Ginaro Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 Saw this posted, apparently the reasons for the decision. Last time I checked the U21s league in the east had been dead for a couple of years and the one in the west was losing teams (down to 24 in October 2020 from 36 the previous year). Preston Athletic with an open letter, saying 16 of their 20 players will not be able to play. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Ginaro said: Saw this posted, apparently the reasons for the decision. Last time I checked the U21s league in the east had been dead for a couple of years and the one in the west was losing teams (down to 24 in October 2020 from 36 the previous year. Plus of those last 24... only 9 were WOSFL clubs. Play resumed this spring with 21 participants (only 8 were WOSFL clubs). It's exclusively Glasgow/surrounds and doesn't play on Fridays. No other U21 leagues now operate. Entry for SYFA U21s Cup in 2019-20 was 20 clubs. To suggest that league is either threatened by, or a solution for, clubs in Lowland/East/South/West with U20 players who've turned 20 is clearly wrong. Even more bizarrely there is supposedly provision in that very same league allowing players who've turned 21 to play-on. On playing time/etc. you can equally say some 16/17-year-olds who - after missing 18 months - aren't ready will now be promoted prematurely to fill unexpected gaps. However that's all arguable. Intervening 2-months+ since 'proper' training resumed and 3.5-weeks before season starts is worst part IMO. Edited June 24, 2021 by HibeeJibee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 (edited) Blazer politics can get very petty. The SYFA blazers are no doubt less than thrilled at what the LL U20 has done to their U21 level so no surprise they objected. It would be nice to think that the people in charge at Hampden would care about young players winding up as collateral damage in all of this but it could also be payback for not taking Brechin City. Maxwell, Petrie & co weren't able to get what they wanted on that and lost face in the process so this could be their way of reminding the LL who's boss. Where you have to question the LL board's competence is pushing forward with stuff like the four WoS conferences last season and this U21 proposal if they didn't know for sure that the SFA board were minded to accept it. How difficult is it to call the key people involved to gauge their probable response? Edited June 26, 2021 by LongTimeLurker 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnieman Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 23 hours ago, HibeeJibee said: Plus of those last 24... only 9 were WOSFL clubs. Play resumed this spring with 21 participants (only 8 were WOSFL clubs). It's exclusively Glasgow/surrounds and doesn't play on Fridays. No other U21 leagues now operate. Entry for SYFA U21s Cup in 2019-20 was 20 clubs. To suggest that league is either threatened by, or a solution for, clubs in Lowland/East/South/West with U20 players who've turned 20 is clearly wrong. Even more bizarrely there is supposedly provision in that very same league allowing players who've turned 21 to play-on. On playing time/etc. you can equally say some 16/17-year-olds who - after missing 18 months - aren't ready will now be promoted prematurely to fill unexpected gaps. However that's all arguable. Intervening 2-months+ since 'proper' training resumed and 3.5-weeks before season starts is worst part IMO. Nine of our U20 players are affected by this. It's a shocker from the SFA, particularly when they're shouting about grassroots and player development. Over 450 players affected overall. Hopefully pressure is brought upon the PGB/SFA. The SYFA also need to take a long hard look at themselves for their part in this. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dev Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 3 hours ago, Burnieman said: Nine of our U20 players are affected by this. It's a shocker from the SFA, particularly when they're shouting about grassroots and player development. Over 450 players affected overall. Hopefully pressure is brought upon the PGB/SFA. The SYFA also need to take a long hard look at themselves for their part in this. As long as there are self governing Associations allowed within the SFA organisation there is always going to be the opportunity for one of the Associations to do its' own thing for its own interests. No wonder there's such a mess. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldandround Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 18 hours ago, Burnieman said: Nine of our U20 players are affected by this. It's a shocker from the SFA, particularly when they're shouting about grassroots and player development. Over 450 players affected overall. Hopefully pressure is brought upon the PGB/SFA. The SYFA also need to take a long hard look at themselves for their part in this. Its undoubtedly a shocker. total nonsense and a ridiculous decision. Ive found out though (rumour alert) that the SFA were not really too concerned about this but it was the SYFA that drove the refusal. For a couple of seasons the syfa has been at war with the SFA and lowland league over the u20s. They saw it as decimating their older age groups (which to fair, it did) They refused to allow players to play as trialists with u20, although the u20 couldn't give a monkeys and did it anyway. This all caused a great deal of animosity on the syfa side. The U20s and sfa again didn't see anything awry here. Much like a premier team would treat brechin moaning about being relegated. Dont care..... Then in April this year, the SFA decreed that all football over U18s was 'Adult' and outwith the remit of the SYFA. So that effectively kills the SYFA U19 and U21s leagues (pretty much already dead in the east though!) However, the SFA gave the syfa a one year period of grace until june 2022 to allow U19 and U21 players the chance to complete a season. All sound good yeah? Well the syfa have a voice on the SFA council, so when this lowland league application to extend the U20s to U21 for one year only came up, the SYFA objected. Their grounds were that there would only be one more season of u21 football and if the development league was also u21, that is a competing league and unfair. Especially as the SFA had told them they were getting another year. (the complete lack of a U21s anywhere outside the west, seems to have escaped them.....) The SFA accepted this information and decided to restrict the dev league to 2002 lads. Again, its a nonsense decision but not completely without reason. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 They've managed to get the SFA to agree to the u21 extension. SYFA will also be extending their u21 set up to u22 for a year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnieman Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Good news that enough pressure was applied to the SFA to force a revew. A common sense outcome at last. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLad Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Can someone tell me if there is still the rule in place that players signed under SYFA registrations still can't play for their under 20s teams? Eg, an under 19 player playing in youth League but being asked to play the odd game for the 20s for the same club. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldandround Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 (edited) 21 hours ago, TheLad said: Can someone tell me if there is still the rule in place that players signed under SYFA registrations still can't play for their under 20s teams? Eg, an under 19 player playing in youth League but being asked to play the odd game for the 20s for the same club. It’s not allowed by the syfa but is allowed by the u20s. basically the u20s don’t recognise the syfa registration so in their mind the player is a free agent. the syfa have a rule that says you can’t play for the u20s. if a syfa player, plays for the u20s they can be “charged” by the syfa who can deal with under current rules of playing for a team whilst registered with another. so in theory the player could be banned by the syfa from playing with his syfa team if he plays u20s. not aware of any player being so charged yet. I know Edinburgh utd had a few 2004s playing u20s in early 2020 and nothing happened to them. so, you pays your money and takes your chance as they say……. Edited July 12, 2021 by oldandround 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnieman Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Last I heard an agreement between SYFA and LL was close, perhaps waiting on SFA ratification? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldandround Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 1 hour ago, Burnieman said: Last I heard an agreement between SYFA and LL was close, perhaps waiting on SFA ratification? Yeah. What I heard was that the LL was not giving a monkeys and was happy for syfa players to play for them regardless of what the syfa were saying . The SYFA were deciding whether they were going to capitulate and allow their players to sign with u20s or not. It really is a farce. Where's the harm in allowing a few u18s / u19s a tryout with the u20s whilst still playing with their community club? Just dont get the syfa position here. Old men in blazers clutching to bygone glories perhaps? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dev Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Sometimes it's as though some of the minor Associations weren't even part of the SFA. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomorekelso Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 Clubs with pathways should be able to do it, and players should have the ambition to do it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginaro Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 22 hours ago, oldandround said: Just dont get the syfa position here. Old men in blazers clutching to bygone glories perhaps? Well they've already seen their U21 fold in the east and decline in the west so probably annoyed at the seniors encroaching on their youth turf. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginaro Posted July 21, 2021 Share Posted July 21, 2021 I see the fixtures are now on the EOS website https://www.eosfl.com/downloads/eosfl/Under-20-League-Fixture-List-2021-22.xlsx (could I ask whoever put together the spreadsheet to please avoid red text on a green background in future ) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 15 hours ago, Ginaro said: I see the fixtures are now on the EOS website https://www.eosfl.com/downloads/eosfl/Under-20-League-Fixture-List-2021-22.xlsx Cup dates: Eastern League Cup / Western League Cup R1 Friday 10th September R2 Friday 17th December R3 Friday 25th February R4 Friday 29th April SF Friday 13th May Fin Friday 27th May / Thursday 26th May Eastern Knockout Cup / Western Knockout Cup R1 Friday 29th October R2 Friday 7th January R3 Friday 25th February R4 Friday 29th April SF Friday 13th May Fin Tuesday 31st May / Monday 30th May Combined Challenge Cup R1 Friday 11th March R2 Friday 25th March R3 Friday 8th April R4 Friday 22nd April R5 Friday 6th May SF Friday 20th May Fin Friday 3rd June What by my reckoning must be the greatest derby card in the history of football at this age group arrives on Friday 3rd September, with the returns due on Friday 14th January: A Broomhill v Alloa*, East Fife v Kelty, East Kilbride v Cumbernauld, Edinburgh City v Bonnyrigg, Spartans v Civil Service, Stirling Albion v Stirling Uni, Bonnyton v Gala B Heriot-Watt Uni v Edinburgh Utd, Kennoway v Glenrothes, Musselburgh v Preston, Penicuik v Whitehill, Armadale v Sauchie, Edinburgh College v Camelon C Fauldhouse v Livingston, Hill of Beath v Inverkeithing, Leith v Craigroyston, Newtongrange v Dalkeith, Tynecastle v LTHV, Blackburn v Dunipace, Oakley v Jeanfield D Bellshill v Kirkintilloch, Blantyre v EK Thistle, Cambuslang v Glasgow Utd, Carluke v Forth, Glenvale v St Peters, Harthill v Shotts, St Rochs v Petershill E Ashfield v Maryhill, Benburb v Pollok, Clydebank v Drumchapel, St Cadocs v St Anthonys, Rossvale v BSC, Vale of Leven v Yoker, Gartcairn v Johnstone F Auchinleck v Cumnock, Ardeer v Ardrossan, Beith v Dalry, Darvel v Troon, Irvine Meadow v Kilwinning, Neilston v Arthurlie, Whitletts v Maybole, Largs v Port Glasgow 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only an observer Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 Edinburgh U20 5-3 Glenrothes U20 Quite entertaining game, Edinburgh ending the game with 10 men after regaining the lead with 5 to go with a spectacular free kick goal,then pulled a succer punch 5th as Glenrothes pushed everyone forward to try and take something from the game. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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