lady-isobel-barnett

Alex Thomson

From sevco central "It is now understood that on the back of a briefing SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster and SFA counterpart Stewart Regan gave to clubs last week that the SPL will introduce a plan for SPL 2 - which would include Rangers - and invite existing Division One members to join."

TWENTY FIVE clubs voted for Div 3!

Ever one for a bit of linkage. Have we any under 19s we could loan out to them?

unconfirmed BBC saying vote taken puts sevco in Div 3.

Airdrie were abstaining but Ballantyne was asked en route to meeting which way he'd be voting and no commented. How would you feel if your club stood to get promoted on a no vote and your chairman voted yes? Ewan Cameron of Alloa is chairing the meeting. I trust he gets a vote as Alloa were a no vote.

Looks like I was wrong thankfully. I hear Arbroath are a no vote so I think we can count on Queens PK, Livi and Pars (probably) as no votes as well. It means that it's more than possible the SFL board were actually against newco in the 2nd tier. Even if they were 5-4 in favour Longmuir doesn't count in a club vote and Ballantyne/Airdrie are supposed to be abstaining.

Not enough is being made of the fact that putting sevco straight into Div 3 is a major compromise. If that had been better publicised then so much pressure would have been lifted off the chairmen/clubs who have announced opposition to the ludicrous Div1 notion.

Quite surprised assuming Pars are a Div 1 club. Who's their new No3?

Hope I'm wrong but looks to me that the SFL Board might have agreed on a unilateral decision. As I read it that means Livingston, Queens Pk & Dunfermline, previously a no vote, can no longer be counted on and the undecided Arbroath, Brechin & Alloa have joined Dumbarton as a yes to sevco in Div 1.

Too mind numbing to comment.

If, as the vast majority wish, newco to be allowed to play in the 3rd Div. then I can still see them being in the 2nd tier the following season (13/14). Those clubs needing them to return to the top tier will get them back after a two year absence instead of the three. Those clubs/fans only wishing to see sporting integrity shouldn't be upset. I can't envisage any league set up that wouldn't be broadly welcome to most clubs and certainly most fans if the powers that be organised their jiggery pockery for season 13/14. In other words they'll get their precious sevco returned a year early and we'll have done away with one tier of senior football. Some may but I don't even see that as a compromise. .

Evidently proposed a 14 team SPL from season 13/14

Well to be purely selfish, my kids are grown up.

according to Beeb SFL clubs will receive a piece of fudge cake from Ballantyne & Longmuir today. This is the "potential structural changes" bribe for letting sevco into the 2nd tier. I'd expect details will be leaked by Thomson or usual channels fairly soon.

Yeh, I wouldn't fancy that with two or three hundred watching on.

That wee wain nearly broke Sinclair's leg. Their goalie was excellent and I liked their No 9 (some engine) despite his wrestling exhibition with Bannigan.

I think he was verbally abusing the ref and would have been red carded. Ref tried very hard to get the guy subbed and save the embarrassment. Hartley seemed awfy slow on the uptake but eventually coottoned on Lawless & Sinclair and Munn(?)

I doubt that'll happen tho' I wouldn't be surprised if no vote is taken because of clause 2. Re that, I hear Arbroath are seeking fan input. Didn't do much good with Dumbarton but might help. Still looks to me that the SFL committee are weighted towards newco/Div1 but just maybe the representatives of Alloa, Brechin & Arbroath might be swayed.

Possible benefits re loan players. I don't think Celtic would want their youngsters playing on a midden so perhaps help with the groundkeeping?

Anyone going tonight. Alloa Station is about 10 mins to ground. There's a small car park at the east end of the ground. Parking at Morrisons should be fine. It shuts at 9pm but car park open for an hour afterwards. Should be street parking as well. Synthetic pitch so heavy rain up here won't threaten game.

Hardly worth dedicating a mini compartment in your mind remembering what those two clowns have come out with. btw has Regan not got previous in the economical with the truth department? I seem to recall he was instrumental in duping foreign refs to come over to officiate when the refs went out on strike.

An old fashioned petition would be helpful.

Didn't think it had been agreed as such. Was under the impression that the players, by not signing up for sevco, were free to find other clubs meantime but there was the possibility (thought to be remote) of a settlement with sevco at a later date. It would be the players themselves and not their new clubs that would be sued by Green. The Andy Webster test case, which I can't mind the nuts and bolts, was being used as the precedent.

What vote? As I understand it Thistle have already voted no, albeit in only a straw poll taken at the end of last week's meeting. Where it gets muddier is if they vote yes to newco in the SFL, which I assume is the majority opinion amongst SFL chairmen, then as things stand it looks like newco would be invited into Div 1. by the SFL committee. I'll repeat I think there's a strong possibility PTFC have had input into a prospective SPL2. even if it's only a "count us in, boys". That's a far cry from championing a stick newco in the 1st Div campaign. I still like to think that the various clumsy statements from Firhill were due to Beattie & Co trying to clamber out a hole rather than drag us in. Like other posts I don't think the word boycott is helpful re going to Firhill or not. The varying degrees of lack of interest in watching a rigged competition will be just as harmful. Where the word boycott may be more appropriate would be in attending games at Dumbarton irrespective of Friday's outcome.