Scottish Junior Football?

[Dune]

I just saw that the supporters of Clydebank FC, who lost their place in the League to Aidrie in a rather unjust way are starting up the club again.
They have been accepted into something that is called "Junior Football", which I do not really understand what it is. Is it some kind of youth league system? or is it more like the english non-league?
Anyway, I hope everything goes well for Clydebank in their new life.

[Parkhead_Faithful]

A place for dodgy SPL and division one players,guys released when their youth contracts ran out really, outside of the league structure, part timers on a scale that would embarrass queens park.
Either its them or im thinking of something else entirely.

[SJFC4ever]

Scottish football is basically split into three sectors: senior football and junior football.

Senior football means the four national leagues - SPL, SFL Divisions 1, 2, and 3.

Junior football means all other leagues. These are mostly organised on a regional basis, eg Highland League, East of Scotland League. This is done to save money, since a junior team cannot afford to take a team to the other end of the country.

Although, funnily enough, some of the junior clubs are actually stronger and richer than some of the senior clubs because they may have strong local following (eg Ayrshire and West Lothian village teams) and save some of the costs incurred by the senior teams.

Unlike England, there is no promotion/relegation structure between the two systems. Teams from this level are sometimes admitted when the league either wants to expand (Inverness and Ross Co in 1994, Elgin and Peterhead in 2000) or when a senior team goes bust (Gretna replacing Clydebank in 2002).


What Clydebank supporters are doing is similar to what AFC Wimbledon are doing in England, although on a much smaller scale.

[tfosf]

I have a website going that is trying to get the views of ALL Scottish Footie Fans on the way forward for the game. This includes, Highland, Junior and all Clubs from the Senior Divisions..
Visit us and have your vote and leave a message

http://leaguechanges.well-made.org

[TimBhoy]

My local junior team Pollok can get big crowds when there is a decent game on. I sometimes go myself.
The football is very rough, you do see lots of action, however you also see fouls, penalties, punchups, crowd fights, dogs on the pitches, officials getting chased etc



tfosf - I seen your site previously, it's excellent! my opinion is a 16/16/10 league setup for what it's worth.

[tfosf]

Thanks for the comments. Thats about the way I would like to see it.

[SJFC4ever]

18-12-12.

Bottom leagues scrap the Challenge Cup and play 44 league games.

[Parkhead_Faithful]

What 6 would you add to make the 18 sj?

Im a strong exponent of the 16-16-10,3 down,two down and with the bottom club in the third division going down into say the highland league or whatever kind of re-structured thing is the equivalent.
30 league games leaves plenty of time for a decent winter break, a decent summer break and space for european fixtures and cups and the like.

[tfosf]

Well I would take the 1st 6 that could meet the criteria of 5000 seats from the 1st Div. This would give us St Johnstone, St Mirren, Raith, Clyde, Falkirk (when their new one is up). ICT from the new seasons 1st Div plus any others that are or could be upgraded in time

[SJFC4ever]

Originally posted by Parkhead_Faithful
What 6 would you add to make the 18 sj?


Why, the top 6 from the 1st division of course, ;)

and relax the ground regulations, allowing clubs a couple of years grace to develop good facilities.