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Junior football, what is the future?


Burnie_man

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3 hours ago, Robert James said:

Being a university club (rather than a 'community' club) , GUFC is unlikely to make a public announcement before the WoSFL closing date for applications.........if at all.

However the university is unlikely to risk losing its SFA membership & licence, now that a (suitable)  pyramid league is being created  in the west/Glasgow region, for it to join.  it has been suggested (by a few posters on here), that the SFA will remove the existing 'protected' status, for any clubs not playing in a pyramid league, within a couple of years.

Girvan FC, are the other west club, who could lose its existing SFA membership & licence, if it doesn't join the WoSFL,.  This club is known to be fundraising in order to purchase and erect floodlights, which are now a licensing requirement, and it may already have submitted an application (?)

 

Or Girvan could have applied to return to the South of Scotland League instead (an easier league at Tier 6 level).

Very unlikely though..

 

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18 minutes ago, james666 said:

What happens if the north and east veto the Junior cup changes? West clubs be feeling they've been sold a lie

Part of the problem here is that the West Region clubs could have enough votes to push through changes. They can get to stay "Junior" while destroying whatever that means for everyone else.

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44 Clubs which have Applied so far/have said that they will be applying:    
Premiership (13) Championship (14) League One (9) League Two (7) Others (1)
Auchinleck Talbot Arthurlie Bellshill Athletic Ashfield Drumchapel Utd PYM
Beith Juniors Blantyre Victoria Glasgow Perthshire Forth Wanderers  
Benburb Cambuslang Rangers Greenock Juniors Johnstone Burgh  
Clydebank Cumbernauld United Kello Rovers Muirkirk Juniors  
Glenafton Athletic Dalry Thistle Larkhall Thistle Newmains United  
Irvine Meadow XI Darvel Maryhill Vale of Clyde  
Kilbirnie Ladeside Gartcairn Juniors Port Glasgow Juniors Vale of Leven  
Kilwinning Rangers Irvine Victoria Royal Albert    
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Kilsyth Rangers Shettleston    
Largs Thistle Neilston Juniors      
Pollok Petershill      
Rutherglen Glencairn Renfrew      
Troon Shotts Bon Accord      
  Whitletts Victoria      
         
         
         
Not known to have applied so far:      
Cumnock Juniors Craigmark Burntonians Ardrossan Winton Rovers Annbank United  
Hurlford United St Roch's Carluke Rovers Ardeer Thistle  
Rossvale   East Kilbride Thistle Lugar Boswell Thistle  
    Girvan Maybole Juniors   
    Lanark United Saltcoats Victoria  
    Lesmahagow Juniors St Anthony's  
    Wishaw Juniors Thorniewood United  
      Yoker Athletic  
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Part of the problem here is that the West Region clubs could have enough votes to push through changes. They can get to stay "Junior" while destroying whatever that means for everyone else.
This is why I hope clubs dont keep ties with the juniors. Embrace the new, move on from the past and let those that wanted to remain junior do so without having changes made to their national cup by clubs who dont play in their league anymore.

The junior cup, given league and pyramid cup fixtures will likely all take priority fixture wise, is as good as over as it currently stands anyway.
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11 hours ago, archieb said:

Nithsdale are one club that would struggle to meet the ground criteria - particularly the one that refers to the pitch not being viewable from outside the ground, as it's fully visible from the A76!

The same could be said of Largs, though their fence further away more easily covered by netting. Nithsdale has a tall fence all around, at least 30m from the pitch, unlike Inverkeithing and Thornton* in the EOS.

8 hours ago, DiamondOwl said:

If the Thorniewood committee want to stay in the junior set up, they should approach the ERSJFA and see whether in the case of one, two or more clubs, where there was no junior league left for them to play in, they would accept  them. Looking at the ERSJFA constitution, no boundaries to the region are mentioned, so it would seem to be a question of whether the existing clubs would be willing to accept the travel. Surely relatively near clubs like Thorniewood, Wishaw, Carluke and Lanark would be accepted. Despite what has been said about wanting to provide a choice, at the moment these clubs seem to be faced with no real option of playing in a  junior league. It’s either join the new WOS pyramid league(s) or go amateur.

Thorniewood or any other WRJFA club would surely need to give 12 months notice to move to another region? ;);)

7 hours ago, the rambler said:

I wonder how the East got round achieving local derbies within the Conference structure? 

They didn't, they just listed teams by league and position then split them off into the three conferences. The qualifying league (similar to the sectional cup) was drawn so that there was a mixture of conferences in each group. Bo'ness and Linlithgow didn't meet for a season, but both understood it would only be for one season.

4 hours ago, glensmad said:
4 hours ago, Beenzon-Toste said:
They made their choice a few years back, when they voted to join the Pyramid.
That is what is happening now.

Not all the clubs voted in favour of joining the pyramid back then. I know mine didn't. We changed our mind, but that doesn't mean everybody has.

I was under the impression that 125 of 128 clubs voted for the SJFA to join the pyramid at the 2018 AGM?

3 hours ago, james666 said:

As a side, what are the basic requirements for licensing? 

Floodlights, proper facilities for both players/officials and spectators including disabled fans, club policies - full criteria here: https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/media/5839/scottish-fa-club-licensing-manual-2020.pdf

3 hours ago, Footballfirst said:

Interesting to learn about the clubs plans, seems like the club is in good hands and well on the road to licensing. @parkcircus Couple of things I picked up on in the answers:

  1. LL play-off - there's no game against the bottom club in the LL. The tier 6 licensed champions have a play-off amongst themselves and the winner is promoted (or goes up unopposed if there's only one).
  2. You don't need to have a U20s team if you are an LL club - only 9/16 teams have one this season.
  3. The EOS clubs voted to go to linear divisions but delayed their introduction until 21/22, so everyone knows what they are playing for, and it also helps integrate any more ERJFA clubs who apply to join
6 minutes ago, james666 said:

What happens if the north and east veto the Junior cup changes? West clubs be feeling they've been sold a lie

If all the west clubs remain SJFA members and 8 east clubs leave for the EOS, then the north and east are outnumbered 63-62. But even if they had a majority, the north might be in favour of the Junior Cup changes as apparently they've previously wanted to scrap replays.

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20 minutes ago, Ginaro said:

If all the west clubs remain SJFA members and 8 east clubs leave for the EOS, then the north and east are outnumbered 63-62. But even if they had a majority, the north might be in favour of the Junior Cup changes as apparently they've previously wanted to scrap replays.

But were thwarted by the West Region. If they could dump the west Region clubs they might not be so bothered by replays.

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1 hour ago, james666 said:

What happens if the north and east veto the Junior cup changes? West clubs be feeling they've been sold a lie

I doubt the north and east will veto it. The Junior cup is effectively a West & Tayside cup already. If these changes will be blocked and the WoSFL teams won't play in the Junior cup, it will be hardly worth anything anymore. The one thing that makes the cup attractive to Tayside teams is ties against strong West teams.

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2 minutes ago, Firhill_Basin said:

Whats this? I live two minutes from Huntershill and its not fit for purpose. Rossvale definitely have the catchment to do well with the right base though.

Indeed. That's why they currently lodge with Benburb.

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I just wonder where the Scottish Junior Cup will be able to be fitted into the WoSFL schedule. At the LL-WoSFL information meeting it was made very clear that, while there is no obstacle on their side to the teams entering the SJC, the LL-WoSFL would insist that their fixtures would take priority, and the SJC would need to be scheduled into the international football calendar which all SFA leagues use.

Who will do that scheduling ?

With the potential of 30 or more league games, plus South Challenge Cup games, plus a potential West of Scotland League Cup, plus inevitable weather postponements, just where does the SJC fit in to the schedule ? Will it ultimately become a nuisance in the big scheme of things ? Will it have to become a midweek competition ? How practical or not would that be ?

In my opinion these are questions that need answered before clubs decide whether or not to enter it.

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Anyone still think there's a chance of any of the 20 clubs who haven't yet declared remaining in the WRSJFA?
This was over as soon as Romney and the LL reached an agreement.
Gordon Ronney's own club (Kilbirnie Ladeside) still haven't officially declared that they are applying, unless I've missed it somewhere.
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On 31/03/2020 at 09:29, FairWeatherFan said:

Some of the chat around the North side of thins is that it will be a simple play-off between licenced NCL v. North Superleague champions. Presumably with a sole licenced champion being promoted unopposed. Then the HL sticking with 20 clubs as their single division cap, so no relegation to worry about for quite some time.

No chance of the  HL going up to 20 clubs .

Imagine  Fort William trying to get 19 home league games played , never mind cup games.

Edited by Doonhamer1969
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8 hours ago, FairWeatherFan said:

Part of the problem here is that the West Region clubs could have enough votes to push through changes. They can get to stay "Junior" while destroying whatever that means for everyone else.

AIUI the SJFA AGM takes place after the end of the season. At that point, the West Region teams who are joining the WOSL are no longer competing in a junior league, and so, under the current rules, can't be SJFA members. No entry to the AGM, no vote. Simples.

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8 minutes ago, the rambler said:

They haven't resigned SJFA membership. 

It's not about resignation: rather expulsion. Can they remain members under the current rules? If not, they can't have a vote on changing the rules!

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