Which Clubs in the Lowland League in Five Seasons' Time?

[AsimButtHitsASix]

Barrhead's a decent sized town but Junior attendances were always gonna be limited. I wonder if getting licensed, knowing promotion to the league is a possibility, potential big Scottish cup games, etc would help a fanbase grow.

Auchinleck will be a good test for this if they go up. Will crowds be bigger as a big Junior team or a wee League team?

[craigkillie]

On 26/10/2021 at 03:06, VillanoXIV said:

Relegated to the Lowland:

Bottom half of League 2 is crammed with Lowland catchment teams and I would expect Cowdenbeath, Stenhousemuir and Albion Rovers (sadly, as I have a big soft spot for them) to be down in the Lowland with Elgin possibly going to the Highland and law of averages saying that at least one Club 42 will beat the drop in the next five years.

Promoted out the Lowland:

I am absolutely convinced that Talbot will win the Lowland at first attempt and settle into SPFL mediocrity by then. 

i think Bonnyrigg will get out this year but not go on a mad  Cove/Kelty League 2 speedrun and end up becoming the new “cloggers” battling to avoid relegation in five years.

The other three years will see Brechin somehow pull themselves back out the discard pile, plus another ambitious Highland team and the aforementioned Club 42 defying the odds one season.

I think EK are pumped. They had five/six years of money chucked at them against the village teams/youth clubs to get them to League 2 and it’s not happened. They have cratered this year and all the weaker teams are going to be replaced with bigger teams than EK.

Relegated out the Lowland:

Vale of Leithen are obviously in big trouble, while the Uni clubs won’t be far behind them.

I can also see TAFKA BSC Glasgow crashing out in five years tbh. The wheels have fallen off a bit this season and I think they will really struggle to compete with a flood of far more attractive teams for players to go to.

For that reason, I think Caley Braves will not be there in five years either. They’ve changed their identity and I just do not see them competing on a budget of app-wielding trainspotters and French maws paying tuition fees.

Cumbernauld Colts are probably going to be stretched as well as the league starts to shift from community clubs and parochial village teams to ambitious ex-Junior teams and you would probably fear for them by 2026.

Promoted to the Lowland:

Again, in five years time, Talbot will have sailed through the Lowland and found their place in League 1/2. Darvel and Clydebank will probably come up in that time as well, possibly Pollok too.

From the East, I imagine Penicuik will go up this year and keep their place by virtue of being better than the LL bottom feeders mentioned above while Linlithgow Rose will make their way up.

B Teams:

The OF will get bored in about two years and f**k off to some shiny new reserves League when they realise they can’t buy their way into League 2. No one will give a f**k.

So my 18 team Lowland League in 2026 will probably finish something like:

Clydebank

Cowdenbeath

Linlithgow Rose 

Darvel

Albion Rovers

Spartans

Irvine Meadow

Pollok

East Stirlingshire

Stenhousemuir

Berwick Rangers

Bo’ness United

Gretna 2008

Gala Fairydean Rovers

East Kilbride

Dalbeattie Star

Penicuik Athletic

Civil Service Strollers

There's only one promotion spot per season so it's not possible to have so many current Tier 6 sides in there unless something changes.

[candycelt]

6 hours ago, craigkillie said:

There's only one promotion spot per season so it's not possible to have so many current Tier 6 sides in there unless something changes.

That needs to change man. We have so many clubs just trying to survive at their level in say the third and fourth tier and then tons with big ambitions in the 5th and 6th tier but there’s so little room for movement. Our whole league system needs a revamp IMO

[Deanburn Dave]

Most reasonable fans know a league revamp from Tier 1 to 6 is needed but too many clubs see it as turkeys voting for Christmas.

[Burnieman]

10 hours ago, craigkillie said:

There's only one promotion spot per season so it's not possible to have so many current Tier 6 sides in there unless something changes.

If we're talking predictions, I'll say there's more chance of LL2 than there is of 2/3 promotion spots being offered up to tier 6.

[Gordon EF]

20 hours ago, candycelt said:

That needs to change man. We have so many clubs just trying to survive at their level in say the third and fourth tier and then tons with big ambitions in the 5th and 6th tier but there’s so little room for movement. Our whole league system needs a revamp IMO

I'm 100% in favour of a revamp of the whole pyramid structure from top to bottom with easier movement up through the leagues (and movement down being the flipside of that) being right at the top of the agenda.

But let's not pretend only one section of Scottish football is acting out of self-preservation and self-interest. All the evidence over the past few years shows that all clubs do this, at every level. For example, the Highland League have made it even more difficult to get into the HL from tier 6 than getting into the SPFL from the HL. 

It's part of the problem that clubs from top to bottom act in grubby, small-minded self-interest. What really needs doing is something that lessens the power of a very small number of clubs to veto anything that doesn't suit them. Something your own club would fight tooth and nail to keep, for what it's worth.

[Dev]

16 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

I'm 100% in favour of a revamp of the whole pyramid structure from top to bottom with easier movement up through the leagues (and movement down being the flipside of that) being right at the top of the agenda.

But let's not pretend only one section of Scottish football is acting out of self-preservation and self-interest. All the evidence over the past few years shows that all clubs do this, at every level. For example, the Highland League have made it even more difficult to get into the HL from tier 6 than getting into the SPFL from the HL. 

It's part of the problem that clubs from top to bottom act in grubby, small-minded self-interest. What really needs doing is something that lessens the power of a very small number of clubs to veto anything that doesn't suit them. Something your own club would fight tooth and nail to keep, for what it's worth.

This is what has just come through in Wales, although there was a full and long consultation period. Northern Ireland has previously had a re-vamp of its' top leagues too.

It is possible in Scotland but the SFA has to take charge of the situation - so not much hope there? I hope I'm wrong.

[candycelt]

On 29/10/2021 at 12:48, Gordon EF said:

I'm 100% in favour of a revamp of the whole pyramid structure from top to bottom with easier movement up through the leagues (and movement down being the flipside of that) being right at the top of the agenda.

But let's not pretend only one section of Scottish football is acting out of self-preservation and self-interest. All the evidence over the past few years shows that all clubs do this, at every level. For example, the Highland League have made it even more difficult to get into the HL from tier 6 than getting into the SPFL from the HL. 

It's part of the problem that clubs from top to bottom act in grubby, small-minded self-interest. What really needs doing is something that lessens the power of a very small number of clubs to veto anything that doesn't suit them. Something your own club would fight tooth and nail to keep, for what it's worth.

Yeah I agree with you there 100%

[leomessi1984]

With todays news......could be Fort William

[Dev]

39 minutes ago, leomessi1984 said:

With todays news......could be Fort William

Todays news is ?

[Gimme]

That the 11 clubs who wanted the Old Firm colts in have given the SFA reason to remove the Highland / Lowland boundary.

[Footballfirst]

33 minutes ago, Dev said:

Todays news is ?

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Footballfirst

[GNU_Linux]

Hope the bumper crowds & tv deal were worth it x

[Dev]

1 hour ago, Footballfirst said:

 

Thanks.

No wonder Fraser left.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of this.

[LongTimeLurker]

That throws a cat amongst the pigeons if it applies to Brechin retrospectively. SFA breaking promises is interesting spin. They've been pushing it for ages throughout pretty much the entire PWG process, but I guess that deflects attention away from how the LL naively walked into a trap after being offered a despressingly small incentive by the OF. On a positive note it would have been a shame to see a club like Bonnyrigg Rose miss out on promotion due to George Fraser's shenanigans.

Edited November 2, 2021 by LongTimeLurker

[Spyro]

Where’s @Jerry Macguire when you need him

[Deanburn Dave]

That throws a cat amongst the pigeons if it applies to Brechin retrospectively.

The SFA have done some daft things over the years but surely that is a ridiculous step too far.

[LongTimeLurker]

You would like to think so but difficult to see why they would be pushing for it so hard otherwise. They were still trying to strongarm Brechin into the LL after Kelty had won the playoff.

[Ton Up]

The B teams should never been allowed into the Lowland League. Have the Colts teams brought anything to the table? Have they even paid their cash to the league yet? 

[craigkillie]

 

Laughing at these guys pretending this was an unexpected event totally outwith the Lowland League's control, rather than the natural consequence of an awful decision by the Lowland League clubs that they were the primary cheerleaders for.