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My reconstruction model would be:
12
12
18
18-18-18-18
18-18-18-18-18-18-18-18
with 23 amateur leagues + the amateur NCFL below
Get every Highland, South of Scotland, East of Scotland, Junior club + Burntisland Shipyard + Glasgow University. Proper pyramid.
Level 1: SPL1 (12)
Level 2: SPL2 (12)
Level 3: SFL National (18)
Level 4: SFL Regional (4 regions: North, South, East, West) (18 in each)
Level 5: SFL District (8 districts, 2 in each region. In North Region: Highlands & Moray, Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire. In South Region: Ayrshire & Galloway, Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire. In East Region: Lothian & Borders, Fife & Tayside. In West Region: Forth & Perthshire, Glasgow & Strathclyde) (18 in each)
Level 6: Amateur at 'County' Level (24 in total, with between 2 and 4 in each District) (6 in each, played from January to May)
SPL1
2 up/2 down
SPL2
2 up/2 down. Play-off 10th in SPL2 v winner KO 3rd-6th in SFL National
SFL National
5 up (4 regional champions, winner KO 2nd-3rd in 4 regions)/5 down
SFL Regional (North, South, East, West)
5 up (2 district champions, 2 district 2nd, winner KO 3rd-6th in both Districts)/5 down
SFL District
2 face expulsion vote/2 face induction vote
SAFA County
CUPS
Scottish (Qualifying) Cup: R128 (losers into Consolation Cup), R160 (losers into Supplementary Cup), R80, R40, R20 (10 winners into Scottish Cup)
Scottish (Consolation Cup): R64 (winners into Supplementary Cup, losers continue), R32, R16, R8, SF, FINAL
Scottish (Supplementary) Cup: R128, R64, R32, R16, R8, SF, FINAL
Scottish Cup: R40, R32, R16, R8, SF, FINAL
In the Qualifying Cup, 120 of the pyramid clubs enter with 8 amateur sides. The 96 other pyramid sides are byed to the next round.
In the Consolation Cup the teams knocked out of the first round of the Qualifying Cup are joined with 16 amateur sides.
In the Scottish Cup, the 10 qualifiers join the 18 SFL National and 12 SPL2 clubs. The 12 SPL1 clubs are byed to the next round.
League Cup as currently, but played to conclusion before Christmas (competition straight knock-out)
Challenge Cup as currently, but played over course of whole season, and 2 legged semi-finals (competition straight knock-out)
Spring Cup for 64 of the SFL clubs not involved in end of season play-offs (16 groups of 4, winners progress, then straight knock-out)
Junior Cup for 124 of the SFL clubs not involved in end of season play-offs (straight knock-out)
SAFA SuperLeague a group-and-knockout cup for leaders of amateur leagues at Christmas, to decide entrants into following seasons Qualifying and Consolation cups (8 groups of 3, then straight knock-out)
Final venues in a model year:
SCOTTISH CUP
Semi-Finals: Hampden Park 52,025 (both)
Final: Hampden Park
SCOTTISH LEAGUE CUP
Semi-Finals: Hampden Park 52,025 & Easter Road Stadium 17,400
Final: Hampden Park 52,025
SCOTTISH CHALLENGE CUP
Final: Hampden Park 52,025
SCOTTISH (CONSOLATION) CUP
Semi-Finals: Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh 17,300 & Tannadice Park, Dundee 14,223
Final: Celtic Park, Glasgow 60,355
SCOTTISH (SUPPLEMENTARY) CUP
Semi-Finals: Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh 13,841 & Fir Park, Motherwell 13,664
Final: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow 50,444
SCOTTISH SPRING CUP
Semi-Finals: East End Park, Dunfermline 11,998 & Dens Park, Dundee 11,506
Final: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen 21,421
SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP
Semi-Finals: Firhill Stadium, Glasgow 10,921 & Love Street, Paisley 10,752
Final: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock 18,128
SAFA SUPERLEAGUE
Semi-Finals: Lesser Hampden Park 5,000 (both)
Final: Lesser Hampden Park 5,000
All the above is achievable with a season starting on the last weekend in July, and (a) ending on the last weekend in May, if a fortnight mid-season break in December; or (b) ending on the third last weekend in May, if no break in December
The only sacrifice is that, if you want to play the League Cup out before Christmas, you have to use the midweeks prior to internationals, which means clubs couldn't use players on international duty.
Plus about £2M to fit floodlights to the pyramid club grounds.
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