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Tuesday, 29 June 2010 09:07
Celtic title winners following cancellation of rest of the season
Written by YFS Editor 1
Football in Scotland has continued to improve in recent years, with solid youth programs in many of the top clubs. This is likely to see many youth players pushing through the ranks and making the break into first team sides and of course the Scottish Premiership.
This season certainly has been a strange one, as Celtic have again landed the title, meaning their 51st in total and it now puts them just three behind rivals Rangers on 54. This was something that proved very popular with punters, who used the bonus for bet365 to support them pre-season and throughout the current campaign, prior to its cancellation. It also meant that Neil Lennon’s side won the title for the ninth year in succession, as they continue their domination of the top flight of Scottish football.
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Source: https://talksport.com/football/537546/celtic-vs-rangers-who-has-won-more-scottish-premiership-titles/
However, the season was cut short, due to the coronavirus pandemic. This came about at the early period of 2020 and has meant that lockdowns have been enforced and sport has been halted. There have been many leagues that are now returning, but the Scottish Premiership alongside the French top flight have cancelled their seasons. This in comparison to the likes of the Premier league, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga, which have already returned. The latter for example has been the first to return and it has proven a great success, with the others mentioned now set to follow suit in the near future.
At the time when the league was halted, Celtic had already built a lead of 13 points over Rangers, with the latter still holding a game in hand. That shows that it would have been a major shock, were Celtic not to go onto land the title this campaign, if it had gone ahead. Celtic therefore have finished with 80 points from a possible 90, winning 26 matches, drawing two and losing two from their 30 matches played. This also includes an incredible goal-difference of plus 70, as they averaged just under three goals per game scored. Celtic were the dominant force again this campaign, and will again be strong favourites to follow up next season and win a tenth in succession.
Manager Neil Lennon has also now stated that no one could have stopped Celtic from winning the title this season, following the announcement of the title. However, the stop in the season has received many negative views, with Rangers not happy about how the process has taken place. The result also means that Hearts have been relegated, but they are now threatening legal action on the matter. This is also something that has been taking place in France, with teams not happy about not being able to finish the campaign. It is a difficult period and the issues arising are likely to go on for a long period of time.
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"Kieran Tierney" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Graham`s pics
The Scottish Premiership has a fine recent record when it comes to nurturing talent. The likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Victor Wanyama, Kieran Tierney, and John McGinn have flourished in Scotland's top flight before moving to the English Premier League.
Are there any young up-and-coming talents lurking in Scotland facing into the 2020/21 season? Here we look at four players that might just fit the bill.
Jeremie Frimpong - Celtic (19)
The Netherlands U-20 international was on the books at Manchester City before he hit his 10th birthday and spent the best part of a decade in their youth set-up before signing a four-year deal with the Scottish champions in 2019.
A full-back by trade, Frimpong possesses the trickery to play on the wing and impressed in the early stages of last season. He was sent off in the League Cup final against Rangers, though it didn't stop his Hoops teammates grinding out a 1-0 win at Hampden Park.
With pace to burn and a willing attitude, Frimpong has become a fan-favourite at Celtic and looks set to make further progress in Glasgow with the Hoops firm favourites in the football betting to win a tenth successive league title in 2020/21.
Aaron Hickey - Hearts (18)
Left full-back Hickey featured for a Jambos side were denied in the 2019 Scottish Cup final by Celtic at the tender age of 16 and continued to flourish last season, despite the obvious struggles of the Tynecastle side.
He has an eye for goal and managed to net the winner for his side in an Edinburgh derby at rivals Hibernian last September.
He has made only 24 appearances in a Hearts shirt and, following their relegation, is being touted for a move away. He spent time in Celtic's youth system and the Bhoys are said to be keen on a return, while the likes Chelsea and Bayern Munich have also been following his progress.
With the likes of Andy Robertson and Tierney having proved big hits, Hickey could be the latest in a growing list of talented full-backs to emerge from Scotland.
"Ibrox Stadium Panorama" (CC BY 2.0) by aitkenheadImages
Lewis Ferguson – Aberdeen (20)
Ferguson is a hard-working midfielder with an eye for goal and he's racking up plenty experience under the tutelage of Derek McInnes since moving to Aberdeen in 2018.
He remains under contract at Pittodrie until 2024 but speculation continues to link Ferguson with a move to Rangers, having slipped through the net at Ibrox in his early teens.
His father Derek and uncle Barry both represented Rangers with distinction and will be pleased to know that the youngster is seemingly on the radar of Light Blues boss Steven Gerrard.
Lewis Smith - Hamilton (20)
Smith could be the latest to come from the Hamilton Accies production line. The New Douglas Park outfit have also produced the likes of James McCarthy and James McArthur to go on to stellar Premier League careers in England and Smith is full of promise having turned 20 back in March.
A winger with plenty of pace and tricks, he's earned praise as an excellent dribbler since making his Scottish Premiership bow in August past.
He's far from the finished product, but there's no doubting Smith could have an X-factor and his physical make-up puts him in the Steven Naismith category.
Conclusion
There are plenty of exciting talents in Scotland's top flight, and big clubs will be keeping an eye out for the next Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk or Kieran Tierney. In recent seasons, Scotland has begun to re-establish itself as a breeding ground for up-and-coming talents. Scottish-born youngers, as well as promising would-be stars from around Europe, now know that a leading role in this league can help them push towards the bright lights and big-money of England's Premier League.
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Wednesday, 09 June 2010 10:52
Could The Coronavirus Hurt Youth Player Prospects?
Written by YFS Editor 1
The spread of the coronavirus had brought the majority of major sporting events to a halt for almost three months, with major football amongst this - it has already been said that this may hurt older players more than younger players in the bigger leagues but it hasn’t really been explored on the impact this may have on youth player prospects. This has been touched on previously away from the impact of the coronavirus as a closer look had been taken at SPFL champs Celtic and their selection process for youth players and how it had had started to take a more international look in recent years, diverging from the previous underlying principle of being a historically Scottish club.
The damaging factor that may hurt youth players the most is the delay in competition - much like the SPFL, the Scottish Youth FA had brought the 19/20 season to a premature close as grassroots also ground to a halt along with the major leagues too, and although the guidance and efforts have been pushed to ensure the youth players could return as soon as possible this delay may have already taken its toll. There are now also growing concerns around the 20/21 league across football as a whole - experts are warning the lockdown measures have been lifted much too early and that we could see a second wave of the virus begin to spread, that leads to a possibility the there could be a delay to the start of the 20/21 season further hurting the prospects of these young players who required play time in order to display their abilities to the bigger clubs.
Although the youth season has drawn to a close there is some good news for football fans as a whole, however, as European football on the larger scale is seeing a return - the Bundesliga is already a few weeks in with La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy, and the Premier League within the UK all looking to get kicked off within the next two weeks, as fixtures start to go live over the coming week or so non gamstop betting sites at TBC will start to throw odds up and start taking bets as the schedule for football is looking to be extremely packed in the coming weeks to draw the individual seasons to a close by August as the target date.
The next goal in mind as mentioned will be the 20/21 seasons that will look to take place in August depending on when the current seasons are able to be drawn to a close - it will be interesting to see how some of the teams shape up in the leagues that were brought to a close earlier than others, but more importantly whether or not the seasons will get underway at all with the coronavirus still an ongoing threat that could cause further disruptions - if cancellations do come through once again due to a second wave of infection spreading, it could be a devastating blow to youth football and the prospects looking to move up to a different club.
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A Scottish disability charity has won a €50,000 UEFA award for their work during lockdown.
Team United aim to support young people with disabilities, in particular autism, and have been working hard to provide support for their young people during lockdown as well as continuing to make progress with exciting new projects for when sporting activities do eventually return.
As a result, they have deservedly been recognised by UEFA for their work and have won the UEFA Foundation 2020 Children’s Award and received €50,000.
Ann Brown, Team United director said: “We were nominated by The Scottish FA and I believe this is the first time in over 10 years that they have won through a nomination from a partner.
“We are absolutely delighted, and this will help to increase our work and further develop the pathway for young players with autism.”
In addition the charity have also been offering online coaching, challenges, a super scoreboard score card for the German league, and are also, with special permission from the SFA, able to hold individual one to one sessions with young people who have been more affected by lockdown and the impact of their mental health.
Team United have been involved in many projects of late, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic have been working hard to ensure that they can deliver it as soon as they return which includes their new TEAM LEADERS Project.
Ann continued: “TEAM LEADERS is aimed at young people aged 14-16 years who would like to be more involved in football-related matters off the pitch but also combine their skills and talents in football helping achieve results that will prove invaluable later in life.
“Six young people are currently working on specific areas that will enable us to deliver a successful league launch. We are connecting with them via Zoom on a one to one basis and they then come together monthly to discuss and progress ideas.”
Young players, from the age of six, have been working on this project through their ‘player workbooks’ which focuses on allowing an individual to work on their own whilst looking at activities that enable them to think more about teamwork and the benefits of this. The workbook also covers diet and exercise.
Prior to lockdown, Team United received some funding from ‘Awards for All’ to further develop a new, innovative project called The Generational Game.
Ann explained: “Team United players will develop a dream team of the greatest 11 players and a manager from the 1990 to 2020 period.
“Once selected, the team will appear as part of a special exhibition within the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park. Young people have been working during lockdown on the dream team and when back, we hope to join up with the Euro 2021 project team to progress.”
If you would like to find out more about Team United and their work, you can like their Facebook page or go to their website at http://www.team-united.org.uk/.
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As part of his HND course, radio presenter Cameron Conner has produced a fifteen minute report on pathways within Scottish youth football. It includes discussions with a wide variety of guests, as listed below:
- Paul Greig (Raith Rovers Community Foundation),
- Paul Greig (Raith Rovers Community Foundation),
- Michael Wilson (Peebles FC),
- Tony Begg (Penicuik Athletic FC)
- Andrew Johnston (West Lothian Youth Foundation),
- Aaron Moffat (Corstorphine Dynamo FC)
- Declan Fergus (Heart Of Midlothian FC)
- Declan Fergus (Heart Of Midlothian FC)
- Robbie McIntyre ( Edinburgh City FC)
Listen to the production below:
Listen to the production below:
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Thursday, 27 May 2010 12:21
SPFL Comes To End As European Football Continues
Written by YFS Editor 1
The postponements and cancellations of many games as well as an extended period of lockdown had many concerned what may face many of our favourite teams - those concerns were brought to light following what many may feel is a disappointing end to the season, although probably bittersweet for some at the same time - Celtic have been crowned champions of the SPFL for the ninth season in a row after being thirteen points clear with thirty matches played - there has also been additional drama within the SPFL as Hearts are now eyeing legal action following their relegation as the club believes they were still eyeing a recovery if the season were to be played out.
Football fans can find a point of joy however as European football seems to be off to a great start following the delays and concerns around whether or not it was safe to do so - Germany got things started as the Bundesliga has had a couple of weeks head start, a number of players for some teams would test positive for the virus but it didn’t disrupt plans for the league to get underway again as up to eighteen games have been scheduled per week until the season is played through to completion. La Liga in Spain may be the next to see play as the restart date of June 8thseems to be pretty set in stone with fixtures already scheduled.
The two leagues yet to have any date announced within Serie A in Italy and the Premier League in the UK - UK sport has had the go ahead to get going again in June and it is believed that a restart date could be agreed upon this week with a tentative believed date of June 8thto match Spain, Italy may be a little further behind however as it has already been confirmed that games will be unable to take place until the earliest of June 15thwhich could yet also change.
(Image from SkySports)
With dates all being so close, however, it does give fans something exciting to look toward - whether you’re just there for the football or you’re looking to a little something else as betting sites and non uk casinos here begin to gear up up for a full schedule, there’s a lot to be excited for. The leagues will all be pushing to have the seasons brought to an end as soon as possible to start preparations for the 20/21 seasons - if the Bundesliga is any indication of what to expect, each league could see anywhere between fifteen and twenty games played per week, which could mean up to seventy games per week across all four major leagues. There are still a number of questions to be answered for second league teams such as the Championship within the UK as some are facing financial risk, but these will look to be addressed in the coming months - for now however, football is back in a big way, and there’s a lot to come.
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Wednesday, 26 May 2010 09:47
From parks to the Premier League: Scotland’s greatest exports
Written by YFS Editor 1.jpg)
(Image via https://twitter.com/MikeyR20)
Football is a powerful sport, which is exactly why coming together and taking part in it can achieve results. Not only is the beautiful game a great deal of fun to play, but it’s good for you, both physically and mentally, and it enables us as fans of the game to look up to various footballers and draw inspiration from their respective journeys.
When it comes to Scottish football, there have been a vast array of talented footballers to succeed in the SPL and beyond. With the success of many foreign imports, it can be easy to forget some of Scotland’s excellent homegrown talent over the years. It’s even harder to recall those days when assessing the current state of the national side, too. The less said, the better at the moment, but that’s not to say Scotland can’t come again. The memorable names of old should certainly give Scottish fans hope.
The Bundesliga is hogging most of the limelight these days, certainly when it comes to football betting for the fans, with Borussia Dortmund looking to secure the title ahead of Bayern Munich at 9/2 (888sport). However, RB Leipzigat 16/1 represents excellent value given their remarkable season so far. It’s great to have the sport back today, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate some of Scotland’s heroes from yesterday. So, without further ado, here is a brief look at some of Scottish football’s greatest exports.
Duncan Ferguson
Born and raised in Stirling, Duncan Ferguson developed a love of football in his childhood. After a promising career as a youth player, Ferguson made a name for himself at Dundee United, playing a key role in the club’s Scottish Cupwin in 1991. The rest, as they say, is history. The man labelled ‘Big Dunc’ went on to join Rangers for a then-record fee, before eventually landing himself in prison after getting into trouble on the pitch. He rose again, though, signing for Everton and eventually becoming a legend at Goodison Park. A short spell at Newcastle followed before moving back to the Toffees, a club he is the assistant manager of today and a cult hero at. He’s done all right, really.
Alan Hansen
When you look back at some of the great Liverpool sides of old, Alan Hansenwas generally a part of them. A solid, no-nonsense type of defender who wore his heart on his sleeve, Hansen is probably best known for his punditry skills with the BBC to some. Still, many will always associate him with playing a pivotal role in helping Liverpool establish themselves as the famous club of today. Born in Alloa, the former Match of the Day pundit has had an excellent career in football, both on and off the pitch.
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Gordon Strachan
(Image via https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD)
Where do we start with Gordon Strachan? One of the game’s great characters, the former Scotland boss is an icon of Scottish football. It’s as simple as that. Not only is he widely respected within the game as a manager, but he was also a superb player too, turning out for the likes of Aberdeen, Dundee, Leeds Unitedand Coventry City. He also shone on the international stage, earning 50 caps for Scotland and scoring two goals at the World Cup. Born in Edinburgh before eventually going on to become a household name in the UK, Strachan has been inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame, and rightly so too.
Special mentions to Jock Stein, Ally McCoist, Colin Hendry, Graeme Sharp, Bill Shankly, Alex Ferguson and Matt Busby, too.
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Like any country, the people of Scotland have a diverse array of hobbies and interests. From golf and mountain biking to esports and gaming – on consoles or www.casino.com/uk and other sites.
However, when it comes to the most popular hobby, it’s hard to see past football – the most spectated sport in the world. While the likes of Brazil, Germany and England have become most renowned for their love of football, Scotland has also seen it become a staple of their culture.
From the grassroots level to the top professional leagues, football’s place in Scottish life is well and truly cemented - but just how big is its place exactly?
A rich history
Historians believe Scotland was one of the first countries to play the very early versions of football in the middle ages. So, it’s understandable how the country quickly took to it when it was introduced in the late 19th century as we mostly know it now.
Scotland came to love the game as much as the English, where a particular affinity for it grew rapidly in the urban cultures of Glasgow and Edinburgh. With the development of its own league system and international side, football became a bustling business as well as a beloved game.
Over many years, Scotland has produced countless players and coaches of high quality, including Kenny Dalglish, Gordon Strachan and Graeme Souness. No figure has ever proved to be more iconic than Sir Alex Ferguson, however, who remains the most successful club manager in world history with Manchester United.
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWFjft_LU0k
Growing engagement
While football has always been loved by much of the population, the growing engagement of clubs with their local communities has meant that game attendances have gone up in recent years.
Where some smaller urban communities weren’t interested in attending games before, clubs have imposed themselves into the culture so much so that children are growing up alongside a game that can be played at any level and anywhere.
As well as this, the engagement and opportunities available to women have grown too. Although the game is still somewhat male-dominated, the women’s side of football is far more accessible than it was for much of Scotland’s history. The 2019 Women’s World Cup was a major factor in this, as soon after the country saw a 21% rise in female engagement with football.
Footballing success
Though Scottish football has sadly been perceived as a step below the quality that the English leagues offer, there is no shortage of success seen across the board.
Scottish left-back Andrew Robertson became the first Scottish player to play in a Champions League final in 21 years in 2018, while the story of Rangers returning to the SPL from near-liquidation is one of football’s most inspiring tales.
Despite Celtic’s continued dominance, a bigger range of clubs across Scotland’s multiple leagues have lifted trophies than ever before, meaning more fans across the country have seen success.
All of this, including just how much people miss the game is during this postponement, shows how important football is to Scotland’s culture, economy and development.
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Tuesday, 27 April 2010 07:22
A Few Things to Consider Before Betting on Football
Written by YFS Editor 1
Betting on football is not as difficult or mysterious as some people would have you believe. It has risks just like every other form of gambling; but it also has several shots at winning the bet. You just have to know when, where and how to place the bet. You might not be able to able to predict the outcomes accurately every single time. But there are different segments in a match that you can place your bet and this, thus, results in a high chance of winning the separate bets. It is not much hard to understand. All you need is a bit of experience and the right awareness of how to proceed with the bet. We intend to do the same with this article. By the end of the article, you shall have a basic knowledge of how to place your bet and the things that you need to keep at the back of your mind before betting on football. It is important that you understand the sport as much as possible. These points, when applied appropriately, shall bring you great results. Therefore, ditch the apprehension about betting and give this form of gambling a shot, because it is worth a try.
Be Aware of Every Piece of News Concerning the Team:
If you have decided to give betting a shot, it is important that you pay attention to the details of the game and every piece of news that you possibly can. There is no way you can hope to follow the trend or understand what is happening in the domain of football if you are not careful about being well-informed. Follow all the news that has to do with football and the teams that you are rooting for. This will give you an edge and can help you beat the odds better. You need to keep your facts clear all the more when you are opting for an online form of betting. Online betting or online gambling for real money has to be taken up carefully if you are to make some solid profits out of it.
Observe the Team’s Form:
A lot can be understood by the team’s form; that is, if you are observant of how your team has been playing in the last few matches, you can very well understand how to place the bet. The form of a team gives everything away. Therefore, keep an eye out for the previous matches of the teams that you are considering to bet on and note down the essential points that you think might help you in analysing the factors that determine a well-placed bet. There are a number of other ways in which you can analyse a team’s form. For instance, you could also look at the match predictions and try to understand what the experts have to say. They are almost never wrong.
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Keep a Weather-Eye on the Weather:
You might not want to place a lot of importance on the prevailing weather conditions. But, know that the weather plays an important role in determining the outcomes of a match. Keeping an eye out for the weather is especially important if you like to bet for the “over and under 2.5 goals” betting strategy. Check the weather updates on the day of the match to make wiser betting decisions. The importance of weather on a match might not occur to you now. But once you get the hang of the way in which betting works, you shall understand its importance. However, instead of going for the trial and error method of learning, pay heed to the point we served you on the platter.
Conclusion:
The three points that we mentioned in the article are the most important techniques to abide by if you are to make the most out of your betting experience. Betting on football matches is not much different than gambling when it comes to the element of risks. Both the domains are interspersed with risks. But that does not mean that you should stay away from the domain. You could make a handsome income out of betting on football if you follow the basics of betting and follow your good instincts.
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Tuesday, 21 April 2020 10:16
Scottish Youth FA confirms season 2019/20 outcomes
Written by YFS Editor 1
The Scottish Youth FA has issued an email to all member clubs, outlining the approach they have taken to leagues, cup competitions and the petition on summer football. It reads as follows:
2019/2020 Season
Following extensive discussions, the Board has made the decision that no further league fixtures should be played as part of the 2019/2020 season, therefore drawing the 2019/2020 season to a close.
The Coronavirus Joint Response Group’s update, issued on the 9th April, advised that the suspension of all football in Scotland had been extended until at least the 10th June 2020. Should football activities recommence on this date, this leaves less than three weeks of the standard season remaining. There is no feasible way of squeezing training and fixtures into this small window. We must also remember that this date signifies a best case scenario, and there is still a strong possibility that it may get pushed further back.
The Board also considered extending the 2019/20 season beyond the summer, however this doesn’t appear to be practicable. Not only would it raise issues with registrations and insurance, it would also result in problematic scheduling matters from a league perspective, in trying to hurry through one season (with a recommencement date still unknown), only to immediately restart the next. There is also the substantial likelihood that players may face an unnecessary overload of games at the beginning of the new season which would go against child wellbeing and player development best practice.
Football under the SYFA’s jurisdiction is age-specific, and each age level brings changes and challenges in terms of both development and match duration. We all must accept that the 2019/2020 season has been unexpectedly and irrefutably disrupted due to the current circumstances, however, by ending fixtures now, we stand the best chance of restarting the 2020/2021 with as little delay or disruption as possible.
It is at each league’s discretion how they choose to calculate final placings, and we would expect teams to give their full support and patience as their league works through this.
Referring back to the matter of the 2020/2021 season, I am pleased to inform you that league, club and team registrations will open in early May. We are finalising matters with the IT department and hope to announce the specific date on which the window will open in the coming days.
We would stress that members should only register if the relevant club and / or team secretary is already in a position to execute the task from home. Under no circumstances should officials be meeting up in order to prepare for their membership application. Teams unable to register at this stage will not be disadvantaged however those that are able to register will be assisting their fellow members in doing so.
Opening early helps to prevent an unmanageable number of applications being submitted within a very short space of time, which would likely be the case if we held-off opening registrations until an official restart date had been confirmed. This could lead to further delay and, ultimately prevent teams getting back to games at the earliest possible opportunity. It also allows leagues and clubs who are in a position to do so, to complete the administrative side of things well in advance, ensuring football itself can be their key priority down the line.
Full details of the registration process, including player registrations, will be confirmed once finalised with both the IT and Registrations departments at the Scottish FA.
Cup Competitions
Rule 84 of the Supplementary and Playing Rules allows for special permission to be granted to complete unfinished cup ties:
Exceptionally, in the case of unfinished Cup Competitions, special permission may be granted by the SYFA for delayed Cup ties to be played on or after 1 August in the following season. Only players who were eligible to play for the teams involved in a delayed Cup tie at 15 June in the preceding season may play in such Cup tie for which special permission has been granted.
Whether or not it is possible to complete cup ties will depend entirely on when football activities can resume. If it is possible to complete cup competitions by Sunday 6th September then we will grant approval to complete competitions, giving priority to the inspiresport Scottish Youth FA Cup, followed by regional competitions and then league cup competitions.
There is a strong possibility that even if we can resume activities in June, league cup competitions will not be completed due to time and facility restrictions. Again we expect teams to fully support their league in whatever decision is reached.
If football has not resumed before August, 2019/2020 cup competitions, including the inspiresport SYFA cup, will not be completed.
AGM
Extensive work has also been carried out in relation to the AGM which is due to take place in June. We have still to receive further clarification from our legal advisors regarding the meeting itself, and will provide you all with a further update on this in due course.
Rule 11 of the Supplementary and Playing rules outlines the process for members to submit resolutions for the AGM:
Notice from a member of any proposed addition or alteration to the Supplementary & Playing Rules to be put forward for consideration at the Annual General Meeting must be sent by Recorded Signed for or Special Delivery by the proposer and seconder in separate letters, signed by the respective secretary of the member club, league or association proposing and seconding, to the SYFA c/o National Secretary, before the 30th day of April in the then current year. Notice from a member of any other Resolution to be brought before an Annual General Meeting must be sent in like manner before the 30th day of April in the then current year.
Given the current situation, the Board has temporarily amended this rule. As we do not currently have access to our Hampden office, resolutions must be submitted via email to the National Secretary. The following process must be followed:
1. Resolutions must be attached to emails in the form of a letter, and sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 30th April 2020.
2. Emails from both the proposer and seconder must be sent from the registered email address of the league or club secretary.
3. Resolutions must be signed (either via verified electronic signature or scanned copy of signed letter)
4. Hard copies of letters must be retained by the sender for retrospective verification.
5. National Secretary will confirm receipt of resolution.
We would ask that any members who have submitted resolutions via postal delivery on or after 19th March 2020 resubmit these using the process above.
Summer Football
We also want to take this opportunity to raise the matter of summer football. Some of you will be aware of the petition regarding switching our 11 a side age groups from a winter season to a summer season. In addition to this petition we have also received three emails from club officials supporting this change.
Such a change would require extensive consultation and planning, and would be a huge undertaking for ourselves and our league volunteers. Our current structure, resources and IT provision are all currently set up for the dual- season system and implanting such a change at a national level is clearly a broad and complex undertaking. However, we have a duty to listen to our members and respond appropriately and responsibly to such suggestions and as such will be conducting an extensive consultation project, initially with our member leagues, in order to discuss the practicalities of this suggestion.
We sincerely hope that you are all well in these unprecedented times, and thank you for your ongoing efforts and commitment.
Florence Witherow (On behalf of the Scottish Youth FA Board)
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Friday, 10 April 2020 08:11
Poll and petition set up following Scottish FA announcement
Written by YFS Editor 1
A day short of four weeks following the announcement that grassroots football would stop indefinitely, the first major announcement has been made in Scotland. A statement from the Scottish FA confirmed that: "Restrictions were unlikely to be lifted for at least 13 weeks and that NHS Scotland had been placed on an emergency footing until at least 10 June 2020. Mr FitzPatrick (Scottish Government Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing) indicated that no group training would be permitted before the legal restrictions are lifted and noted the medical advice that competitive matches could not take place for about six weeks after training and conditioning recommences."
The news, whilst considered inevitable by many, put a level of certainty on the immediate future and sprung the youth football community to action. The most common debate following the announcement was whether this opens the door to switch to a 'summer season' for Scottish Youth FA age groups U13 - U21. The March - November football programme is currently used by Scottish Women's Football, Club Academy Scotland and Scottish Youth FA age groups at U12 and below.
Youth Football Scotland is asking your opinion through social media polls. You can join the debate and cast your vote at the links below:
- Facebook poll.
Youth Football Scotland is asking your opinion through social media polls. You can join the debate and cast your vote at the links below:
- Facebook poll.
One person who believes strongly that now is the time for change is Craig Burness, a coach at Bervie Caley in the Aberdeen & District Juvenile FA. Burness stated: "Since today's news that there can be no football across the board until 10th June 2020, we have to try and give some hope to the kids that we may return to normal at some point. Every plan will be flawed, some will be quick to point out problems rather than the solutions, however the benefits of moving Youth Football to the so-called Summer months could be massive. Polls across the country have shown a want for this from kids, coaches, parents and individual clubs. Grassroots football in Scotland already this season has decimated by a glut of postponed fixtures and training sessions due to numerous storms and freezing conditions. This debate is normally reserved for our reliably dismal winters, but surely the case for juvenile football in Scotland to be played in the spring and summer months stronger than ever?"
You and view and sign Craig's petition by clicking here.
Do you feel strongly about either moving to summer football or staying with the traditional season? YFS is looking for video messages from members of the youth football community explaining what they believe is the best approach and why. Record these with your screen landscape and send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by WhatsApp to 07753 364692.
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Can Scotland U21 finally reach the major competition?
In the absence of proper football action caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we decided to take a look at Scotland U21 team’s chances of making it to the U21 European Championshipin Hungary and Slovenia with the help of football betting tips experts at Bettingtips4you.com. The young Scots are currently halfway through their qualifying campaign. Even though they are winless in three straight affairs, the head coach Scot Gemmill can still perform the miracle and lead the team at the major youth tournament.
Fixtures against Croatia and Greece are postponed
Gemmill’s men should have played two highly-important clashes in late-March, but the matches against Croatia U21 and Greece U21 were postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak. The youth Scots occupy the third place in the standings of the qualifying Group 4 after five games. They got off to a fabulous start with two wins from two, a series that included the shocking 1-2 win against the group favourites Croatia U21 in mid-September last year.
However, the team failed to find the back of the net in any of the following three outings. They played back-to-back goalless draws to Lithuania U21 and Czech Republic U21 before falling 0-1 at home to Greece U21.
The young Scots conceded just two goals in five matches so far
Gemmill can clearly be thrilled about his team's stern defensive displays. Scotland U21 shipped no more than two goals in five outings even though they've played the likes of Croatia U21, Czech Republic U21, and Greece U21 in the process. The defence is obviously this side's massive strength. Can it do enough to compensate for the lack of attacking creativity at the opposite end?
Gemmill’s troops failed to score in three successive matches. The home draw to Lithuania U21 was particularly disappointing, especially if we know that it came after the initial two wins over San Marino U21 and Croatia U21.
Scotland U21 are just three points shy of the group leaders
We would’ve known much more about the team’s chances had they played the likes of Croatia U21 and Greece U21 in March. This way, it’s all still wide open. The young Scots are just three points short of the Czech Republic U21 at the top of the group. The Czechs are about to visit Tynecastle in October this year. The team can ill afford slip-ups against group underdogs (San Marino U21 and Lithuania U21). Can they do well in these postponed affairs, though?
Conor McLennan could be this generation’s driving force
Aberdeen’s striker made the difference in the aforementioned win away against Croatia U21. He came on from the bench to turn things around and bag two super-late goals within eight minutes for the youth Scots. He also earned more minutes on the pitch for the club. The 20-year-old forward bagged three goals for the Dons this season, equalling his tally from the previous term of the Premiership. He was on target in Aberdeen’s recent 2-2 draw at Kilmarnock in early-March.
We also have to mention Chelsea’s midfielder Billy Gilmour who stepped up with a phenomenal pair of performances against Liverpool and Everton respectively. He could be a vital part of the youth Scottish team in the decisive matches.
The new faces we could see in the next affairs include Stephen Welsh (Celtic), Lewis Moore and Andrew Irving (Hearts), Jamie Gullan (Hibs), Lewis Mayo (Rangers), and Louis Appere (Dundee United).
There is much to be excited for when football returns to action
Scotland U21 had a disappointing qualifying campaign in the previous term when they finished the group behind England U21, Netherlands U21, and Ukraine U21. They were nowhere near the battle for the top of the standings back then.
They now have a much easier group. They have done well without being prolific in the final third so far. However, if McLennan stays healthy ahead of the decisive affairs, we would not be surprised to see the youth Scots in serious contention for the top spot in the group.
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The National Football League Draft, also known as the NFL Draft, it’s an event performed annually and is one of the many ways to recruit new players. In fact, this is the most common method of recruiting new players for the league.
According to this article, the first event was held in 1936, and ever since then, it has been done every year. Nowadays it is performed in spring, during April.
How Does It Work?
NFL teams usually complete their rosters using three methods of recruiting: trading players between teams, free-agent signings, and drafting. The NFL draft is all about how teams draft college students who are eligible through the drafting process. This even in specific lasts up to two days, and 32 teams take their turns to select players.
The draft is usually done during weekends and has 7 rounds. The first three rounds are held on Saturday, and the last four rands are held on Sunday. On average, each round consists of 32 picks. Considering that there are 32 teams participating, each team has one pick per round. In some cases, a team will not be able to draft during a round, but that depends on certain circumstances. On the contrary, there are teams that might be able to select more than once during a round.
Something interesting to add is that, between 1977 and 1993, there were 12 rounds per event, and before that, from 1967 to 1976, it was 17 rounds.
Now, when it comes to a team’s positioning in the list for the drafting process, it depends on its performance during the previous year, but in reverse. For example, the last team placed in the previous year is placed first during the draft. After deciding a team’s position, a team can either trade their position in the drafting process, trade a player for another player or select a player from the draft.
Normally, a team starts analyzing the players available for selection months, and even years, previous to the event. They compare the statistics of hundreds of players that are categorized as the best players before making a decision. Considering how important scouting is, this is an absolutely necessary step to decide whether a player is good or not.
There’s another event held previous to the NFL Draft that allows teams to get to know players available during the draft before the event. This is known as the NFL Scouting Combine and is held in February. This event lets more than 300 players showcase their skills and performance.
This lets teams create their own list of players they want during the drafting process. Also, they may create an alternative list of possible candidates considering how difficult it is to get the players they want depending on their positioning on the event.
For more detailed information, you can visit https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/nfl-draft.htm-.
Who Are Eligible For Drafting?
Well, believe it or not, teams can get themselves whoever they want. There’s a case where the Dallas Cowboys got themselves two players with no experience in playing football. Carl Lewis (Known for winning an Olympic gold medal) and Bob Hayes.
With that said, most players eligible for drafting are those who played football during college. One of the few rules of the drafting process is that players can only be eligible once three college football seasons have ended since they graduated from high school. This means that most people entering college are not eligible for the event.
For the Fans of the Event
During the start of the event, fans can actually get to cheer and enjoy the whole event if they purchase a ticket. One person can only buy one ticket, and it allows it to participate in the event for the whole two days. Most of the cases, people prefer to enjoy the event through television or streaming services, though.
You can always check Fanspeak daily draft news for more information on the recent news.
Mr. Irrelevant.
Although being the first pick is something to enjoy, some people may want to be picked last during the drafting process. The last player selected during the event is known as Mr. Irrelevant. This may sound kind of dispraising for the player, that player gets a formal celebration in its name.
Mr. Irrelevant gets to fly to California, participate in several events, and even go to Disneyland. That’s why, for some people, being Mr.Irrelevant is more than an honor.
That player also receives a trophy known as the Lowsman Trophy, which consists of a statue made of bronze representing a player with a ball. This trophy is usually described as the opposite of the Heisman Trophy, which is given to those players that are considered the best among the best.
This whole thing of formally celebrating the last pick during the NCL Draft has been done since 1976 thanks to Paul Salata, a receiver from the Baltimore Colts during 1950. This makes Paul Salata the savior of those who were selected last during each draft ever since then.
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Monday, 24 February 2020 11:01
Scottish FA Announce New Heading Guidelines for Youth Football
Written by Calum McCaffery
The Scottish FA has announced new guidelines for all age groups from six to 17 year olds.
Among the guidelines are recommendations not to head the ball in training for primary school children, as well as a graduated approach to heading as youngsters make their way through secondary school.
The guidelines come in response to a study led by the University of Glasgow published in October last year, which revealed insights into the impact heading had on professional footballers long term health.
The study established a link between the repeated heading of footballs and degenerative brain diseases such as Dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
The guidelines include the following recommendations:
- Heading should not be introduced in training sessions from the age of six through to 11.
- Heading should be considered a low coaching priority between the ages of 12 to 15 years however training sessions can be introduced. These should be limited to one session of no more than five headers per week at 13 years, increasing to 10 headers per session at 14 and 15.
- It is acknowledged that heading will begin to form part of the game at 12 and should be permitted, however, coaches are encouraged to promote a style of play that limits long passing.
- Heading burden will remain restricted to one training session per week for 16 and 17 year olds and coaches should be mindful of limiting repetitions during that session.
Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA Chief Executive: “While it is important to re-emphasise there is no research to suggest that heading in younger age groups was a contributory factor in the findings of the FIELD study into professional footballers, nevertheless Scottish football has a duty of care to young people, their parents and those responsible for their wellbeing throughout youth football.
“The updated guidelines are designed to help coaches remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football in the earliest years, with a phased introduction at an age group considered most appropriate by our medical experts.
“It is important to reassure that heading is rare in youth football matches but we are clear that the guidelines should mitigate any potential risks. We will also look to monitor and review the guidance as part of our commitment to making the national game a safe and enjoyable environment for young people.
“I would like to thank our colleagues at the English FA for their collaboration in this process and UEFA’s Medical Committee for their guidance.”
Dr John MacLean: “I am proud that the Scottish FA has taken a positive, proactive and proportionate approach to the findings of the FIELD study. Scottish football has taken a lead on the subject of head injury and trauma in sport, from becoming the first country in the world to produce cross-sport concussion guidelines - If In Doubt, Sit Them Out - to having one of the most advanced medical education programmes in sport.
“Since the publication of the report we have consulted with colleagues on the football and medical sides at The English FA and UEFA and I believe the guidance will help provide reassurance for young players and their parents nationwide.”
Youth Football Scotland would be interested to hear the opinions of those within the football community on the new guidelines. If you are a coach, a parent or associated with a youth club, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let us know what you think.
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