Former Largs Thistle, Kilbirnie and Irvine Meadow player George Wall looks ahead to big changes in the junior game...

The new pyramid system for junior football teams looks set to come to the West of Scotland as of next season.

With lots of teams in the east leaving the juniors last season, and now no longer participating in the Scottish Cup, it will be interesting to see what happens. 
Kelty Hearts were one of these sides, and they recently appointed former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson as their manager.
But what does the pyramid system mean for clubs in the west?
There are still lots of unanswered questions such as — how will the play-offs work for promotion to the senior league and will teams like Largs Thistle be able to participate in the senior Scottish Cup? Will stadiums have to be licensed to a certain standard to get into the Scottish Cup?
The Scottish FA have confirmed that consensus has been reached on admitting the existing junior clubs in the west and the east.
The Scottish Junior FA will continue to administer both leagues with the top division in each region forming part of an expanded ‘Tier 6’ with connectivity to the Lowland League.
Work will continue within the Pyramid Working Group to standardise player disciplinary rules, registrations and fixture scheduling across the East of Scotland League, South of Scotland League, West and East Region of the Scottish Junior FA and Lowland League to ensure the ‘smooth delivery’ of promotion and relegation between Tier 5 and Tier 6.
We are being told that this is an important development within Scottish football, allowing ambitious clubs the chance to progress from grass roots to the highest echelons of the professional game, and improving standards.
We are also being told that the new structure, including the play-off format, could be in place for the 2019-20 season.
So it would appear to be a minor victory for junior football for sticking by their guns, and retaining the league format. Since the new fixture secretary, it has been going great, with fixtures known in advance right up until the end of the year, which is a great help to clubs when it comes to planning buses for away games, and fundraisers for home fixtures after the match. 
Back in the day, it was sometimes the Monday night beforehand when you found out the fixture!
The fixture scheduling now is the best it ever has been. According to Ian Maxwell, chief executive of the Scottish FA, the new pyramid system is going to all kick in from next season. Exciting times ahead.”
l It is great to see that has a new Ayrshire Junior Football History Facebook page has been set up. It has really taken off with lots of great photos of yesteryear, and pictures from when Largs Thistle won the Scottish Cup in 1994. There are a lot of stories too about the great characters of junior football. You can find it at www.facebook.com/groups/665877687146752/