CASH CRISIS FORWISHAW
Watson: We may not make new league
Secretary Robert Watson admits Wishaw Juniors face the financial abyss ahead of the new West of Scotland League launch, as he blasted the junior game’s mass exodus.
Members from the Lowland, East of Scotland and South of Scotland Leagues met with West Region Juniors leaders via conference call last week.
A number of agreements were made over the formation of the additional structure to the sixth tier to be arranged in a conference style.
The proposals will allow clubs to retain their SJFA membership, and compete in the Junior Cup next term, which Watson confirmed the club planned to do.
However, Watson was scathing in his verdict of the new system, noting it will bring little benefit to the Beltane side and they have been left with little alternative to jumping to tier six.
With the current campaign now looking unlikely to finish, he says clubs like his will struggle to make ends meet ahead of the revamped launch.
“Basically, if you are a team that wants to stay in the West Region you might be one of 10 teams that remains,” he said.
“It also seems as if the West
Region Junior committee will be disbanded from next season.
“If you did want to stay, who is going to orgaise the competition?
“The way it has been formed the Lowland League hold all the aces.
“They are able to control what teams go in and their league fixtures will take preference over the the junior competition.
“The reality is that no team wants to be left behind and face the prospect of having to form another league; you need some kind of compromise. The compromise is that clubs can stay in the Junior Cup if they keep membership.
“It has been spearheaded by
Clydebank and Kilwinning who made it quite clear they want to join the league.
“That’s up them, but my understanding was that when the pyramid working group was formed it would work for everyone. All teams would go at the same time.
“Teams like ourselves, Newmains, Bellshill – who don’t have influence or the size of support – won’t be able to eat from that top table.
“It won’t change where we are in the league standing.
“Every team is now going to jump; there will be a mass exodus.