What do we think of the standard of our league in comparison to the other big leagues in the West of Scotland? There has been some threads on the other forums in relation to what teams would make a so called amatuer ''Super League''. The general concensus is that not many Caley Teams would make a Two Division Super League consisting of 20 teams.

I think the Central Scottish the is generally viewed as the top league due to the recent success of the likes of Drumchapel United, Colville Park, Eddlewood etc in the Scottish/West in recent seasons but has our league standard dropped below the likes of The Scottish Amatuer League, Ayrshire League and even the Lanarkshire league?

Or is our league now underrated?

Probably need a few of our teams to have good runs in the Scottish/West this season to shut a few people up

10 15 YEARS AGO THE CALLY WAS THE BEST ABOUT. BEST TEAMS BEST PARKS BEST REFS. BUT NOT NOW IMO

IMO NOW ITS

1 CENTRAL
2 SAFL
3 CALLY
4 GREATER GLASGOW
5 SSMFL

ONLY IMO

get aff the glue

WHAT PART OF MY POST DONT YOU AGREE WITH

I agree with 1&2. But after that it's anyones guess where to place Ayrshire & cally for me (3rd/4th). Don't think s&d, GGPL, p&d, ssmfl, nslafa and any other league have enough top teams in their leagues. Sure each will have a couple of decent teams capable of holding their own in any league but as for overall standard and performance in majors - that's my top 4. I couldn't pick a 5th.

FAIR ENOUGH

SINKY CARE TO GIVE AN OPINION ON THE MATTER

OTHER THAN MY ADDICTION

An interesting discussion

There is nothing scientific about this and it would be unwise to draw too many conclusions but just to keep the discussion going, you might be interested in the number of clubs left in the two biggest Saturday Cups. Some health warnings: Some leagues enter a higher proportion of their clubs in the cups than other leagues. Leagues like the Central Scottish, Cally, Stirling etc have clubs in some of the other District Cups. But there are clear implications which you can draw - the Scottish Cup is dominated by the West Central area of the country. And the Leagues which have produced the bulk of the Scottish Cup winners over the past 50 years or so (Cally, SAFL, Ayrshire and the Central Scottish) are all still to the fore with the Central Scottish top of the heap at present.
SCOTTISH CUP:
15 Central Scottish
12 Scottish Amateur League
10 Ayrshire
8 Cally
7 Greater Glasgow
7 Lothian & Edinburgh
5 Paisley & District, Perthshire
4 Stirling & District
3 West of Scotland, Midlands, Kingdom Caledonian, Fife AFA
2 Aberdeenshire, Glasgow Sat Morning, Strathclyde Sat Morning
1 North & South Lanarkshire

WEST OF SCOTLAND CUP
20 Ayrshire
16 Scottish Amateur League
13 Cally
12 Central Scottish
11 Greater Glasgow
8 North & South Lanarkshire
6 Paisley & District
2 West of Scotland
1 Glasgow Colleges, Stirling & District, Strathclyde Sat Morning

I would have to agree that the Central would be the top league but I cant agree that The Caley would fall below the Scottish Amatuer. I know that the likes of Thorn, Aitkenhead & Postal have done well in the Scottish/West recently but getting a run in the big cups can come down to luck of the draw as much as anything.

IMO - the 3 teams from the SAFL u mentioned are stronger than any in the cally. Not to mention Finnart afc. Luck of the draw does come into it, but the luck of the draw argument can't really be used when you reach the semis/finals I don't think... I'm not sure who thorn overcame en route to final of west, but in our runs we had plenty of away draws, and also faced top teams from the cally and central in the form of cambusbarron, strathy uni, and harestanes. I think the luck of the draw can see you to the latter stages maybe last 32's but I'd say once you get there there are no weak teams.

Scottish cup semi last season, 3xCSAFL 1xSAFL
West cup semi last season, 2xSAFL 1xCSAFL 1xAAFA

Even the east cup which is probably not as hard to win as the west... The cally had no representatives in the semis... In fact, none in the quarters.

I don't for one second think the cally is a poor league, god no, both Barron and strathy were hard hard games, but I do think that the SAFL is a clear second behind the central with the cally jousting with the Ayrshire. 10 year ago, yep, cally was the benchmark... Not any more.

P.s the loss of bannockburn was a biggie I think.

Cally has been living on past glories for years. An average league these days. No stand out teams. Harp signing a few strathy boys counts for hee-haw. Barron always decent, giffnock north seemingly the team to beat. But how good can a team be in an average league?

Each league has their flagship team or 2, harp, Barron, blochairn, tynecastle, Burbank, echt, banchory, leven, sspeter and Paul, pencaitland, gala, Bluebell, dunipace. The list goes on. And these teams always do well in their own league, but outwith it. Not so well. That's the difference - big fish - wee pond.

Central is clearly top place with probably SAFL second but very close with Ayrshire who have a good few decent teams (Galston, hurlford Clark drive)

Cally 4th, then I have no clue. Ggpl is complete average, as is stirling, Lanarkshire. Don't know enough about Other leagues. Sat morning leagues have been improving but their celebration of teams reaching the last 32 of any major is an indication of their overall level. Still miles away from the top 3 leagues.

Yes you will get teams who will come on and say but we beat this team from the premier of that league- So we can't be that far behind - but in a cup, anything can happen. Teams raise their games. But to do it consistently In a top league, consistently do well in the majors - different cup of tea.

Thank you and good night.

I'm away to polish my medals.

MB

MB

CLASS. JUST CLASS

HAVE TO AGREE WITH ALL YOU AND DUGGIE SAID

KEEP UP YHE GOOD WORK

MB

CLASS. JUST CLASS

HAVE TO AGREE WITH ALL YOU AND DUGGIE SAID

KEEP UP YHE GOOD WORK

I have never came up against Postal United but have played against Aitkenhead and Thorn when all three of us were coming through the West of Scotland League....

As I said, I think the standard of our league is being under-rated...only time will tell

dougie, the harp played thorn in a friendly just before christmas and beat them 4-0, which could have been alot more, thorn where a decent team but if they are one of the best teams in the safl then i wouldnt consider that a better league, also apart from colville park and drum united the rest of the central i would say is on par with the caley.

As someone whose team has been involved in both the Cally and the Central plus played teams from all the other leagues and some of them mentioned above, I would say the Central is the best standard of football at the moment and rather than say what order the next three or four top leagues are,my opinion is the SAFL Cally, Ayrshire and Fife are very much the same standard, but the teams in the cally probably have the best potential to make there league the next strongest. Some of the team mentioned from the SAFL Ayrshire and Fife Leagues are all good teams but not any better than the top cally teams

I have a feeling the Caley league might get a wee surprise this Saturday when Woodwynd Wolves visit Westerlands. I'm not going to make my usual bold prediction of a certain victory for the Kilwinning lads, but I'm sure the third Divsion outfit will offer a very serious challenge to their well respected hosts.
Apart from a disastrous home Scottish exit mainly due to the fact that they had a third string team on show, Wolves have had a great season so far, with a narrow defeat early on away to Galston their only other reverse.
Injuries, suspensions and lord Lucan impersonators have all been sorted out now I hear, and a very strong squad is back in place.
Non Ayrshire sides, Castlemilk, Tullibody and AS Airdrie have all succumbed to a full strength Wolves this term, not to mention Glentyan, so Im optimistic that Saturdays West tie will be a cracker.
I would love to see it, but I'll health sadly makes me only a fair weather fan now, and I don't get to see the local lads as much as I would like.
But, as usual, I'll use my unwitting contacts to hear how things have went, and continue to offer my support via the net.......much to the annoyance of some

Anyhow, here's my educated guess at the score ....Westerlands 2 Woodwynd 6


Mon the Wahooooooooooooooooooooolves


Sid the Happy Shopper.

Thats a bold prediction Sid

What do you think of the other 'Wolves' from Ayrshire, Winlinton. We have them this week in The Scottish....

Good to see that Big Sid is spreading the word about his beloved Wahoooooolves over on other forums now too and not just the ayrshire one. A bold prediction for them to win 6-2.

To drumchapelfp, Big Sid doesnt even get out to watch his Wolves team nevermind getting to see what the Winlinton version are like. Guys a wind up merchant, granted, an extremely effective one.

I can just imagine what any Woodwynd player or Committee man or supporter will saying if they read Big Sid's ramblings. Tell us Sid, how many Woodwynd matches have you seen this season and how much do you know about Westerlands. But I think I already know the answers.....very few and absolutely nothin'. So Sid's prediction is unlikely to be much of an "educated guess".....but good luck to both teams. I hope it's a great match.

Morrist, cheers for that. You are a leg end. I'm delighted to tell you I've seen six games this season. The rest I've had in-depth verbal reports on via earwigging into pub discussions and the like. I've got all the match reports from the papers in a scrapbook, mobile phone footage of some of their best goals at their pre match kick ins, I'm the founder member of the Bubble Boab fan club, yet to be inaugurated mind you, and wear sky blue silk pyjamas with the the club crest on them when I go to my cot.
Am a Wolf through and through....you!!! No mistake!
As far as Westerlands go, I've studied the stats, infiltrated their players' Facebook and Bebo pages, not to mention a few of their back-four's very own Pretty In Pink Male dating agency website, and spoke to a few folk from around their area. They and the Caley League are in decline. And my tea leaves today have backed up my prediction and revealed a comfortable victory for the Waahooooooooooooooooooolves.
Morrist, If im wrong, I promise not to annoy you ever again for a month.

Luv it Sid.lol

Sid,

With the exception of your promise not to annoy me for a month I suspect the rest of your last posting is all true. Yer some man!

so Morrist are you agreeing with Big Sid westerlands and the caley are in decline? Thats wot you seem to be saying.

Ooops, own goal fae Morrist.....

Big Sid 2 Morrist/Dreggin United 0.

Waaaahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooolves!!!!!!!!