-merge-to-form-community-football-partnership-1-4938138

Shows how things can change pretty quick. 

To be fair, that's one person, maybe others within the club pushed for them joining the EOS.

I remember the "clubs want to return" line. Late last season I overheard a conversation when attending a game at Whitburn, that for many clubs the EOS wasn't all that great, quite a few wanted to return and there won't be further clubs leaving the Juniors because of that disappointment. Well, that didn't exactly turn out being the truth...

[Whitburn Vale]

44 minutes ago, Marten said:

To be fair, that's one person, maybe others within the club pushed for them joining the EOS.

I remember the "clubs want to return" line. Late last season I overheard a conversation when attending a game at Whitburn, that for many clubs the EOS wasn't all that great, quite a few wanted to return and there won't be further clubs leaving the Juniors because of that disappointment. Well, that didn't exactly turn out being the truth...

That is the "pravda" North Korea style peesh being spouted by the western west lothian clubs marten.

I have 2 committee men from Harthill Royal at my work and the same crap has been spouted by them!!

They,Whitburn,Armadale and Bathgate are all sailing down the big Egyptian river....in de..Nile!!

Or is it the Boyne?

[Burnie_man]

6 hours ago, Cameron Wilson said:

Great to see Kirkcaldy making their intentions public. Although it was interesting to note that not even a year ago (May 19)  they were pooh-poohing the EOS and suggesting teams would come back to the juniors. This from their vice chairman in Fife Today https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/juniors-renamed-as-kirkcaldy-ym-and-dysart-merge-to-form-community-football-partnership-1-4938138

Shows how things can change pretty quick. 

Maybe now sees the way the wind is blowing, he did say it would be reviewed year-on-year, and given how they are set-up then access to the LL U20 League will also be an attraction.

[Burnie_man]

17 minutes ago, Whitburn Vale said:

That is the "pravda" North Korea style peesh being spouted by the western west lothian clubs marten.

I have 2 committee men from Harthill Royal at my work and the same crap has been spouted by them!!

They,Whitburn,Armadale and Bathgate are all sailing down the big Egyptian river....in de..Nile!!

Or is it the Boyne?

The way it's going they will be playing in a West Lothian League next season, however it's their choice.

[Marten]

29 minutes ago, Whitburn Vale said:

That is the "pravda" North Korea style peesh being spouted by the western west lothian clubs marten.

I have 2 committee men from Harthill Royal at my work and the same crap has been spouted by them!!

They,Whitburn,Armadale and Bathgate are all sailing down the big Egyptian river....in de..Nile!!

Or is it the Boyne?

To be honest, I had to restrain myself to not join in the discussion and undoubtedly get into an argument. 

[Black & Red Socks]

23 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

The way it's going they will be playing in a West Lothian League next season, however it's their choice.

This, potentially, is where it is going for West Lothian clubs, a West Lothian league that might be little better than the Saturday and Sunday amateur leagues surrounding them. Were they all to move en-masse, as rumour seems to suggest all the Fife clubs are about to, then they may be able to recreate something very similar to what they have at present but within a Tier 8/9 West & Fife league in the EoSFL, should the EoSFL go to a Tier 6/7/8 structure, sitting alongside a Tier 8 South & East league? In that way at least progression is open to them rather than being stuck in a never ending cycle of playing the same teams in the same league year on year on year as the rest of Scottish football moves on without them.

As you say though, it really is their choice - but they do have some big and important decisions to make and make soon, continuing to stick their heads in the sand just isn't going to do.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Black & Red Socks

[LongTimeLurker]

Hopefully Fauldhouse get things moving in western West Lothian given they are unlikely to be too keen on the SJFA right now after foxgate:

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by LongTimeLurker

[Whitburn Vale]

It is their choice and they choose to remain where they are.

Fair enough,but dont spout crap about other clubs who have already left for the EoS wanting to come back!!

It's just anything to make themselves feel better about their own intransigence.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Whitburn Vale

[John S]

That's going back to when there was a West District of the East League before the merge in the early seventies.

The way it's going they will be playing in a West Lothian League next season, however it's their choice.

[San Starko Rover]

With regards to Thornton, as I understand it they’ve had planning permission for their fence for a while. I’d be shocked if they haven’t been raising fund to build it especially these last two years as like the rest of us they can see which way the clubs around them are heading.