Leagues for 2022/23

[mcruic]

Does anyone know the makeup of divisions for any of the following leagues for 2022/23?

Aberdeenshire
Caledonian
Dundee Saturday Morning
Midlands
Stirling & District

[Brad Bobley]

Caley Prem (14 teams)

Dumbarton Academy FPs
Glasgow Harp
EKYM
St Mungo
Giffnock
Eaglesham
Wishaw WW
Cambria
Strathclyde Uni
Milngavie Wanderers
Dalziel
Doune Castle
St Joseph’s
Cambusbarron Rovers

Caley First (9 teams)
Glasgow Uni
Milton
Dunblane
Kilsyth
Westerlands
Stirling Uni
Rhu
Callander Thistle
Rothesay Brandane

Holytown, Stenhousemuir, Finnart and Thorn all gone, albeit Thorn and Finnart have their WoS teams and Holytown moved to Central.

[mcruic]

Thank you.  Got the Stirling & District makeup as well - down to just one division of 11 teams.  Dundee Saturday Morning will have 3 divisions again, 34 clubs.

Now just waiting on Aberdeenshire and Midlands leagues.


 

[GNU_Linux]

Thank you.  Got the Stirling & District makeup as well - down to just one division of 11 teams.  Dundee Saturday Morning will have 3 divisions again, 34 clubs.
Now just waiting on Aberdeenshire and Midlands leagues.


 

Stirling & District has went from 45 to just 11 teams in five years which is a hell of a drop off.

[Northboy]

On 27/07/2022 at 10:22, mcruic said:

Now just waiting on Aberdeenshire and Midlands leagues.

Aberdeenshire leagues (AAFA) are always slow with their new season tables.

[mcruic]

3 hours ago, Northboy said:

Aberdeenshire leagues (AAFA) are always slow with their new season tables.

Yeah, some of the clubs said they hadn't been made aware of what league they were in yet, and the season starts in about 10 days.

[LoveFitbaw]

Couldn’t see a central league chat on here so thought I’d just post on the league one. Hearing fallin have folded. Wondering if anyone can confirm or not? 

[Brad Bobley]

Dreadful if true.
SAFL down to one league now with Claremont taking relief of fixtures for a season. Stirling league down to eleven teams. Three teams out the Caley. Three/four out the Central. Half a dozen out the SAFL. Saturday morning seems to be doing OK?

[mcruic]

The comments on their FB page responding to them saying it was their last ever bonus ball draw seem to suggest that they have indeed folded.

That would leave the Central League with a 11-13 setup, and I'd expect them to promote the promotion/relegation play-off losers Garrowhill Thistle to have an even 12-12 setup.

 

[Northboy]

On 28/07/2022 at 18:01, mcruic said:

On 28/07/2022 at 14:37, Northboy said:

Aberdeenshire leagues (AAFA) are always slow with their new season tables.

Yeah, some of the clubs said they hadn't been made aware of what league they were in yet, and the season starts in about 10 days.

Leagues were published last Thursday I believe. Even before season starts there's reports of two teams potentially dropping out from Division 2.

[Crazy Feet]

The Saturday afternoon amateur game is finished without serious reform - leagues joining together, maybe regionalising them etc and possibly things like being more flexible with kick off days and times.

The West of Scotland League has been the final nail in the coffin.

The morning leagues are thriving if the Caley/Central/SAFL don't adapt or do something quickly they will be gubbed.

[LoveFitbaw]

8 hours ago, Crazy Feet said:

The Saturday afternoon amateur game is finished without serious reform - leagues joining together, maybe regionalising them etc and possibly things like being more flexible with kick off days and times.

The West of Scotland League has been the final nail in the coffin.

The morning leagues are thriving if the Caley/Central/SAFL don't adapt or do something quickly they will be gubbed.

Agree there needs to be a reform. But sadly I don’t think it will ever happen or if it does it’ll be too late. Hearing a few teams with good set ups but not necessarily “top” teams thinking of joining the WOSL. Has there been any Edinburgh teams make the move? 

[jaggyness]

Agree there needs to be a reform. But sadly I don’t think it will ever happen or if it does it’ll be too late. Hearing a few teams with good set ups but not necessarily “top” teams thinking of joining the WOSL. Has there been any Edinburgh teams make the move? 

Hasn't there been an unofficial cap on the number of teams the in the WoSFL? Can't remember but 84 rings a bell? Won't stop reform at the amateur level but agree it'll likely come too late. Too many vested interests in committee men (who all do a great job before anyone jumps in) but they too frequently can't see the danger that is rapidly approaching

[GNU_Linux]

Hasn't there been an unofficial cap on the number of teams the in the WoSFL? Can't remember but 84 rings a bell? Won't stop reform at the amateur level but agree it'll likely come too late. Too many vested interests in committee men (who all do a great job before anyone jumps in) but they too frequently can't see the danger that is rapidly approaching

There was a proposal to cap membership at 80 clubs but ended up not coming to anything.

Agree there needs to be a reform. But sadly I don’t think it will ever happen or if it does it’ll be too late. Hearing a few teams with good set ups but not necessarily “top” teams thinking of joining the WOSL. Has there been any Edinburgh teams make the move? 

Edinburgh South joined the EOS in 2020. A rep from an Ayrshire club has posted about their team being interested in the WOSL but currently on hold due to wrangling with the council over land.

[Brad Bobley]

Tragic state of affairs.

Does the Greater Glasgow league face similar issues? They seem to be the only league who continually plod along without any major issues.
With the most respect possible, is it because they don’t have any real high profile teams in their set up and don’t typically lose teams to WoS or other rival leagues?

[Crazy Feet]

12 hours ago, LoveFitbaw said:

Agree there needs to be a reform. But sadly I don’t think it will ever happen or if it does it’ll be too late. Hearing a few teams with good set ups but not necessarily “top” teams thinking of joining the WOSL. Has there been any Edinburgh teams make the move? 

What teams have you heard are moving over?

[mcruic]

On 02/08/2022 at 23:14, mcruic said:

The comments on their FB page responding to them saying it was their last ever bonus ball draw seem to suggest that they have indeed folded.

That would leave the Central League with a 11-13 setup, and I'd expect them to promote the promotion/relegation play-off losers Garrowhill Thistle to have an even 12-12 setup.

 

Fallin have released a statement saying they haven't officially folded (yet) but if they don't have something in place by the season's first game on 13th August, then it will indeed be curtains for them.

[mcruic]

12 hours ago, Brad Bobley said:

Tragic state of affairs.

Does the Greater Glasgow league face similar issues? They seem to be the only league who continually plod along without any major issues.
With the most respect possible, is it because they don’t have any real high profile teams in their set up and don’t typically lose teams to WoS or other rival leagues?

A lot of the top teams use this league to field their 2nd teams (5 of the 12 teams in the Top division are technically reserve teams, mainly of Caledonian League clubs).

[mcruic]

Midlands League is down one team - now just 13 teams (+11 in the Alliance (Reserve) League - down 1 from last season).

Merpro of Montrose are the team that's absent this time (they are a former Montrose Welfare League team).

Forfar Athletic Community have become Forfar West End Amateurs (this team seems to swap between being part of both these clubs - they were part of Forfar WE before 2021-22, then were part of Forfar Athletic last season, but are now part of Forfar WE again).  They've withdrawn their team from the Reserve league as well for this season.

The Dundee Saturday Morning League seems to be doing better - 34 teams for 2022/23.  In fact, there's only 1 team from Dundee proper left in the Midlands League (Morgan Academy FP), with 2 from Broughty Ferry, 1 from Invergowrie in Perthshire, 1 from Newport in Fife and the rest from Angus.
Dundee Saturday Morning has a few new or returning teams - Lochee Harp Amateurs, Claverhouse and Polepark.  Also, Fairmuir Social has changed their name to East End Thistle - and a new club has come in - named Fairmuir Social Club (confusing!).

Perthshire is reasonably healthy this year, with 21 clubs (10-11 setup).

Bridgeton United, Vale of Atholl and Kinrossie Caledonian failed to complete last season, but they are all there again for this season (with Bridgeton being demoted to Division 2). Saint John's (one of the best sides in Perthshire) are back after a year out, while Abernethy return after what must be 20 years or more out.  FC Romania is a new club from Blairgowrie.  It's been a while since Blairgowrie had 3 amateur teams (with Blair Thistle not lasting long a few years ago, and Blairgowrie Amateurs folding a while back).  Not sure how much of a local support FC Romania will get, though.  A lot will be from families who've stayed on in Blair after the berry picking season.

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2022 by mcruic

[Brad Bobley]

Midlands League is down one team - now just 13 teams (+11 in the Alliance (Reserve) League - down 1 from last season).
Merpro of Montrose are the team that's absent this time (they are a former Montrose Welfare League team).
Forfar Athletic Community have become Forfar West End Amateurs (this team seems to swap between being part of both these clubs - they were part of Forfar WE before 2021-22, then were part of Forfar Athletic last season, but are now part of Forfar WE again).  They've withdrawn their team from the Reserve league as well for this season.
The Dundee Saturday Morning League seems to be doing better - 34 teams for 2022/23.  In fact, there's only 1 team from Dundee proper left in the Midlands League (Morgan Academy FP), with 2 from Broughty Ferry, 1 from Invergowrie in Perthshire, 1 from Newport in Fife and the rest from Angus.
Dundee Saturday Morning has a few new or returning teams - Lochee Harp Amateurs, Claverhouse and Polepark.  Also, Fairmuir Social has changed their name to East End Thistle - and a new club has come in - named Fairmuir Social Club (confusing!).
Perthshire is reasonably healthy this year, with 21 clubs (10-11 setup).
Bridgeton United, Vale of Atholl and Kinrossie Caledonian failed to complete last season, but they are all there again for this season (with Bridgeton being demoted to Division 2). Saint John's (one of the best sides in Perthshire) are back after a year out, while Abernethy return after what must be 20 years or more out.  FC Romania is a new club from Blairgowrie.  It's been a while since Blairgowrie had 3 amateur teams (with Blair Thistle not lasting long a few years ago, and Blairgowrie Amateurs folding a while back).  Not sure how much of a local support FC Romania will get, though.  A lot will be from families who've stayed on in Blair after the berry picking season.
 
 

 

Hats off to you, mate. That’s incredibly informative.

Saturday morning in West Central Scotland thriving too. 70 odd teams in the old Strathclyde league, albeit a good portion of them came from the Glasgow District league. Why does Saturday morning seem to be doing OK and Saturday afternoon is in turmoil?