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Junior football, what is the future?


Burnie_man

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7 minutes ago, Doonhamer1969 said:

It only needs 2, and there's one already .

It doesn't even matter about non-WRSJFA clubs in the WoSFL at this point. The season isn't going finish. So its x number of non-WRSJFA clubs + around 30 clubs that will be directly effected by how you decide to conclude the 2019-20 season.

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Good to clear up any lingering doubts about Kilbirnie Ladeside and Wishaw Juniors. Everyone wants clubs to decide what's best for themselves - it's just that there's differing views associated with such significant changes as have been experienced in recent seasons. Good luck to all.

We're now up to 47 clubs which have gone public about moving to the new league, WoS. Nearly three-quarters of the West Juniors are now listed:

47 Clubs which have Applied so far/have said that they will be applying:    
Premiership (14) Championship (14) League One (11) League Two (7) Others (1)
Auchinleck Talbot Arthurlie Bellshill Athletic Ashfield Drumchapel Utd PYM
Beith Juniors Blantyre Victoria Girvan Forth Wanderers  
Benburb Cambuslang Rangers Glasgow Perthshire Johnstone Burgh  
Clydebank Cumbernauld United Greenock Juniors Muirkirk Juniors  
Cumnock Juniors Dalry Thistle Kello Rovers Newmains United  
Glenafton Athletic Darvel Larkhall Thistle Vale of Clyde  
Irvine Meadow XI Gartcairn Juniors Maryhill Vale of Leven  
Kilbirnie Ladeside Irvine Victoria Port Glasgow Juniors    
Kilwinning Rangers Kilsyth Rangers Royal Albert    
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Neilston Juniors Shettleston    
Largs Thistle Petershill Wishaw Juniors    
Pollok Renfrew      
Rutherglen Glencairn Shotts Bon Accord      
Troon Whitletts Victoria      
         
         
         
Not known to have applied so far:      
Hurlford United Craigmark Burntonians Ardrossan Winton Rovers Annbank United  
Rossvale St Roch's Carluke Rovers Ardeer Thistle  
    East Kilbride Thistle Lugar Boswell Thistle  
    Lanark United Maybole Juniors   
    Lesmahagow Juniors Saltcoats Victoria  
      St Anthony's  
      Thorniewood United  
      Yoker Athletic  
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Waiting particularly patiently to see if one established club apply - I vividly recall a senior official at said club telling me "they (personally) don't want to play boys teams" in the LL.

(Official is on P&B, incidentally, but such a comment warrants criticism).

Edited by Sunrise
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7 hours ago, Bad Wolf said:

Hooray! Junior Bingo bonanza -

“The way it has been formed the Lowland League hold all the aces".

It's always the Lowland League's fault. They're just not Junior-minded. And some of them live in Edinburgh! As for the forming another league whine, 1) why can't they do that - it's not that complicated, and 2) who says there won't be a league for them to play in anyhow? If there are teams who don't leave the WRJFA, surely the WRJFA still exists?

Living in Edinburgh ?

Fancy that !

The nerve of them !! 😂😂😂

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7 hours ago, glensmad said:
8 hours ago, Hillonearth said:
This is the worry - it's abundantly clear some teams still clearly DON'T want to move, and things may have been better had there been some sort of rump West Region for those teams to remain in.
With 63 teams to take into consideration, it's clear that one size does not fit all, and it may have been better if the new league had been comprised of willing and enthusiastic entrants without a substratum of clubs who will have to all intents and purposes been dragged there by their heels.
 

That's been my opinion since day one. This "we all must stay together" has caused more grief than it has solved.

Exactly.

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8 hours ago, Hillonearth said:

This is the worry - it's abundantly clear some teams still clearly DON'T want to move, and things may have been better had there been some sort of rump West Region for those teams to remain in.

With 63 teams to take into consideration, it's clear that one size does not fit all, and it may have been better if the new league had been comprised of willing and enthusiastic entrants without a substratum of clubs who will have to all intents and purposes been dragged there by their heels.

 

 

It looks like the SJFA has done nothing to support the West Juniors who didn't want to join the pyramid.   Not good.

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6 hours ago, GordonS said:

I don't think it should be underestimated that solidarity is still a deeply-held principle in many post-industrial communities in Scotland. Solidarity means you benefit from the collective strength of your people, but sometimes it requires you to do things you don't agree with or that don't benefit you personally, to keep the benefits of being part of that community.  It means others sacrifice a bit of autonomy for you, and you do the same for them.

I think we've seen this play out in the west, where there has been much, much stronger attempts to stick together and all move at once, or none at all. It's made the process slower but in the end it means they will all go.

Other here might think that each club should be completely free and unfettered to decide whatever suits them best, but that's not a value-free opinion. It assumes clubs have lower obligations to each other than those in the West Juniors generally feel.

Having lived in the east and the west of Scotland this is something I've noticed more generally. Each has its pros and cons.

Solidarity is a great thing, totally agree with you there.

However, the clubs in the West range from very successful clubs, in terms of trophies etc, to clubs who are happy to potter around in the lower reaches with no ambitions of life in the SPFL.

Just a mirror of society really, those who want to do 'more stuff' and those content with their lot, just variances in human nature.

That means though, that, obviously, some clubs aspire to the WoS, and some are content with 'Junior life'.

I don't think a team saying ' We fancy a shot at the SPFL' qualifies as a lack of solidarity or a big 'F*ck you' attitude to the teams in, eg, West League 2.

Each to their own etc etc.

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Having spoken with management at Glasgow Perthshire FC there is a genuine feeling of uncertainty. 

The Future seems more clouded than ever as looking at where we are and where we are headed it would seem that clubs like ourselves are being taken as a token gesture. It remains to be seen what the official decision will be as to league set ups but it seems likely BIG clubs will be favoured with the rest basically fulfilling an obligation to take all on board. 

As we stand some clubs haven't made official statement of their position, is there a reason? 

Is there also a reason for maintaining SJFA membership, other than the Junior cup reason as seems fiimsy. 

Is there a potential parachute if this doesn't work as the organisations hope? 

My fear is that Lowland will have their way and clubs known as BIG GUNS will be bedded in and the rest of us will be cast adrift. 

Are there any others with these concerns? 

Quote

 

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1 hour ago, FairWeatherFan said:

It doesn't even matter about non-WRSJFA clubs in the WoSFL at this point. The season isn't going finish. So its x number of non-WRSJFA clubs + around 30 clubs that will be directly effected by how you decide to conclude the 2019-20 season.

For clarity, I meant with 2 applications on top of all 63 WR juniors, it could go to 5 conferences next season rather than 4 leagues as the WR has now.

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11 minutes ago, Frodo17 said:

Having spoken with management at Glasgow Perthshire FC there is a genuine feeling of uncertainty. 

The Future seems more clouded than ever as looking at where we are and where we are headed it would seem that clubs like ourselves are being taken as a token gesture. It remains to be seen what the official decision will be as to league set ups but it seems likely BIG clubs will be favoured with the rest basically fulfilling an obligation to take all on board. 

As we stand some clubs haven't made official statement of their position, is there a reason? 

Is there also a reason for maintaining SJFA membership, other than the Junior cup reason as seems fiimsy. 

Is there a potential parachute if this doesn't work as the organisations hope? 

My fear is that Lowland will have their way and clubs known as BIG GUNS will be bedded in and the rest of us will be cast adrift. 

Are there any others with these concerns? 

In short, that stinks of paranoia

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22 minutes ago, Frodo17 said:

Having spoken with management at Glasgow Perthshire FC there is a genuine feeling of uncertainty. 

The Future seems more clouded than ever as looking at where we are and where we are headed it would seem that clubs like ourselves are being taken as a token gesture. It remains to be seen what the official decision will be as to league set ups but it seems likely BIG clubs will be favoured with the rest basically fulfilling an obligation to take all on board. 

As we stand some clubs haven't made official statement of their position, is there a reason? 

Is there also a reason for maintaining SJFA membership, other than the Junior cup reason as seems fiimsy. 

Is there a potential parachute if this doesn't work as the organisations hope? 

My fear is that Lowland will have their way and clubs known as BIG GUNS will be bedded in and the rest of us will be cast adrift. 

Are there any others with these concerns? 

What do you mean by 'parachute' , and where is the feeling coming from that small clubs will be 'cast adrift' ?

The smaller clubs in the EoS haven't been 'cast adrift' in any way that I can see or have heard, so I'm not sure why anyone would think that would happen in the West.

Edited by Doonhamer1969
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