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Junior football, what is the future?


Burnie_man

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Just now, Hillonearth said:

Most of the grounds are more comparable to the less developed ones in the SoS - quite a few unenclosed public parks. Golspie, Orkney, Thurso and Halkirk are recognisably football grounds however.

Playing standard wise from what I've seen no worse than some of the lesser lights in the HFL.

Orkney isn't really a 'ground', they play in a 3G cage at the Grammar School. In general, the standard isn't great.

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3 minutes ago, Hillonearth said:

Most of the grounds are more comparable to the less developed ones in the SoS - quite a few unenclosed public parks. Golspie, Orkney, Thurso and Halkirk are recognisably football grounds however.

Playing standard wise from what I've seen no worse than some of the lesser lights in the HFL.

Although the SoS ones are fast moving on - Creetown and Abbey Vale now both enclosed, for example.

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Just now, Cyclizine said:

Orkney isn't really a 'ground', they play in a 3G cage at the Grammar School. In general, the standard isn't great.

I haven't been, but I thought they played some of their games at the Pickaquoy which is like a multisports centre.

I'd second the recommendation to visit Burghead by the way - unique location. If anyone's interested in nature they can double up on a visit as the forest it's situated in is absolutely full of Scottish crossbills and crested tits amongst others

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Could be EOSL clubs have applied to enter teams into ERJFA maybe a surprise development.
The manager of Preston Athletic was on radio the other day saying there had been new applicants to the EOS including from West Lothian. Wasnt specified if current junior clubs or not but it's more likely to be juniors than ammies.

Either way interesting times ahead.
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4 hours ago, Marten said:

I don't know the NCL too well, what do they compare with in terms of footballing standard & ground facilities (for example) compared to the EOS?

The NCL is a very competitive league, with 6 of its 9 current clubs having been champions since 2000. Two of the others, St Duthus (Tain) and Inverness Athletic have joined the league recently, and are both ambitious clubs. The 9th club, Bunillidh Thistle (Helmsdale) have just rejoined the NCL. They were champions once in 1988/89. Orkney FC are the current NCL  champions.  Former NCL club Balintore (champions 2005/06) announced its intention to rejoin the league this season, but it didn't materialise.

Two other clubs play in some NCL cup competitions, ie Lewis & Harris FC (Western Isles) and Shetland FC, but are unable to play in the league itself, owing to remoteness, winter weather and travel costs.

The best grounds are Thurso (The Dammies),  Golspie Sutherland (King George V Park) who are SFA Members, and Halkirk United (Morrison Park). It is understood that Orkney and St Duthus are planning ground developments. Inverness Athletic now has a ground in the city (since January 2019), at the Inverness Royal Academy.  Invergordon has an enclosed  ground adjacent to the rugby club.  Alness United play at Dalmore Park, but as yet I haven't visited it. They do however have a very successful youth team, in the Highland Youth League..

The NCL attendances are understood to be better than many clubs in the  the NRJFA,  perhaps not surprising as towns like Thurso, Kirkwall, Tain, and Invergordon have decent sized populations/catchment areas, by Highlands standards .

  

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23 hours ago, Kilbowie Benches said:

The SFA have given the SJFA a list of things that need aligned so as they can join and that is happening.

You seem to know what was discussed at the SJFA AGM even though you weren’t there.

The vote at the AGM was for the Juniors to join the pyramid not that if one region goes the rest can’t.

This is a bit like me deciding to build an extension, and writing to the council to ask them what I need in order to get planning permission. I might then fill out all the documents and get an architect to do a drawing to ensure that I meet of the council's conditions, but that doesn't mean that the council will build the house for me. I still have to get all of my neighbours to agree, and then I need to get someone to actually do the work.

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22 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

This is a bit like me deciding to build an extension, and writing to the council to ask them what I need in order to get planning permission. I might then fill out all the documents and get an architect to do a drawing to ensure that I meet of the council's conditions, but that doesn't mean that the council will build the house for me. I still have to get all of my neighbours to agree, and then I need to get someone to actually do the work.

Plus, to actually get planning permission various parties might want to have a say. It's often not just down to the local council. Even if the local council want it, planning permission can ultimately still be refused...

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Unless it's sauchie I can't see it

 

Personally I don't think its Sauchie. They haven't applied for a license (as far as we know) sure but they already have floodlights so wouldn't be affected by the rule changes so aren't in any rush to get things sorted by this season.

 

Honestly I can't see anyone moving back.

 

 

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3 hours ago, GNU_Linux said:

The manager of Preston Athletic was on radio the other day saying there had been new applicants to the EOS including from West Lothian. Wasnt specified if current junior clubs or not but it's more likely to be juniors than ammies.

Either way interesting times ahead.

Interesting that he should allude to having a bit of inside information on this. This might be the first real indication that someone in a position of knowledge within a club in the east of the country is aware that there might be rumblings of discontent amongst the West Lothian Juniors.

As others have said, the opportunity for those sides to apply to the EoSFL exists and if there is indeed an East Region meeting tonight then whatever is proposed at it might just bring that much more clarity for them. If it is 'regionalisation' that is proposed and prevails then I'd be surprised if that would be sufficient to keep all of the clubs happy as there would consequently be no prospect of promotion to a higher league and, equally so, no prospect of relegation to a lower one (without access to the Pyramid of course, and a chorus of voices on here have made compelling arguments as to why that is most unlikely without an orderly merger between the EoSFL and the ERSJFA) so stagnation is just around the corner - and if it is 'status quo' that prevails then some of the discontent raised previously in this thread will only become more profound.

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4 hours ago, GNU_Linux said:

Honestly I can't see anyone moving back.

 

Well, hypothetically, let's say Bonnyrigg get promoted this season and Whitehill get reprieved.

Next season's EOS Premier will have Penicuik, HoB, Dundonald, Linlithgow, Broxburn, Boness etc all battling for the single promotion play off spot.  It will be a tough prospect.

However, if the ERJFA joins the pyramid at the same level, then one or two of those clubs could be looking at moving back across for potentially easier route to the play offs (assuming they are allowed back).

It's another reason why having two leagues in the East is problematic.

 

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20 minutes ago, gwd440 said:

Well, hypothetically, let's say Bonnyrigg get promoted this season and Whitehill get reprieved.

Next season's EOS Premier will have Penicuik, HoB, Dundonald, Linlithgow, Broxburn, Boness etc all battling for the single promotion play off spot.  It will be a tough prospect.

However, if the ERJFA joins the pyramid at the same level, then one or two of those clubs could be looking at moving back across for potentially easier route to the play offs (assuming they are allowed back).

It's another reason why having two leagues in the East is problematic.

 

but its unlikely ersjfa will even get in the pyramid dispite what they claim and they'd be involved in the same pyramid playoff so i dont see how it would be any easier

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