New clubs in the West of Scotland

[cmontheloknow]

Saturday / Sunday could be a potential option in worst case scenarios.

[jimbaxters]

19 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

I think some people don't fully grasp the distances and travel times that are potentially involved with a game against a team at the foot of the Kintyre peninsula. Check it out on Google Maps and you get Auchinleck to Campbelltown (169 miles - 3 hr 41 min) as opposed to Nairn (208 miles 3 hr 57 min) for an SJC game. Even Oban (128 miles - 2 hr 46 min) is comparable to the most distant Tayside juniors club such as Brechin Vics (144 miles - 2 hr 37 min) in that context.

Once a year. Again, if it was a good day oot in the SJC it will be just as good a day oot in the league.

[LongTimeLurker]

1 minute ago, jimbaxters said:

Once a year. Again, if it was a good day oot in the SJC it will be just as good a day oot in the league.

Not saying they shouldn't be allowed in. Only pointing out that there is a very real issue with midweek games.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

I'm only pointing out that any time there has been any movement, even potential movement, toward a full non-league pyramid you have grasped at some potential straw man for the sake of being different and hung on for dear life. Everyone knows how far away some parts of Argyll are. 

It's tedious

 

Everyone is fine with one game there a year and if fixtures pile up and if the very rare midweek match is required clubs will find a way to make it work because it's hardly the end of the world if a coupla players can't get a half day from their main job

Edited April 15, 2021 by AsimButtHitsASix

[LongTimeLurker]

Sure bud whatever.

[santheman]

3 hours ago, jimbaxters said:

Not only was there no grumbling, there were lots of posters here with fingers crossed for an away tie to Nairn or the like in the SJC. Now it seems that going half that distance once  a season in the league is an issue. Strange.

There's no issue at all with games at the weekend, people are only pointing out some teams are a a bit concerned at  possible midweek games given the distances , surely reasonable and understandable.

Assuming of course that one of the applicants is from the area we 're talking about.

[tarapoa]

These clubs are willing to travel that distance for every second fixture - never understand why clubs who have to do it once a season get worked up.

The same mentality that meant Ferranti Thistle were preferred to Inverness Thistle in 1974.

[Le Tout P'ti FC]

Just imagine it: you jumped out of bed that morning. You have driven over the Erskine Bridge, up Loch Lomond, through the Rest & Be Thankful, stopped to stretch your legs in Inveraray or Tarbert, flashed by the Islay and Gigha ferry, and as you arrive at the outskirts of Campbeltown you have time to stretch your legs before the game, so you arrive upon the Westport beach. You might not have enough time to walk the five/six miles to Machrihanish, but the burst of the freshest air works up a fair appetite.

You then go into town, passing the palm trees outside the art deco cinema, making time to nip into Springbank or Cadenhead to buy some drams to take home, get a bite to eat and a pint, and then watch your team play. It feels like a European tie after your journey!

You remember that somebody once told you that "Campbeltown is a bit of a dump", some dump!

It will be the best away trip of your season. From then on, when the cup draws are made you're willing it to be Campbeltown.

You drive home, maybe stopping in Inveraray for a chippy and you watch the sunset over Loch Fyne. You can barely remember the game as the sensation you are feeling is utter utter contentment.

You get home, quite late in fairness, you're pretty knackered but you sleep amazingly well that night because you won at the weekends and didn't go shopping to Dobbies.

Shame you missed Strictly.

Vote Campbeltown.

^^^ Birthday caird pish.

[Cyclizine]

8 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

I think some people don't fully grasp the distances and travel times that are potentially involved with a game against a team at the foot of the Kintyre peninsula. Check it out on Google Maps and you get Auchinleck to Campbelltown (169 miles - 3 hr 41 min) as opposed to Nairn (208 miles 3 hr 57 min) for an SJC game. Even Oban (128 miles - 2 hr 46 min) is comparable to the most distant Tayside juniors clubs such as Brechin Vics (144 miles - 2 hr 37 min) in that context.

*Laughs in Highland League*

[Black Pennel]

Colin,...for pity's sake, gonnae just tell us if those clubs have even applied ?

If not, we're skipping our game at the Buffs next season and going tae Campbeltown that day instead !! 

[edinabear]

This travelling argument you see time and time again is absolutely mental. In normal times, hundreds maybe thousands of people will travel the length and breadth of scotland every weekend to play amateur rugby, hockey, cricket, golf, tennis, basketball, badminton but footballers can't sit in a car for 3 hours for some reason. Never understood it. 

[parkcircus]

7 hours ago, Black Pennel said:

Colin,...for pity's sake, gonnae just tell us if those clubs have even applied ?

If not, we're skipping our game at the Buffs next season and going tae Campbeltown that day instead !! 

Ask the club, it’s unfair of me to list applications and then they don’t get nominated to the AGM

At present only one club will be nominated for the AGM

Some are awaiting the first visit

Some require a second visit after ground improvements have been made and some have been paused.

Around end of May I’ll be doing the final visits so the league can announce it then.

But we do cover the whole of the West of Scotland and teams won’t be rejected on location or travel distance. 

Wick Academy were happy to include the Tayside teams into the Highland setup which might include midweek games.

Refs travel from Glasgow to the South of Scotland games every week.

[Shanner]

8 hours ago, edinabear said:

This travelling argument you see time and time again is absolutely mental. In normal times, hundreds maybe thousands of people will travel the length and breadth of scotland every weekend to play amateur rugby, hockey, cricket, golf, tennis, basketball, badminton but footballers can't sit in a car for 3 hours for some reason. Never understood it. 

Most of the objections I see (and completely understand) stem from the need to do it midweek rather than Saturdays - a slog I presume the cricket gimps, etc you mention are spared. 

the misgivings might be a remnant from the Junior mindset where we'd be looking at the start of a 3 match a week schedule round about this time of year right enough, which is still enough to give players and fans alike the fear. 

But where there's a manageable number of fixtures (and far fewer daft cups) it shouldn't be that big a hardship as long as the lengthy Tuesday or Wednesday evening jaunts are by exception. 

[LongTimeLurker]

2 hours ago, parkcircus said:

...At present only one club will be nominated for the AGM...

Think it's safe to assume that's Harthill Royal.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

Unlike junior fixtures WoSFL fixtures will be available from the start of the season. If there a coupla midweek matches factored in clubs should have plenty time to prepare

[FairWeatherFan]

11 minutes ago, AsimButtHitsASix said:

Unlike junior fixtures WoSFL fixtures will be available from the start of the season. If there a coupla midweek matches factored in clubs should have plenty time to prepare

I don't think that's quite the concern. It's more how to deal with the inevitable postponements that will come along during the course of the season. Pretty much all weekends will be slotted for by that point, and that's where midweeks would be used to catch up.

There'd still be weeks notice but there's the x factors of number games needing to get played, spread of floodlights to actually make it work etc.

[cmontheloknow]

There are ways to make it work. The Argyll teams don't tend to play all the knockout cups for example, so sitting out a sectional style competition is one (already used) method of reducing their games and the need to play midweek. When it comes to fixtures, if Neilston, St Cadoc's and (Argyll team) can all have a rearranged saturday game between them, make it simple by not doing the wee local game that can be done midweek.

[jimbaxters]

3 hours ago, Shanner said:

Most of the objections I see (and completely understand) stem from the need to do it midweek rather than Saturdays - a slog I presume the cricket gimps, etc you mention are spared. 

the misgivings might be a remnant from the Junior mindset where we'd be looking at the start of a 3 match a week schedule round about this time of year right enough, which is still enough to give players and fans alike the fear. 

But where there's a manageable number of fixtures (and far fewer daft cups) it shouldn't be that big a hardship as long as the lengthy Tuesday or Wednesday evening jaunts are by exception. 

Agreed with the caveat that the 3 game a week thing won't go away for the top league until the 20 club set up does.

[Dev]

5 hours ago, parkcircus said:

Ask the club, it’s unfair of me to list applications and then they don’t get nominated to the AGM

At present only one club will be nominated for the AGM

Some are awaiting the first visit

Some require a second visit after ground improvements have been made and some have been paused.

Around end of May I’ll be doing the final visits so the league can announce it then.

But we do cover the whole of the West of Scotland and teams won’t be rejected on location or travel distance. 

Wick Academy were happy to include the Tayside teams into the Highland setup which might include midweek games.

Refs travel from Glasgow to the South of Scotland games every week.

There was mention of 11 applications a while ago.

Is there any more you can say about how many clubs have applied and how many expressions of interest there have been? Obviously, no club names needed.

[Pyramidic]

5 hours ago, parkcircus said:

Ask the club, it’s unfair of me to list applications and then they don’t get nominated to the AGM

At present only one club will be nominated for the AGM

Some are awaiting the first visit

Some require a second visit after ground improvements have been made and some have been paused.

Around end of May I’ll be doing the final visits so the league can announce it then.

But we do cover the whole of the West of Scotland and teams won’t be rejected on location or travel distance. 

Wick Academy were happy to include the Tayside teams into the Highland setup which might include midweek games.

Refs travel from Glasgow to the South of Scotland games every week.

As ever parkcircus has provided some helpful feedback. I would like to think that Harthill Royal is the nominated club and perhaps may fill the remaining space in Conference C reflecting their full compliance with entry requirements. 

I can speculate that the other clubs are a selection of newbies from Amateur and Youth football. I can appreciate that many of the clubs will have ground grading impediments of varying degrees and it will be of great interest how the WOSFL management and in turn the voting club membership address the issue.

The decision that they make may reflect on how the National Pyramid evolves in the years to come.