New clubs in the East of Scotland

[Marten]

Groundsharing happens everywhere and rarely cause problems. Plenty of examples of SPFL and LL teams sharing for example. Even full-time sides down south were sharing last season, Coventry City & AFC Wimbledon were tenants at resp. Birmingham City and Chelsea Ladies (the latter owned Kingsmeadow already last season while Wimbledon weren't in their new stadium yet). That didn't cause any problems either despite Coventry & Wimbledon both having a 46 game season (at least, it was meant to be) with 3 cup competitions...

I really don't see the issue.

[GNU_Linux]

You've also got teams who share with other sports such as Berwick Rangers & Ashfield sharing with speedway teams. Also Tynecastle sharing Meggetland with the egg chasers Boroughmuir & American eggballers Edinburgh Wolves.

[LongTimeLurker]

5 minutes ago, Marten said:

...I really don't see the issue.

The main issue on this is when you have clubs like BSC Glasgow, Edinburgh South and Syngenta playing for years on end away from what is alleged to be their home area with little or no proposect of ever actually doing so generating little or no spectator interest at a level that is supposed to be semi-professional and not just about direct participation.

[Bestsinceslicebread]

2 hours ago, Auld Heid said:

As one example both Bo'ness teams hire the same park and therefore can't both guarantee to fulfil a 3 pm Saturday fixture if they were both due to be at home.

You are relying upon opponents agreeing to switch or the EoS / LL agreeing a fixture list that accommodates both.


 

There wont be a clash. Any team that shares a park the lad who does the fixtures will make one team at home while the other is played away.  Just when it comes to cup ties and both at home then a bit of juggling has to be done

[Marten]

29 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

The main issue on this is when you have clubs like BSC Glasgow, Edinburgh South and Syngenta playing for years on end away from what is alleged to be their home area with little or no proposect of ever actually doing so generating little or no spectator interest at a level that is supposed to be semi-professional and not just about direct participation.

BSC Glasgow is an outlier in that sense, but it's not like Edinburgh South & Syngenta are far outside their area. That's not exactly a unique situation either. To go back to my previous example from England, Coventry only just secured a return back "home" after quite some uncertainty and nobody knew until quite recently that the situation would get resolved. Wimbledon (both the current and old club) haven't played in Wimbledon since 1991 and their "homecoming" was only assured back in 2017 when the UK government turned down appeals against planning permission (and it helped that the PM at the time supports them!). Even though the situation is resolved for both (for now in the case of Coventry), not too long ago nobody knew what was happening to them.

[AlanCamelonfan]

3 hours ago, Auld Heid said:

As one example both Bo'ness teams hire the same park and therefore can't both guarantee to fulfil a 3 pm Saturday fixture if they were both due to be at home.

You are relying upon opponents agreeing to switch or the EoS / LL agreeing a fixture list that accommodates both.


 

Falkirk and shire both manage. Away and sit down auld heid the baw

[Ginaro]

Do we know if the West Lothian clubs are retaining their SJFA membership?

I make that 155 clubs (plus Harthill and other new WOS clubs, possibly minus Kelty) for the South Challenge Cup.

[LongTimeLurker]

You cannot be a member of both the EoS and the SJFA at the same time. There has been no indication whatsoever that is changing. Part of the rationale behind the attempt of Armadale Thistle and co to move west was to be able to stay in the SJFA.

When the WoS finally elected its own officeholders a few weeks back the senior positions mainly went to people from clubs who left the SJFA so the WoS had no interest in facilitating that and agreed to direct West Lothian clubs to the EoS.

It would be more pertinent to ask how many WoS members are going to retain their SJFA membership in future if as now appears highly likely the SCC is going to be the main cup competition moving forward for WoS clubs.

[Auld Heid]

Falkirk and shire both manage. Away and sit down auld heid the baw

Away and meltdown on FB.

Your even blaming other clubs for the state your in.

[AlanCamelonfan]

24 minutes ago, Auld Heid said:

Away and meltdown on FB.

Your even blaming other clubs for the state your in.

How am I blaming other clubs? Where did I blame other clubs. A bit odd that the people who are upset are herdys pals relatives and lithgae supporters so where is that blaming other clubs for anything. 

If the contracts were cancelled then boness would be free to announce the signings. I'm pretty sure you will be paying for mark stowe as hes under 23

[Ginaro]

6 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

You cannot be a member of both the EoS and the SJFA at the same time. There has been no indication whatsoever that is changing. Part of the rationale behind the attempt of Armadale Thistle and co to move west was to be able to stay in the SJFA.

When the WoS finally elected its own officeholders a few weeks back the senior positions mainly went to people from clubs who left the SJFA so the WoS had no interest in facilitating that and agreed to direct West Lothian clubs to the EoS.

It would be more pertinent to ask how many WoS members are going to retain their SJFA membership in future if as now appears highly likely the SCC is going to be the main cup competition moving forward for WoS clubs.

Not currently but like they did for the WOSFL clubs, if the SJFA changed their membership rules at their AGM - which currently say "All North and East Region clubs together with WOSFL clubs shall be eligible for membership" - to add EOSFL clubs in there, then it would be possible.

Whether or not they do that and the 10 clubs still want to play in the Junior Cup, is another matter. Like you say will be interesting to see how many WOSFL clubs remain come the SJFA AGM.

[parsforlife]

4 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

The main issue on this is when you have clubs like BSC Glasgow, Edinburgh South and Syngenta playing for years on end away from what is alleged to be their home area with little or no proposect of ever actually doing so generating little or no spectator interest at a level that is supposed to be semi-professional and not just about direct participation.

Who the f**k apart from the club involved does it matter where they draw a support?  Clubs gain interest and finance from various different sources, and it for nobody else to judge how that is done as long as it is not going to result in a club dying.  your attitude is nothing better than 'you've got no fans'.

41 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

You cannot be a member of both the EoS and the SJFA at the same time. 

Nobody, Absolutely nobody has said that.

[GordonS]

19 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

The main issue on this is when you have clubs like BSC Glasgow, Edinburgh South and Syngenta playing for years on end away from what is alleged to be their home area with little or no proposect of ever actually doing so generating little or no spectator interest at a level that is supposed to be semi-professional and not just about direct participation.

Then your issue isn't groundsharing at all, it's playing outside your home "community". Or are you saying that Clyde and Cumbernauld Colts using Broadwood is bad, but if either of them upgraded the pitch behind the south stand and moved there, that would be good?

I agree with you that a club playing long-term at a pitch nowhere near their base isn't great and depending on the circumstances should be prevented. But I don't think either Edinburgh South or Syngenta fall into that category. It's not like they're doing a Meadowbank or a Milton Keynes. And BSC, they never intended for this to happen and when they say they've tried hard to find a home in the west end of Glasgow I take them at their word.

 

[Ginaro]

Edinburgh South and Syngenta are poor examples to get worked up about, they are only 10-15 minutes drive from their "home" location. A bit like Leith playing at Peffermill.

[AlanCamelonfan]

1 hour ago, GordonS said:

Then your issue isn't groundsharing at all, it's playing outside your home "community". Or are you saying that Clyde and Cumbernauld Colts using Broadwood is bad, but if either of them upgraded the pitch behind the south stand and moved there, that would be good?

I agree with you that a club playing long-term at a pitch nowhere near their base isn't great and depending on the circumstances should be prevented. But I don't think either Edinburgh South or Syngenta fall into that category. It's not like they're doing a Meadowbank or a Milton Keynes. And BSC, they never intended for this to happen and when they say they've tried hard to find a home in the west end of Glasgow I take them at their word.

 

You could actually argue Gordon that clyde are a Glasgow team and not cumbernauld. So you could say their the tag will drop over time when they moved

[parsforlife]

12 minutes ago, AlanCamelonfan said:

You could actually argue Gordon that clyde are a Glasgow team and not cumbernauld. So you could say their the tag will drop over time when they moved

Clyde? I’m still wondering when Partick are going to move back to their natural home,  they’ve been allowed to play in a different area for too long now.

[LongTimeLurker]

16 hours ago, parsforlife said:

Nobody, Absolutely nobody has said that.

Check out the SJFA constitution:

https://www.scottishjuniorfa.com/media/2717/sjfa-constitution-rules-20-21.pdf

SJFA = east and north regions plus some clubs from the WoS. To be in the SJFA you have to be in the east or north region or the WoS. If you leave the east region to join the EoS you are also leaving the SJFA as part and parcel of that process.

[Marten]

3 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Check out the SJFA constitution:

https://www.scottishjuniorfa.com/media/2717/sjfa-constitution-rules-20-21.pdf

SJFA = east and north regions plus some clubs from the WoS. To be in the SJFA you have to be in the east or north region or the WoS. If you leave the east region to join the EoS you are also leaving the SJFA as part and parcel of that process.

And as said before, it's easy enough to change that...

[LongTimeLurker]

Can you point us to any information that suggests there is currently a move underway to do that? 

[Marten]

2 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Can you point us to any information that suggests there is currently a move underway to do that? 

Can you get any more annoying? IF the clubs have a strong wish to remain in the SJFA it will be sorted. I don't know whether or not they do, nothing has come out around this. But if they do, then I'm sure the rules will be amended. It's easy enough to do so.