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I used to go and watch Lochee United as a student in Dundee. The standard of football really isn't that far from the SFL. It's about time this was reflected by a new pyramid structure to, as you suggested Jim, to let ambitious junior sides move up the football ranks. No more closed doors at the bottom of Division Three.

Welcome back, Jim! - Thought you’d gone off and left us.

I couldn’t agree more about opening the door to the more ambitious junior clubs. Right now there are no consequences for the senior clubs if they fail to deliver. Maybe they’d buck up their ideas if forced to ponder that inconceivable thought that they might loose their league status.

But, try to get any views on this subject from any of them and all you get is doors slammed in your face. Right away you are up against the representation and decision making processes that prevail and an unaccountable executive at the SFA claiming no mandate from the clubs.

You’ve come up with an interesting blog that I’m sure will show the level of interest in the junior game and it’s potential to compete with the seniors but you can’t get away from the structure and governance issues that we inevitably come back to again and again (incidentally what about the results of your club poll on that topic?).

The feeling of exclusion that you get as an individual fan when you try to broach this topic is a good start when trying to fathom why people are so disillusioned with the game. After giving up on the clubs I’ve petitioned the Scottish Parliament so that people can make their own contributions known by signing the petition online or joining in the petition’s discussion page.


Parliament’s own reports on Scottish football clearly have some questions to answer on structure and governance and not surprisingly the areas of confusion arise of the oral and written evidence given to the Scottish Parliament by the SFA.

Just what do you have to do as a fan to get Scottish football to listen to their stakeholders?

One of the few sensible decisions taken in Scottish football in recent years was the junior sides going into the Scottish Cup. In the longer-term it would be great to see them have the opportunity to join the SFL, should they wish to.

The results from most of the matches where junior clubs played non-league senior sides shows that the junior set-up is strongest outside SFL 3. A proper pyramid system would be great, but lower SFL sides will never vote for it (turkeys for Christmas etc.) and there remains a suspicion in junior circles that several of the top clubs there do not necessarily want it either - they're happier to remain big fish in a small pond.

I think if the 3rd Div in the seniors became 3rd Div North / 3rd Div South then 10 non-league teams could be admitted . This would mean less likelihood of current Football League teams being relegated by a pyramidal league structure if it were introduced . League teams might then vote for it !

Spreading the money around more teams would be offset by less travelling costs and more local matches with larger crowds for 3rd Div teams, meaning they would require less of the pot .

Just an idea !

#5

totally agree with everything you mentioned, makes real sense and its a wonder the hierarchy in scottish football can't see this! Its about time that all the leagues had a re-vamp its madness that in modern day professional football teams are playing in a league where theres no fear of being relegated. I think the North/south set-up would be a positive step forward and would bring a more competive edge to the first divsion where lets face it if your not in the top 4 theres nothing to play for other than pride!

Spencey

How are you going to follow the road to hampden? Will you be picking the fixture you fancy most in each round or are you going to keep on with Beith until they are out, then follow their conquerors and so on until Hampden?

Good to see you giving the junior game a spotlight Jim and would agree with the comments from #4. But I've watched the Juniors since I was very young and I would be delighted to see ambitious clubs who want to try and make it through being given the chance to do so. Long overdue.

Surprised also that you didn't blog on the impending financial implosion at Dundee. It really would make more sense for the two Dundee clubs to merge Jim and pool their resources!

"At £8 for adults and £4 for kids and concessions, it's no wonder some junior crowds put the seniors to shame."

Quite right. Juniors are great value for the money if you consider what the average O.F. supporter pays to watch players on £20,000 per week wages. The big brands are shameless in their efforts to drain every penny they can from their support, essentially taking them for granted as consumers. Junior clubs and most Scottish senior clubs don't have the luxury of a countless support and have to make the extra effort to keep its spectators coming back.

Best of all, nobody is harassed by stewards for standing.

How nice it is to see the lower leagues get a mention, i agree that some of the biggest crouds are found at junior games simply because the matches are even and often high scoring. they provide huge levels of entertainment. I was involoved in one of these such leagues and some people just turned up to watch free football, especally becaue it was funded by a local soft drinks company. each season was only a 12 weeks long and the best got awards and every team got a trophy. people cared about these matches more than the local adults team.

I do feel that the league should not be a sealed one and some of the non league sides get a chance to break into the league. surely this benifits everyone and puts a more competative edge to the 3rd dividion.

the juniors/ amatuers etc are awesome

i used to have Benburb Utd as my back garden, great football at 1pm saturday and only £2 a ticket, we used to get 200-300 crowds (good considering right next to ibrox)

Worth noting that junior clubs to the level or Rose and Beith are normally £5 and £3, Scottish Cup prices differ.
There are some top sides in the junior game, these 2 were no exception and it's a shame that they were paired together in round 1.
Interested parties who are sick of the financial penalties they suffer weekly by their favourite teams should follow a quality junior side, even if it's just on the days your 'home' team are away, I can assure you a warm welcome awaits, but the standard of catering Mr Spence enjoyed last weekend was a bit special and I could not guarantee it every week.
One thing to be aware of, the press called it 'industrial language' and it would be false to deny there are not some colourful characters who like the odd choice word now and then. No one could say that's not the same in every ground you'll visit so I wouldn't let it put you off.
You will however find an endeavour and hunger you forgot existed in today's modern game, there's no time on the ball, no silky back heels, just honest men giving their all.