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South Region Challenge Cup 2020-21


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A truly national competition for senior clubs from Lowland/Highland league level and below sounds like a great idea.

The SJFA Cup, for all its past merits and great traditions, has been a competition for clubs from the Central Belt, Ayrshire and Dundee areas. Clubs from outside these areas enter but have they ever had any meaningful influence. 

Calling the SJFA cup a truly nationwide competition is inaccurate. How far back do we need to look in order to find entries from the South, the Borders, the true Highlands & the Islands save for Inverness City?

Has there ever been a meaningful Nationwide Cup Competition for semi-pro Clubs from beneath the SFL/SPFL? There isn't even a Cup Competition in the Highland zone which equates to the SCC.

Setting up a truly nationwide competition would have to come from, and be administered by, the SFA and it would need significant financial support, sponsorship, and a Hampden Final. Even the SJFA at its' peak didn't take on this project, and they certainly don't look capable of doing so now.

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Just now, Dev said:

...Calling the SJFA cup a truly nationwide competition is inaccurate. How far back do we need to look in order to find entries from the South, the Borders, the true Highlands & the Islands save for Inverness City? ...

In the 40s and 50s the SJC would have had teams from most of those areas plus Campbelltown in Argyll. Later junior football retreated a bit in geography terms. As long as the invitation is open to the HL and NCL to enter you can still have a Scottish Cup with everyone else. Scottish rather than South in the name is the key to making it work as the flagship cup in an SJC sort of way.

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Surely 50-50 is fairer than home team keeping all the money though.
If 1500 hundred turned up for Kelty v Talbot say Kelty took £10000+ in gate money you think it's right that Kelty keep all that [emoji848]

So point is either way their could always  be a loser what ever way u do it
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55 minutes ago, TFW said:

Re the SCC and SJC. I know a large number of the old Junior clubs are very unhappy about the lack of any gate money for away clubs, and it wouldn't surprise me if there are kickbacks against it. I don't know of any club treasurer who doesn't welcome a visit from the large Talbot travelling support, but think a good number of them might well bethingin if there's nothing in it for the club might as well give it a miss.

The system is already being reviewed and probably would have seen changes this summer if it hadn't been for COVID.

But keep in mind Talbot, Pollok and any other "big club" you want to name are the minority. The model that has been in place for the South Challenge Cup has kept it going over the years and the travel guarantees can be more than what a home team would get through the gate minus costs.

Lochmaben v. Kirkcaldy & Dysart and Eyemouth United v. Muirkirk isn't exactly going to be box office.

Unless Talbot want to play every team in the Lowlands every year, trying to make changes with the idea that a team might fluke a good draw isn't the way the cup should be managed.

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16 minutes ago, andy25 said:

Surely 50-50 is fairer than home team keeping all the money though.
If 1500 hundred turned up for Kelty v Talbot say Kelty took £10000+ in gate money you think it's right that Kelty keep all that emoji848.png

When this was brought up previously a suggestion was brought up where a split of the gate money exceeds the travel guarantee then split the gate. Something like that.

A blanket 50-50 isn't fair on the smaller v. smaller clubs and the number of new entrants has probably outgrown the existing model.

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2 hours ago, FairWeatherFan said:

A pyramid in the North has the same sort of chipping away at SJC participation as in the Lowland. BoD or another North Region club get promoted, they'd be unable to keep playing in the SJC due to the scheduling issues. Some of the favourites to get relegated from the HL are likely to enter the NCL.

You'll start to see more North clubs trying to get into the SFA and even the Aberdeenshire & District FA. Which the likes of Dyce have ticked off one of those boxes.

 

It's not difficult to imagine, at least, some current North Juniors finding their own way into the Highland Pyramid if the North Region Juniors doesn't take up what seems to be an option to join en-masse. 

With the door open  so clubs can now plan ahead there will be some which will move if the Region doesn't. Thinking Banks O Dee, Aberdeen Uni, Dyce, Montrose Roselea, as the most obvious clubs but maybe ground shares with current SPFL and Highland League clubs could open up opportunities for others too.

Edited by Dev
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46 minutes ago, andy25 said:

Surely 50-50 is fairer than home team keeping all the money though.
If 1500 hundred turned up for Kelty v Talbot say Kelty took £10000+ in gate money you think it's right that Kelty keep all that emoji848.png

Good question but would you be thinking this way if the draw had given the home benefit to Talbot?? Serious question.

There's a thing called the Luck of the Draw and it is part of the magic of Cup competitions.

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Yes I would.

Good question but would you be thinking this way if the draw had given the home benefit to Talbot?? Serious question.
There's a thing called the Luck of the Draw and it is part of the magic of Cup competitions.
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55 minutes ago, FairWeatherFan said:

October 24th and November 21st are the intended dates if all goes well.

Two Saturdays being allocated. 😱 There is some good debate about whether there should be a National competition instead of this regional one. However, again this is a non starter this year when there is a 38 game league to be played in an already delayed programme.

Get it hunted until next season when we've all had a wee COVID jag.

Edited by jimbaxters
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Speak for yourself about having a covid jag[emoji50]

Two Saturdays being allocated. [emoji33] There is some good debate about whether there should be a National competition instead of this regional one. However, again this is a non starter this year when there is a 38 game league to be played in an already delayed programme.
Get it hunted until next season when we've all had a wee COVID jag.
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Do you know of any other Cup competitions in non League football where the home team keeps all the money?

Good question but would you be thinking this way if the draw had given the home benefit to Talbot?? Serious question.
There's a thing called the Luck of the Draw and it is part of the magic of Cup competitions.
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