Nikos K Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 In true Sky sports fashion, I'm hearing a strong rumour/suggestion that the West region management committee are considering bringing in an SPFL type split next season to the 16 team leagues. From what I gather you will play everyone once so 15 games then split into two leagues of 8 and play each other once again. So in total 22 games! Is that not what the 16 team league was set up for to avoid? Point number 1. Say the likes of Cumnock or Glenafton are away to Talbot in the first 15 games and then don't finish in the same 8 as them then they wont have a return derby fixture. Point number 2. Postponements due to weather would have to be played before the split or you could be playing both halves in the same period, if you look at this season Kilbirnie have 4 games left and 2 of those are against Talbot. Point number 3. How can clubs budget for a season without the knowledge they are having a home game against the supposed bigger clubs. I hope this is nipped in the bud as a total non starter and I also hope it's not being brought in to accommodate the Sectional Cup. But as I say 'Just a rumour' !! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glensmad Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 (edited) My understanding is that it is only for the Premiership, to enable the league to be finished in time for the pyramid play-offs. The other three leagues will remain at 30 games. I agree, it is a recipe for disaster though. There is potential for one team to play 15 home league games and 7 away, or vise versa. Unlikely, but possible, and the reality will be somewhere in between. You could also have two teams fighting relegation, and one of them has to go away to them for a second time with no home game against them, if they try to balance out the home/away issue. Also, if they balance out the fixtures after the split, it means only 11 home games for each team, meaning many season ticket prices will be affected. Edited April 12, 2019 by glensmad 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNU_Linux Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 I'd rather reformat/restructure the cups than go ahead with this restructuring to help with fixture scheduling. An 8 game difference between the top division & rest is way too much. In the SPFL the top flight plays 38 & the other 3 divisions play 36. Furthermore splits only really work in smaller leagues as in such a scenario more teams will have something to play for. In a 16 team context I'd imagine in the lower half teams in 9-11th would be safe from relegation thus these teams would have nothing to play for. As a last point the SOS are 30 games as will the EOS next season. Assuming the west gets in all feeders to the LL should be as equal as possible in games played (leagues are already same size). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikos K Posted April 12, 2019 Author Share Posted April 12, 2019 Sorry , you are right about only the Premiership Glensmad, and what Pyramid play-offs? nothing has been confirmed yet if the West is in tier 6 for definite or not. My argument still stands though about local derbies in the top league not getting a return home fixture. I would hope that every club would see sense and vote against this if it is proposed. If time is a problem due to play offs then just bin the Sectional and go with the League, Scottish and the West Cup. If they are looking to copy the big boys of the SPFL, so far we've had name changes to Premiership, Championship and Leagues 1 & 2 , and now a split, then surely the three trophies like the senior set up is enough as well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glensmad Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 5 minutes ago, Nikos K said: Sorry , you are right about only the Premiership Glensmad, and what Pyramid play-offs? nothing has been confirmed yet if the West is in tier 6 for definite or not. True, but this is part of the West Region preparing for when it is confirmed. They need to find a way of showing that they can get the Premiership finished in time for the play-offs, and this is the suggestion that is being currently discussed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikos K Posted April 12, 2019 Author Share Posted April 12, 2019 I'm also surprised Glensmad that you know about it and haven't broke the story yourself, I'm from Halfway and I heard it a week ago. If you are on the Glens committee then I understand but if not then this would have been a scoop right up your street . 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanCamelonfan Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 39 minutes ago, Nikos K said: In true Sky sports fashion, I'm hearing a strong rumour/suggestion that the West region management committee are considering bringing in an SPFL type split next season to the 16 team leagues. From what I gather you will play everyone once so 15 games then split into two leagues of 8 and play each other once again. So in total 22 games! Is that not what the 16 team league was set up for to avoid? Point number 1. Say the likes of Cumnock or Glenafton are away to Talbot in the first 15 games and then don't finish in the same 8 as them then they wont have a return derby fixture. Point number 2. Postponements due to weather would have to be played before the split or you could be playing both halves in the same period, if you look at this season Kilbirnie have 4 games left and 2 of those are against Talbot. Point number 3. How can clubs budget for a season without the knowledge they are having a home game against the supposed bigger clubs. I hope this is nipped in the bud as a total non starter and I also hope it's not being brought in to accommodate the Sectional Cup. But as I say 'Just a rumour' !! SOunds a bit silly they should just cut the cups if only have junior cup wos cup the league and maybe a league cup at end of season knock out then that would be plenty surely. A lot of it is how good your scheduling is. I was worried in eosfl with the amount of cups we won through that we would have problems and by and large we wont have a problem. A few midweek games but the junior cup killing your schedule is he big difference 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginaro Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 (edited) While Auchinleck are a number of games behind this season, if they won all of their fixtures and played in the league on 20th April instead of in the WoS cup then the league would be won by 4th May - which is the same time as the EOS champion will be crowned. I would say going to a split should be a last resort, as there's other things like getting rid of Junior Cup replays and two-legged semi-finals, or changes to West cup competitions that would be less drastic than a split. Another thing to bear in mind is that going by the current league positions, there will be three additional clubs with floodlights next season. Plus, Talbot are apparently planning on installing lights to get a licence. So that would mean half of the Premiership clubs have lights, allowing a midweek round of fixtures to take place early in the season, plus catching up on games before April. Edit: I assumed Kilwinning Sports Club would have lights but seems like it doesn't, so that's 6 clubs + Auchinleck. Edited April 12, 2019 by Ginaro 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason King Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Camelon havent had to schedule 30 league games this season though. Splits are a nonsense no matter what level the league is at, ditch the Evening Times and the League Cup to free up matchdays ahead of implementing this nonsense. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beith19 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Splits are a recipe for disaster, some teams are always wronged through it. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superbigal Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Any League that cannot facilitate 30 games in a period of about 40 weeks is an absolute joke. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Is this a one season type proposal to slot into the senior calendar without having to deal with a compressed close season? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 The split's added absolutely nothing to the SPFL - the media try to make it sound exciting, with so-and-so "chasing a top six finish" but I doubt anyone's ever genuinely celebrated coming sixth at anything. I would have thought the simplest solution if the top division's got to finish by a certain date to facilitate playoffs would be to convert the Sectional - if they've GOT to keep it - to an early season lower league only competition along the lines of the Challenge Cup...gives the smaller sides something they might have a realistic chance of winning while the top division gets on with playing league games, getting five or six under their belts before the other divisions start. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmontheloknow Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 4 minutes ago, Hillonearth said: The split's added absolutely nothing to the SPFL - the media try to make it sound exciting, with so-and-so "chasing a top six finish" but I doubt anyone's ever genuinely celebrated coming sixth at anything. I would have thought the simplest solution if the top division's got to finish by a certain date to facilitate playoffs would be to convert the Sectional - if they've GOT to keep it - to an early season lower league only competition along the lines of the Challenge Cup...gives the smaller sides something they might have a realistic chance of winning while the top division gets on with playing league games, getting five or six under their belts before the other divisions start. The SPFL Premier split is good though because the teams in the middle want the better fixtures to round off the season, albeit the team in 6th might lose them all. Far better financially too to finish 6th than 7th. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigkillie Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 The biggest issue with this is actually getting everyone to the 15 game mark at the same time. When you look at Junior league tables in January or February you regularly see teams with 5 or 6 games in hand as a result of postponements or cup competitions. You could have the whole league being held up while this backlog is cleared, particularly given the typical weather at that time of year. I don't think this has been thought through in the slightest, and would have a high probability of collapsing into a total shambles. Why not just play league fixtures Saturday-Tuesday for the first couple of months of the year to help clear the backlog, and then play the various cups later in the season? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 1 minute ago, cmontheloknow said: The SPFL Premier split is good though because the teams in the middle want the better fixtures to round off the season, albeit the team in 6th might lose them all. Far better financially too to finish 6th than 7th. Maybe for possible extra TV games I suppose the raw finance would make sense, but in terms of increased home crowds I'm not sure even that many OF away games sell out these days, although obviously if one or other stands to win the league at your place you're guaranteed a total sellout. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmontheloknow Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 2 minutes ago, Hillonearth said: Maybe for possible extra TV games I suppose the raw finance would make sense, but in terms of increased home crowds I'm not sure even that many OF away games sell out these days, although obviously if one or other stands to win the league at your place you're guaranteed a total sellout. I;m just looking at it as a fan of one of the other 10 - no one wants to end up in bottom six playing dead rubbers. It's happened to us more times than I'd care to remember and even if finishing 6th means losing every game, it's better than the alternative. Prize money is also higher for 6th than 7th as well as the better gates. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Most obvious problem would be getting everybody to play their first 15 games at roughly the same time. If there are concerns about getting the league finished in time, bin the Sectional (for everyone, not just the top league) and start the league right away. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glensmad Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 (edited) 50 minutes ago, beith19 said: Splits are a recipe for disaster, some teams are always wronged through it. Nail on the head. Splits just don't work, and in my personal opinion this would only create suspicion and resentment when the post-split fixtures are released, and that would happen every season. Also, some clubs will miss out on big home gates against certain teams if they play them away before the split and then are in a different half after the split. Hopefully it will be rejected, in my personal opinion. Edited April 12, 2019 by glensmad 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glensmad Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 37 minutes ago, FairWeatherFan said: Is this a one season type proposal to slot into the senior calendar without having to deal with a compressed close season? No, it is proposed to be the way forward. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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