Kelty awarded title

[weetoonlad]

Both Kelty and Brora should go into spfl bottom div 

[GNU_Linux]

https://spfl.co.uk/news/reconstruction-group-announced

George Fraser & Rod Houston on the reconstruction working group

[Whitburn Vale]

Hopefully Kelty and Brora get promoted to League 2 and automatic relegation is introduced,so the bottom club in League 2 go's down to the HL or LL.

[Marshmallo]

15 hours ago, Whitburn Vale said:

Hopefully Kelty and Brora get promoted to League 2 and automatic relegation is introduced,so the bottom club in League 2 go's down to the HL or LL.

It should be 2 down from League Two and LL/HL champions up automatically. 

[Strathman]

8 minutes ago, Marshmallo said:

It should be 2 down from League Two and LL/HL champions up automatically. 

What might be proposed is that Kelty and Brora go up but two down and third bottom in a play off with the Highland/Lowland winner next season. That means the numbers go back down to 42 for the next season.

Think the league one and league two clubs might worry about that given how easily Cove won the league two title  with a team containing  the vast majority of their Highland League team.  Brora were not far behind Cove in their final Highland season so there is a fair chance they would hold their own if promoted. You would fancy certainly Kelty to avoid the bottom three as well. 

This outcome would mean three established league clubs in the bottom three. You could see how they would be worried. One bad season and it is a long way back.

 

 

[Whitburn Vale]

36 minutes ago, Marshmallo said:

It should be 2 down from League Two and LL/HL champions up automatically. 

Yeah that would be better marshy 

[newcastle broon]

2 hours ago, Marshmallo said:

It should be 2 down from League Two and LL/HL champions up automatically. 

Be nae HFL teams left under present pyramid format wi that scenario.

Whilst sounds right the leagues below HFL would need to be part of pyramid 1st otherwise HFL could have very few teams.

Of course it's not to say HFL clubs once promoted might go doon again at some point. 

[Deanburn Dave]

 

This outcome would mean three established league clubs in the bottom three. You could see how they would be worried. One bad season and it is a long way back.

These "established" clubs have been protected for far too long IMO. Pyramid football is all about finding your level and promotion/relegation should be encouraged.

 

 

[Thom & Gerry]

On 18/04/2020 at 14:05, Strathman said:

“Cove won the league two title  with a team containing  the vast majority of their Highland League team. “

There is a big difference in the quality of the Cove team now than the one that won the HL

 

 

[Thom & Gerry]

On 18/04/2020 at 13:44, Marshmallo said:

It should be 2 down from League Two and LL/HL champions up automatically. 

In a league containing 10 teams, 2 down is too many. That will never get a consensus.

[Cowden Cowboy]

No way that both HL and LL champions should ever win straight promotion - say all the best teams end up in LL and it’s standard is higher than HL then that would not be equitable.  You would need surely either 1st LL v 2nd H L and 2nd LL v 1st HL play offs to produce two winners or better still a group competition between all 4.  Either that or Tier 5 becomes a National League

Edited April 19, 2020 by Cowden Cowboy

[Guest]

So increase the number of clubs in each league. (a 10 team league isn't fit for purpose and simply keeps spfl teams in the spfl). Why not increase each league to between 14 and 16 teams. This would see an increase of between 14 and 22 clubs in the spfl (there are enough licensed clubs now).

Increase the relegation and promotion places all the way down to tier 7 and 8 in the pyramid and actually have a fully functioning pyramid for once. (Instead of the self-serving system of protectionism we have now)

[The Informer]

5 minutes ago, Cowden Cowboy said:

No way that both HL and LL champions should ever win straight promotion - say all the best teams end up in LL and it’s standard is higher than HL then that would not be equitable.  You would need surely either 1st LL v 2nd H L and 2nd LL v 1st HL play offs to produce two winners or better still a group competition between all 4.  Either that or Tier 5 becomes a National League

It’s not equitable at the moment? How many teams in the pyramid  are vying to get into the LL compared to the HL? We now also nearly had a scenario which would have seen Brechin come to the LL. There is no equity about it, the LL will have all the best teams in it shortly.

[craigiemack]

I can’t see anything changing until they expand the third or fourth tiers. I also agree that automatic promotion wouldn’t work and that’s obviously because of the distribution and quality of teams across the country.

The only way I could see automatic promotion working is if they split Tier 5 into 4 leagues. 2 Northern Leagues in the Highland and a new Tayside, Angus and Fife League and 2 Southern Leagues, one in the East and one in the West. Automatic relegation from League 2 and promotion for the winners of the north play off and south play off. The current boundary doesn’t work because of the distribution of the population and clubs across the county. My new one would mean a fairer split of clubs but still local enough to minimise travel etc. I know this would never be implemented but if I was in charge this is what I’d try and create.

[Cowden Cowboy]

4 hours ago, The Informer said:

It’s not equitable at the moment? How many teams in the pyramid  are vying to get into the LL compared to the HL? We now also nearly had a scenario which would have seen Brechin come to the LL. There is no equity about it, the LL will have all the best teams in it shortly.

Yes I’ve already made that point and posted on that theme for a long time 

[Guest]

It’s not equitable at the moment? How many teams in the pyramid  are vying to get into the LL compared to the HL? We now also nearly had a scenario which would have seen Brechin come to the LL. There is no equity about it, the LL will have all the best teams in it shortly.

Whilst the number of clubs vying to get into the LL is considerably more than the HL, there is yet to be evidence that the LL currently has the stronger sides in it. It is starting to move that way granted, and whilst everyone expects the LL to get stronger and stronger, as yet only Edinburgh City and Cove from recent iterations of the LL and HL have succeeded in getting into the spfl through the playoff (major issue of mine tbf) and remain in the spfl.

I guess what I'm getting at is there is no evidence (real life footballing examples) to support the future strength of the LL or changing anything at present. Until the eosfl, sosfl and wosfl get some champions in the LL and they, in turn, begin to become the consistent teams promoted to the spfl through the playoff, the LL and HL will sit where they are, side by side, at tier 5.

There is a quicker option, for the spfl to increase its league sizes, but that is equally as big an issue in trying to convince the senior seniors to open up their closed shop further.

[Strathman]

6 hours ago, Thom & Gerry said:

 

 

6 hours ago, Thom & Gerry said:

There is a big difference in the quality of the Cove team now than the one that won the HL

Cove's last game was a 7-1 away win at Stirling Albion. The starting line up contained 8 players that played in the Highland League and another one came on as sub and scored.

They have signed a couple of high profile Aberdonians and a few youngsters on loan who have been mainly on the bench.  They have improved but it is mainly the Highland League side.

On the subject of the standard of the leagues I agree the Lowland League is bound to improve in the coming years. Their previous two champions East Kilbride and Spartans were poor compared to Cove. You would have fancied Brora to beat them as well.  This will undoubtedly change in time.  The Kelty Brora clash would have been a cracker.

[selfassemblyshire]

I can’t see anything changing until they expand the third or fourth tiers. I also agree that automatic promotion wouldn’t work and that’s obviously because of the distribution and quality of teams across the country.

The only way I could see automatic promotion working is if they split Tier 5 into 4 leagues. 2 Northern Leagues in the Highland and a new Tayside, Angus and Fife League and 2 Southern Leagues, one in the East and one in the West. Automatic relegation from League 2 and promotion for the winners of the north play off and south play off. The current boundary doesn’t work because of the distribution of the population and clubs across the county. My new one would mean a fairer split of clubs but still local enough to minimise travel etc. I know this would never be implemented but if I was in charge this is what I’d try and create.

That's similar to the German system which we should be looking to follow

[johnmc80]

Cove's last game was a 7-1 away win at Stirling Albion. The starting line up contained 8 players that played in the Highland League and another one came on as sub and scored.
They have signed a couple of high profile Aberdonians and a few youngsters on loan who have been mainly on the bench.  They have improved but it is mainly the Highland League side.
On the subject of the standard of the leagues I agree the Lowland League is bound to improve in the coming years. Their previous two champions East Kilbride and Spartans were poor compared to Cove. You would have fancied Brora to beat them as well.  This will undoubtedly change in time.  The Kelty Brora clash would have been a cracker.

East kilbride were very poor in the play off last year. They never turned up. Cove were a very good side, as they have went onto show this season, but east kilbride shat the bed in the play off against them and have never really recovered from it since tbh. But prior to last season, ek and in fact the lowland in general had a very decent record against highland league teams. I would have fancied any of our top four teams this season to have got a result against brora over two games.

[Hampden Diehard]

I think you have to take into account the special circumstances at each club. Clubs with wealthy benefactors are creating a false position, not that I"m saying that there's actually anything wrong with that. They, of course, have to hope that the benefactor stays alive and interested and that their level of income is sustainable. Kelty could be the new Raith or the new Cowden.

Cove have a terrific squad and talking of them as if they're a team representative of the HL is a bit wide of the mark.