Pyramid 2019/2020

[Enigma]

Let’s just have 2 x 16 national leagues and then a N/W/E 3-pronged pyramid. IMO, level 3 should be a single body but with three conferences, like the English conference North and South or whatever they call it now.

 

Reason I say that is because I’m not a big fan of the current set up of HL/LL where you could theoretically have one league growing every year whilst the other falls. I’d have a 36 (3x12) third tier where there is a possibility of lateral movement between the leagues depending on who comes up/down.

 

The winner of each conference goes up automatically (14th-16th in the championship relegated) and then the three runners up go into a playoff with 13th.

 

All very well but I think your system will result in a pretty large gap in quality between your tiers 2 and 3. You’ll drop from a near FT league with large crowds into a regional league, not sure how feasible that is. You also don’t account for 4x OF games a season so have 0 chance of this actually being an option.

[San Starko Rover]

 
All very well but I think your system will result in a pretty large gap in quality between your tiers 2 and 3. You’ll drop from a near FT league with large crowds into a regional league, not sure how feasible that is. You also don’t account for 4x OF games a season so have 0 chance of this actually being an option.

Hopefully he’s sending the two of them to the moon so the rest of us can get on with watching football without having to live through tales of the 17th century.

[Enigma]

Hopefully he’s sending the two of them to the moon so the rest of us can get on with watching football without having to live through tales of the 17th century.

Yes, of course, but until that day comes nothing short of 4x OF games a season is a valid option.

[San Starko Rover]

Yes, of course, but until that day comes nothing short of 4x OF games a season is a valid option.

Probably leave their Colt teams behind and force us to watch them 4 times a season instead, many have suspected that’s their plan if they ever get into another league.

[HTG]

If we can't get 2 relegation spots - or even 1 automatically for that matter - from the SPFL into tier 5, there is no point hypothesising on what the dream might look like (different for everyone). 

The key just now is to ensure that clubs falling into line with what the SFA asked of them does not lead to the SFA (or SPFL) obstructing the very structure they were so keen to promote. 

It's one thing to refine standards and encourage teams with aspirations to Tier 5 and above to do a bit more. It's quite another to implement a block in the process. SPFL3 would be a shambles. 

[Auld Heid]

1 hour ago, HTG said:

If we can't get 2 relegation spots - or even 1 automatically for that matter - from the SPFL into tier 5, there is no point hypothesising on what the dream might look like (different for everyone). 

The key just now is to ensure that clubs falling into line with what the SFA asked of them does not lead to the SFA (or SPFL) obstructing the very structure they were so keen to promote. 

It's one thing to refine standards and encourage teams with aspirations to Tier 5 and above to do a bit more. It's quite another to implement a block in the process. SPFL3 would be a shambles. 

It's hard to talk about the future when the present remains unknown.   The whole situation looks like people adding bits here and there to suit their own views. 

The only joined up system at present under the SPFL is run by the SJFA  (albeit very poorly run).  They have leagues which cover the whole country (including Tayside) and a national competition.  The missing pieces are no national play-off between the 3 regional winners and most importantly they are not in the pyramid at present.

The current set up fails without - a WoS league and a workable solution for Tayside.

On a personal level - I would welcome Colts Teams as for me this improves the Scottish game by providing competitive games for players and a better pathway to succeed that many don't currently have (a better national team). 

The PWG for me continues to fail the Scottish game and no more than a talking shop.  The SFA need to be bold and make decisions on the future of the game/pyramid in Scotland

 

[FuzzyBear]

5 minutes ago, Auld Heid said:

It's hard to talk about the future when the present remains unknown.   The whole situation looks like people adding bits here and there to suit their own views. 

The only joined up system at present under the SPFL is run by the SJFA  (albeit very poorly run).  They have leagues which cover the whole country (including Tayside) and a national competition.  The missing pieces are no national play-off between the 3 regional winners and most importantly they are not in the pyramid at present.

The current set up fails without - a WoS league and a workable solution for Tayside.

On a personal level - I would welcome Colts Teams as for me this improves the Scottish game by providing competitive games for players and a better pathway to succeed that many don't currently have (a better national team). 

The PWG for me continues to fail the Scottish game and no more than a talking shop.  The SFA need to be bold and make decisions on the future of the game/pyramid in Scotland

 

Would you welcome the Colts teams if they selected the best 4 - which would probably be Hibs, Celtic, Accies and Ross county. Do you think having average Colts teams in the set up is a good idea.

[wullie robb]

16 minutes ago, FuzzyBear said:

Would you welcome the Colts teams if they selected the best 4 - which would probably be Hibs, Celtic, Accies and Ross county. Do you think having average Colts teams in the set up is a good idea.

Having Colt teams at all is ludicrous, but to actually consider moving them to a level above any team already in the pyramid just stinks of SFA brown envelope brigade actions. 

[FuzzyBear]

Just now, wullie robb said:

Having Colt teams at all is ludicrous, but to actually consider moving them to a level above any team already in the pyramid just stinks of SFA brown envelope brigade actions. 

Of course it is ridiculous but looking forward to them shoe horning Rangers Colts in when they are not one of the best colts teams.

[Vollyman]

What a shambles, a PWG which is no more than a talking shop, an SFPL which has a policy of self preservation. There is a glass ceiling in junior football but it is going to difficult for non league clubs in the Pyramid system to break the glass with the introduction of SPL3 and LL2 and the promotion and relegation system as it as at present. The SFA are turning their Pyramid into a farce

[GNU_Linux]

What a shambles, a PWG which is no more than a talking shop, an SFPL which has a policy of self preservation. There is a glass ceiling in junior football but it is going to difficult for non league clubs in the Pyramid system to break the glass with the introduction of SPL3 and LL2 and the promotion and relegation system as it as at present. The SFA are turning their Pyramid into a farce

Neither the SPFL3 or LL2 are SFA directives. The LL2 is from the LL & SPFL3 is the OF trying to shoehorn in their reserve teams & will be shot down as before thus SPFL3 wont happen (plus finding 4/4 from the HL & LL to commit to national football alongside a bunch of reserves is imprpbable).

 

[AlanCamelonfan]

14 minutes ago, Vollyman said:

What a shambles, a PWG which is no more than a talking shop, an SFPL which has a policy of self preservation. There is a glass ceiling in junior football but it is going to difficult for non league clubs in the Pyramid system to break the glass with the introduction of SPL3 and LL2 and the promotion and relegation system as it as at present. The SFA are turning their Pyramid into a farce

Only because you are looking to knock it. Spfl 3 is unlikely ll2 is possible but you just want to knock it. Imagine trying something different or have an idea totally ridiculous. I'm surprised you want a east super league not want to go back to Lothians Fife and tayside leagues

[Glenconner]

23 minutes ago, AlanCamelonfan said:

Only because you are looking to knock it. Spfl 3 is unlikely ll2 is possible but you just want to knock it. Imagine trying something different or have an idea totally ridiculous. I'm surprised you want a east super league not want to go back to Lothians Fife and tayside leagues

Lowland League 2 would be all Greater Glasgow teams.

[Auld Heid]

3 hours ago, FuzzyBear said:

Would you welcome the Colts teams if they selected the best 4 - which would probably be Hibs, Celtic, Accies and Ross county. Do you think having average Colts teams in the set up is a good idea.

Yes - I was trying to look at a bigger picture.  

For Scottish Football to thrive, younger players need to be playing competitive games on a regular basis.  Bigger clubs sign players who are drifting into oblivion because they aren't developing into real players.  For me this is down to not playing competitive football but instead they are hidden away playing games at half pace where no one makes tackles.

Playing the Colts teams against seasoned pros would be a sharp learning curve - but it may also be the making of a future generation of Scottish talent.   For me this is better than just another league full of old pros at the end of their careers  or Pretend Teams with no support or ground of their own. 

The pyramid should offer much more than just an opportunity for clubs but also about developing good Scottish players.  

 

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Colts teams aren’t seasoned pros. Thats the alleged point of colts teams. Colts teams are a load of pish which enable richer clubs to buy up all the emerging talent.

[FuzzyBear]

12 minutes ago, Auld Heid said:

Yes - I was trying to look at a bigger picture.  

For Scottish Football to thrive, younger players need to be playing competitive games on a regular basis.  Bigger clubs sign players who are drifting into oblivion because they aren't developing into real players.  For me this is down to not playing competitive football but instead they are hidden away playing games at half pace where no one makes tackles.

Playing the Colts teams against seasoned pros would be a sharp learning curve - but it may also be the making of a future generation of Scottish talent.   For me this is better than just another league full of old pros at the end of their careers  or Pretend Teams with no support or ground of their own. 

The pyramid should offer much more than just an opportunity for clubs but also about developing good Scottish players.  

 

Yep I agree.  Seeing a team of talented teenagers getting kicked all over the park by Highland League teams will definitely improve Scottish football.

The colts are only there to pander to Rangers and Celtic - there is no other reason.

[Vollyman]

Only because you are looking to knock it. Spfl 3 is unlikely ll2 is possible but you just want to knock it. Imagine trying something different or have an idea totally ridiculous. I'm surprised you want a east super league not want to go back to Lothians Fife and tayside leagues

What a load of nonsense nowhere in my post did I knock the Pyramid or even mention junior football I criticised the proposed Setting up of a SPL3 and LL2 which will further barriers to non league clubs wishing to advance to SPL2. I agree with a previous post that the SPFL are a self preservation society backed by the SFA

[LongTimeLurker]

3 hours ago, FuzzyBear said:

Would you welcome the Colts teams if they selected the best 4 - which would probably be Hibs, Celtic, Accies and Ross county. Do you think having average Colts teams in the set up is a good idea.

Should probably be Accies given how strong the U-20 team has been in recent years, but based on where this info was leaked I suspect Aberdeen are probably involved. Hibs have also been mentioned a lot in the past as being potentially interested in this. There has been talk in recent times of ICT wanting to have a Colts team in the HL, so there may be an attempt to shoehorn in a few more into the HL and LL given some vacancies would open up there.

[Auld Heid]

Yep I agree.  Seeing a team of talented teenagers getting kicked all over the park by Highland League teams will definitely improve Scottish football.
The colts are only there to pander to Rangers and Celtic - there is no other reason.

It could also be the making of them as they develop.

[HTG]

28 minutes ago, Auld Heid said:

It could also be the making of them as they develop.
 

Hearts have around a dozen players on loan at various levels of the national league structure - aligned to their current ability and development need. They are not playing games at half pace.  They don't need Colts playing at a level which is below the level that those who are already ready can play at. 

The youth and reserve leagues are only part of the story - there is already a good mechanism for getting them experience at the right level. 

Colts teams should be nowhere near a league structure.