New clubs in the East of Scotland

[Burnie_man]

24 minutes ago, John S said:

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

The West Division, and the Mid/East Division, with a play-off for the Championship.  Ended in 1973 I think, reverting to A and B Divisions.  Peebles Rovers were Junior then although not for much longer, same with New Blackburn Athletic.

[Che Dail]

17 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.

Maybe the league should apply the rules stringently to T6, meaning clubs aren't held back from entering the association but have to get their ground in order before they can progress through the leagues.

[TheLad]

To be honest, I have watched a number of West Lothian teams this season; whitburn, Bathgate, Fauldhouse, Armadale, pumphy and Harthill and the standards have fallen already to not much better than amateur.

They would probably disagree but in my opinion they are already falling behind - certainly not as good as last season.

Maybe I just caught them ALL on bad days.

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.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

7 minutes ago, TheLad said:

To be honest, I have watched a number of West Lothian teams this season; whitburn, Bathgate, Fauldhouse, Armadale, pumphy and Harthill and the standards have fallen already to not much better than amateur.

They would probably disagree but in my opinion they are already falling behind - certainly not as good as last season.

Maybe I just caught them ALL on bad days.

Maybe you're just a negative nancy and you happened to always catch amateur teams on good days!

[Cameron Wilson]

Some good points. I think the main thing is Kirkcaldy said in their statement on applying to join the EOS that the level in the juniors has "deteriorated" so we can hope that this obvious fact doesn't escape other clubs.

[LongTimeLurker]

11 minutes ago, Cameron Wilson said:

Some good points. I think the main thing is Kirkcaldy said in their statement on applying to join the EOS that the level in the juniors has "deteriorated" so we can hope that this obvious fact doesn't escape other clubs.

They are in a division with the four new teams from the amateurs (Sauchie, Bo'ness, Lithgae and Syngenta) and West Calder, so that's not surprising.

[San Starko Rover]

I assume new applications will start at tier 8? And if there’s enough a regional split at tier 8?

[LongTimeLurker]

1 minute ago, San Starko Rover said:

I assume new applications will start at tier 8? And if there’s enough a regional split at tier 8?

That's not clarified yet. Could be tier 7, although that's not what Burnie_man and Dunipace posters on here want.

[Burnie_man]

9 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

That's not clarified yet. Could be tier 7, although that's not what Burnie_man and Dunipace posters on here want.

Immaterial what we want, it's the clubs that will decide and they are being canvassed ahead of the next meeting, so I expect a decision soon.

[Sidney Lumet]

7 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

I assume new applications will start at tier 8? And if there’s enough a regional split at tier 8?

That doesn't appear to have been decided yet but would be the best way to start shaping the leagues the way they should be as opposed to continually being in limbo/playing conference football simply to appease teams who may, or may not, decide to make a move to the EoSFL in time for next season. Many of these 'will they or won't they' clubs have talked the EoSFL down in the not too distant past and have taken umbrage at the clubs who made the early decision to move in 2018/19 and themselves will only really move should they have absolutely no other option. No league should be structured to suit such possible applicants. I'd be very surprised if only Burnie_man and the Dunipace poster see it that way. Tier 6/7/8 with regionalisation at 8 if necessary should be brought in from Season 2020/21 onwards.

[Dev]

8 minutes ago, Sidney Lumet said:

That doesn't appear to have been decided yet but would be the best way to start shaping the leagues the way they should be as opposed to continually being in limbo/playing conference football simply to appease teams who may, or may not, decide to make a move to the EoSFL in time for next season. Many of these 'will they or won't they' clubs have talked the EoSFL down in the not too distant past and have taken umbrage at the clubs who made the early decision to move in 2018/19 and themselves will only really move should they have absolutely no other option. No league should be structured to suit such possible applicants. I'd be very surprised if only Burnie_man and the Dunipace poster see it that way. Tier 6/7/8 with regionalisation at 8 if necessary should be brought in from Season 2020/21 onwards.

An early decision ahead of the 31st deadline for applications would be a good idea. That would give certainty all round, including to any potential applicants. It would also give potential applicants time to call club meetings to discuss their future in or out of the EoS. 

If this means new clubs would be looking at Tier 8 entry then so be it. At least they could get up to Tier 7 in one year and then to wherever they can go on merit. Hoping Tier 8, when it comes will be the lowest level so it can be regionalised. This would help cut costs for those clubs located to the north and south extremes of the area covered by the EoS. 

[Black & Red Socks]

28 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

I assume new applications will start at tier 8? And if there’s enough a regional split at tier 8?

I think it's reasonably clear that most who are expressing any sort of opinion or preference on here would like to see it as you state - a Tier 8 being created and new applicants beginning there, a regional split happening at that Tier should enough applicants step forward. The time for planning with an eye to how the Juniors might feel if they were to come across is past. However, it is for the clubs to decide - and I'd be pretty confident they will feel the same way too. 

[honestman54]

34 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

That's not clarified yet. Could be tier 7, although that's not what Burnie_man and Dunipace posters on here want.

Starting at Tier 8 seems to be the most obvious place to start next season, but its what the clubs themselves decide

[gaz5]

Immaterial what we want, it's the clubs that will decide and they are being canvassed ahead of the next meeting, so I expect a decision soon.

Very much this.

 

We have an opinion and I guess that's one of the main differences we've noticed the last two years, we (along with all of our colleagues across the league) are actually canvassed and encouraged to express it rather than have the decision we're told is the right one enforced from the confines of the metaphorical smokey room (See option Z).

 

Ultimately all clubs will express their views and all clubs views are equal so the majority will carry, like most open and forward thinking organisations.

 

As many have said, breath of fresh air.

 

[AsimButtHitsASix]

27 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

I assume new applications will start at tier 8? And if there’s enough a regional split at tier 8?

EoSFL (presuming they keep the north/south of the Tay line) is in a great position for further regional expansion if the clubs are interested. The area kinda divides itself quite naturally between Fife/Lothian/Borders (and Dunipace)

[HibeeJibee]

51 minutes ago, Sidney Lumet said:

That doesn't appear to have been decided yet but would be the best way to start shaping the leagues the way they should be as opposed to continually being in limbo/playing conference football simply to appease teams who may, or may not, decide to make a move to the EoSFL in time for next season. Many of these 'will they or won't they' clubs have talked the EoSFL down in the not too distant past and have taken umbrage at the clubs who made the early decision to move in 2018/19 and themselves will only really move should they have absolutely no other option. No league should be structured to suit such possible applicants. I'd be very surprised if only Burnie_man and the Dunipace poster see it that way. Tier 6/7/8 with regionalisation at 8 if necessary should be brought in from Season 2020/21 onwards.

In fairness there are other reasons why a given club might not want a Second Division - or at least not starting this year. They might not want to drop down a tier - or at least want to know what they need to do before the season starts. They might simply enjoy the conferences; not want fall more than 1 promotion from Premier Division; etc. etc.

New clubs aspect may factor in their thinking... but I suspect each club's own interests, and their preferred vision for the wider league, will be primary considerations.


Either outcome can work satisfactorily.

League has also shown imagination when deciding the details needed to put the desired setups into operation IMO - e.g. conferences, round-robin, inter-conference games, playoffs etc.

[John S]

2 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

They are in a division with the four new teams from the amateurs (Sauchie, Bo'ness, Lithgae and Syngenta) and West Calder, so that's not surprising.

Bo'ness beat them on Saturday

[gaz5]

In fairness there are other reasons why a given club might not want a Second Division - or at least not starting this year. They might not want to drop down a tier - or at least want to know what they need to do before the season starts. They might simply enjoy the conferences; not want fall more than 1 promotion from Premier Division; etc. etc.

New clubs aspect may factor in their thinking... but I suspect each club's own interests, and their preferred vision for the wider league, will be primary considerations.


Either outcome can work satisfactorily.

League has also shown imagination when deciding the details needed to put the desired setups into operation IMO - e.g. conferences, round-robin, inter-conference games, playoffs etc.

I agree with most of that Hibbee, other than the "know what they need to do before the season starts" bit.

I've heard a few folk say that's a reason people might not want to go to prem, 1st, 2nd next year, but we all knew before a ball was kicked this season that was on the cards, same as we did a premier last year from the conference's, so outside of the top 2 race there was a top 6/8 race again as well.

We all knew that a decision would have to be made on Tier 7 since before a ball was kicked and that a straight through structure was one of the potential outcomes.

So the "not knowing" bit I find an odd reasoning when I've heard it used. [emoji846]

[FairWeatherFan]

Right now if you assume Eyemouth return and K&D get accepted you're going to have 41-42 clubs depending on the LL play-off situation. Would uneven conferences be attractive 12-13 and 13-13 would seem to prevent inter-conference play going by the current format (24 own conference + 13 other conference = 40 game season). I think the Inter-Conference play has kept things a little fresh this year. You're going to miss that aspect next year.

[Guest]

That's not clarified yet. Could be tier 7, although that's not what Burnie_man and Dunipace posters on here want.

Two clubs wont really force any outcome on the split. Clubs will individually vote for what they want. So in reality it makes no difference what anyone says other than the clubs.

This is being canvassed right now with each club encouraged to make their own choice by the eos. We will get whatever the consensus is.

For me though you are correct I'd like a first and 2md division. There is no need for conferences again next year, the junior clubs have had 2 years to port over at tier 7, there isn't a need for everyone else be delayed any longer.