Slater: WOSL crisis could be death knell
Lanark boss blasts decision to scrap promotion
Lanark United boss Colin Slater has branded the West of Scotland League a “shambles” and says the decision to scrap promotion from the Conferences this season could be the‘death knell’ of the semiprofessional game.
Clubs have until tomorrow to withdraw from the new set-up without penalty and while Slater wouldn’t be drawn on what his thoughts were on that, he didn’t hold back on the lack of a competitive edge.
And he says he worries about the future of the game – in Lanark’s centenary year.
Slater said: “The full thing is a shambles, it has been an absolute shambles from day one.
“My view, is that I’ve been involved in junior football for 30 years as a player and a manager and I did it because I enjoyed it, and it was a good organisation, but the last few months have been an absolute shambles.
“I think it’s going to be the death knell of the game.
“It’s just through poor decisionmaking, it’s a sad day.
“They should have stuck with what they had in the juniors.
“I had a lot of good times, more good than bad, and I was reasonably successful as a player and a manager, met a lot of good people and enjoyed the social scene, and it was a good, good game to play in and manage, but in the last few months it’s just been a shambles.
“It’s our centenary year and it’s not a good time for this to be happening.”
Slater accepts there is a bigger issue at hand as the virus continues to wreck havoc across the world.
But he feels the WOSL should have handled this crisis more compentently.
He added: “I know everybody’s caught up with other stuff and there are more important things going on in the world, but football has been a big part of my life as well.
“It’s got to be competitive, apart from pre-season friendlies or the odd midweek bounce game.
“I have never gone into a game yet where I haven’t had a competitive mind-set and it’s not in a good place.
“I think they [the league] could have delayed it again or done something better.
“You see what’s happening with Old Firm and international players and there is a big virus out there.
“But to get it started, it’s got to be competitive.”