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Junior football, what is the future?


Burnie_man

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11 minutes ago, Footballfirst said:
  • Clubs currently members of the Scottish Junior FA are fully entitled to retain membership and, if so, will be eligible to continue to play in The Scottish Junior Cup. The Competition Rules of that Cup will be altered to reflect the need to ensure League Fixtures have priority.

The Junior Rules (Clubs and Players - Rule 4) say "Any person or club that has been, or is, connected with Senior football must declare such an interest. The circumstances will beconsidered by the Management Committee of the Association beforeany permission be granted to take part in Junior Football"

1. Has the Committee agreed to give such permission on a blanket basis?

2. Doesn't altering the Cup rules need the approval of a majority of the membership?

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Good statement.  Still unclear on what remaining members of the SJFA will entail.  If they get promoted to the Lowland League or League 2 are they still SJFA clubs?  Can clubs with no junior history join the SJFA if they are already in a senior league?

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Seems a fairly pragmatic approach in the circumstances. However, I'm unsure if it's in the gift of the WRJFA to unilaterally alter the rules of the Junior Cup. Would this not require agreement from the other regions or a vote of clubs at a SJFA meeting?
Correct
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4 minutes ago, FairWeatherFan said:

Curious to see if the SJFA or other regions bother to make any statements on it. Since you've now got the WJFA okaying changes to membership and the cup.

Great news for the Scottish pyramid. Whilst accepting that the names of the clubs who apply to join the WoSFL is confidential (unless the clubs themselves make an announcement), I hope that the Lowland League periodically releases info about the number of applicants, to date, until 7th April.

Regarding other regions, a  further meeting (presumably by video conferencing?) , between the North Juniors, the North Caley, and the HFL is expected to be held in early April, presumably in conjunction with the SFA (or maybe a pyramid sub group ?).. Does anyone know the proposed date ?

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I’ve held my tongue for a while on this thread, but it’s probably worth making a few things clear.

I was in attendance at the initial WoS meeting, and what has happened since (including the conference meeting yesterday) is exactly what was intended. Good faith on both sides. I have no idea why some continue to have a go at the WRSJFA.

The WoS will be a members-run group series of leagues like their counterparts in the East. Using a conference arrangement means that we have a fair playing field to start with teams (ex-Junior and other) finding their level.

Clubs choosing to retain SJFA membership is not an issue. They’ll act in the same manner as the Fife FA etc in practice. There is no “hostile takeover” to worry about - indeed, the SJFA have had to commit to changes allowing the West Region sides to play in the Junior Cup (around scheduling mainly).

In order to facilitate this proposal, the West Region put through the necessary changes in the time between both meetings. Gordon Ronney has been pragmatic in reaching this conclusion, and then kept his promises.

In my view, it’s a great compromise. We should be happy that the biggest pyramid logjam is finally going to be cleared, leaving the easier issues in the North and East to sort.

There is a bigger issue coming Pyramid-wise to focus on regardless. Let’s just say people wouldn’t be impressed with the SFA view on where their League 2 side should go if relegated...

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3 minutes ago, Born To Run said:

There is a bigger issue coming Pyramid-wise to focus on regardless. Let’s just say people wouldn’t be impressed with the SFA view on where their League 2 side should go if relegated...

What has that got to do with the SFA?

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It is alluded to in the last sentence of the statement, but George Fraser still has a fair bit of work to do in  facilitating and  agreeing  changes to the promotion/relegation/play-off arrangements at the top and bottom of the LL.

I wonder if those clubs currently in the bottom half of the LL will be happy to further open the trapdoor at the bottom of the league.

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Doesn't the SJFA need to hold an AGM first before any non Junior league club can play in it, not sure how Lochee or Armadale or others will view this.

Also no guarantee all west Juniors will apply I doubt they will.

Way to go yet but decent start.

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7 minutes ago, Born To Run said:

...There is a bigger issue coming Pyramid-wise to focus on regardless. Let’s just say people wouldn’t be impressed with the SFA view on where their League 2 side should go if relegated...

Brechin to the Lowland League in other words, but did you mean the SPFL?

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22 minutes ago, stanley said:

Good statement.  Still unclear on what remaining members of the SJFA will entail.  If they get promoted to the Lowland League or League 2 are they still SJFA clubs?  Can clubs with no junior history join the SJFA if they are already in a senior league?

Clubs who have not applied. will not get promoted to the Lowland league as they will be outside the pyramid.

Clubs dont need to join the sjfa to play in the junior cup.thats why their going to amend their regulations.

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33 minutes ago, Marshmallo said:

Great news - clubs into the pyramid if they choose to enter and the Junior Cup remains strong. Hopefully that ends up an all in national cup for all at tier 5 and below, and we can stop having pyramidistas kidding on that the "South Challenge Cup" means anything to anyone.

Mmm...really want to red dot him.....mmm........he is dead right about the South Challenge cup........mmm

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5 minutes ago, jimbaxters said:

Mmm...really want to red dot him.....mmm........he is dead right about the South Challenge cup........mmm

Based on history, the Junior Cup is the superior competition IF it has the superior clubs. Right now they're split between the two. They will all be in the SCC. They will not all be in the SJC.

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On 14/02/2020 at 20:48, GordonS said:

I don't know, maybe it's wishful thinking, but even now if they went back to the LL and SFA and said "fine, WR in from next season, we'll absorb new applicants in the top division, we'll accept whatever rules and we can continue to talk about the north and the east" I think it'd be agreed.

I think it's the only possible option from here that avoids a split and an exodus, which let's be honest, is less than ideal. It would be fantastic if we could get the game in the west unified inside the pyramid.

Just sayin'. It's not the WR in as I had hoped, the clubs will still need to apply individually, but the WRSFJA blazers are on board and in the end I think a huge majority will move, if not all. Obviously still details to iron out but a clear willingness to join up.

Peace in our time.

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