EoS Structure for 2021/22

[patriot1]

56 minutes ago, Stoosh83 said:

How can you possibly null and void a season, and then pick divisions based on PPG? It doesn't make sense.

They’re not going to.

[Stoosh83]

1 hour ago, patriot1 said:

They’re not going to.

Let's hope that's the case come june the 3rd

[patriot1]

2 minutes ago, Stoosh83 said:

Let's hope that's the case come june the 3rd

As several posters have said on here the favoured option is for teams to play in the same conferences as last season with the new applicants forming a division at tier 8. The only thing to be announced is how the promotion and relegation would work.

No mention of PPG.

[sdr71]

42 minutes ago, patriot1 said:

As several posters have said on here the favoured option is for teams to play in the same conferences as last season with the new applicants forming a division at tier 8. The only thing to be announced is how the promotion and relegation would work.

No mention of PPG.

This doesn't show a lot of common sense either.  12 months ago Whitburn were a division above Lochgelly, next season they would be a division below, with nothing that's happened on the field in this time justifying this.  There's a perfectly adequate solution staring the EoS in the face - three conferences of 14 leading to First-Second-Third the season after, but for some reason they can't grasp it.

[patriot1]

2 minutes ago, sdr71 said:

This doesn't show a lot of common sense either.  12 months ago Whitburn were a division above Lochgelly, next season they would be a division below, with nothing that's happened on the field in this time justifying this.  There's a perfectly adequate solution staring the EoS in the face - three conferences of 14 leading to First-Second-Third the season after, but for some reason they can't grasp it.

It was made clear before applications closed  last year that from this year on any new entrants would start at the bottom. The WL clubs still chose to stay where they were. There weren't supposed to be conferences in the upcoming season. It's only because of the early end of the season that they are staying in place.

[Saints1921]

11 minutes ago, sdr71 said:

This doesn't show a lot of common sense either.  12 months ago Whitburn were a division above Lochgelly, next season they would be a division below, with nothing that's happened on the field in this time justifying this.  There's a perfectly adequate solution staring the EoS in the face - three conferences of 14 leading to First-Second-Third the season after, but for some reason they can't grasp it.

Whitburn and co. missed the boat - more than once - that's not the fault of anybody at the EoS.  

[Che Dail]

43 minutes ago, sdr71 said:

This doesn't show a lot of common sense either.  12 months ago Whitburn were a division above Lochgelly, next season they would be a division below, with nothing that's happened on the field in this time justifying this.  There's a perfectly adequate solution staring the EoS in the face - three conferences of 14 leading to First-Second-Third the season after, but for some reason they can't grasp it.

They should put Whitburn straight into the Lowland League, cos a few years ago they won the Scottish Junior Cup and that.

How can nobody grasp that eh?

[Dev]

14 hours ago, patriot1 said:

It was made clear before applications closed  last year that from this year on any new entrants would start at the bottom. The WL clubs still chose to stay where they were. There weren't supposed to be conferences in the upcoming season. It's only because of the early end of the season that they are staying in place.

Ok but isn't it time to look forwards not back ?

Last year was last year and a h.ll of a lot has changed since then, including attitudes both in the EoS and within the group of new clubs. Build bridges. It isn't hard to do if you really want teams to be playing at the appropriate level as quickly as possible. However, some will prefer to keep teams down based on other matters than playing strength. I hope they don't prevail. Weaker clubs will slip down the rankings so why delay that? 

[Ginaro]

If it is to be tier 8 for the new clubs then hopefully there's a decent number of promotion places, as surely half the West Lothian clubs will be good enough for Second Division level. Otherwise you'll have the worst of the current EOS clubs up against almost all of the new clubs in the Third Division in 2022-23.

I would say 4 promotion places from tier 8, along with 8th to 12th in the Conferences to form the Second Division. So Livi Utd, Whitburn, Fauldhouse, Armadale to be promoted, which would leave the following for the Third Division:

Arniston Rangers
Kirkcaldy & Dysart
Ormiston
Tweedmouth
Lochgelly
Hawick RAU
Eyemouth
Pumpherston
Stoneyburn
Bo'ness Athletic
Syngenta
Bathgate Thistle
West Calder
Edinburgh College

[FairWeatherFan]

19 minutes ago, Dev said:

Ok but isn't it time to look forwards not back ?

Last year was last year and a h.ll of a lot has changed since then, including attitudes both in the EoS and within the group of new clubs. Build bridges. It isn't hard to do if you really want teams to be playing at the appropriate level as quickly as possible. However, some will prefer to keep teams down based on other matters than playing strength. I hope they don't prevail. Weaker clubs will slip down the rankings so why delay that? 

While it can be argued the original Conferences that only focused on forming a Premier had teams finding their appropriate level. It's not exactly clear the level of club in the Conferences since then do the same. As clubs can dramatically change in fortunes from season to seaosn.

Dunipace go from 12th-4th chasing promotion to the Premier. Inverkeithing go from 12th-2nd and end up promoted to the Premier. If the 2018-19 Conferences had been used to create a Premier-First-Second both clubs would have been stuck in the Second and two years away from the Premier.

 

[FairWeatherFan]

2 minutes ago, andrew21 said:

Possibility that after a couple of seasons of disruption for all clubs, that the West Lothian clubs might actually  prefer to play teams they are familiar with during season 2021/22 even though they are at a lower tier?

That's my take considering it was a factor in why they held out so long. Going into Conferences means going all over the region and seeing them split in 3.

[Burnieman]

All new applicants were told that there is a strong possibility of them being placed at tier 8 for next season.

[Pyramidic]

4 hours ago, Dev said:

Ok but isn't it time to look forwards not back ?

Last year was last year and a h.ll of a lot has changed since then, including attitudes both in the EoS and within the group of new clubs. Build bridges. It isn't hard to do if you really want teams to be playing at the appropriate level as quickly as possible. However, some will prefer to keep teams down based on other matters than playing strength. I hope they don't prevail. Weaker clubs will slip down the rankings so why delay that? 

Agreed. It is retrograde step not to implement a level playing field for the new entrants and represents a move away from the fair and innovative way that other ex-junior clubs have been accommodated by the EOSFL over the previous three seasons. The proposed structure also does no favours to Eyemouth and Tweedmouth who will play a level above Whitburn et al. Very disappointed.

[FairWeatherFan]

22 minutes ago, Pyramidic said:

Agreed. It is retrograde step not to implement a level playing field for the new entrants and represents a move away from the fair and innovative way that other ex-junior clubs have been accommodated by the EOSFL over the previous three seasons. The proposed structure also does no favours to Eyemouth and Tweedmouth who will play a level above Whitburn et al. Very disappointed.

Off you go an advocate for everyone entering at the same level in the WoSFL then.

[Burnieman]

Eyemouth have withdrawn.

[Burnieman]

Agreed. It is retrograde step not to implement a level playing field for the new entrants and represents a move away from the fair and innovative way that other ex-junior clubs have been accommodated by the EOSFL over the previous three seasons. The proposed structure also does no favours to Eyemouth and Tweedmouth who will play a level above Whitburn et al. Very disappointed.

All new members of any league start at the bottom level. It's nothing new.

In the EoS, if it hadn't been for the last two disrupted seasons, then they would have joined at tier9 / 3rd Division.

Next season they will be at tier 8 at worst.

[Pyramidic]

5 minutes ago, Burnieman said:

Eyemouth have withdrawn.

Sad news. Will this mean that one Tier 7 Conference will have 14 teams and the other will have 16 teams? It will feel a bit of a mish-mash.

[8MileBU]

2 minutes ago, Burnieman said:

All new members of any league start at the bottom level. It's nothing new.

In the EoS, if it hadn't been for the last two disrupted seasons, then they would have joined at tier9 / 3rd Division.

Next season they will be at tier 8 at worst.

 

Except the old firm B teams

[Burnieman]

Except the old firm B teams [emoji52]

To be pedantic only 1 level of the LL [emoji6]

[FairWeatherFan]

43 minutes ago, Burnieman said:

Eyemouth have withdrawn.

I'm still surprised they came back this season with COVID going on. Do you know if this is another year of a non playing membership, or an outright folding?