East Kilbride Thistle boss Iain Diack insists it’s important Junior clubs move with the times after he backed the club’s plan to join the newly-formed West of Scotland League.
The Jags boss has experience of this kind of league shake-up, having been in charge of Sauchie when East Region Junior clubs made the switch to join the East of Scotland League two years ago
It is proposed the WOSL would operate on a similar basis to the EOSL, with a conference system in place, in a new ‘sixth-tier’ below the Lowland and Highland Leagues.
That opens up a pathway for teams to one-day reach the Scottish Professional Football League and bring the Junior game in line with their senior colleagues.
The WOSL has attracted interest from 51 West Region clubs and Diack believes this is the best thing that could happen for the game.
He said: “I was the manager of Sauchie when we first moved over to the East of Scotland League, so I’ve got first-hand experience of this kind of thing.
”I thought it was a positive move when we did it and I think it would be a positive move for EK Thistle.
”We have applied for it and see it as a positive move in the right direction.
”There will be more in the West that will move – I think in the East it was about 28 teams who moved over from the Juniors in the one season, so there was a lot of re-organising to do – but the EoS handled it really well.
“They gave everybody an even chance to get in. They split it into three conferences, with 14 teams in each, and it was run brilliantly.
”It was a positive thing and showed ambition from clubs.
“You’ve got to move with the times.”
Diack also believes it will be a shot in the arm and give clubs a focus, instead of being happy staying in the lower reaches.
He added: “Sometimes clubs are a bit lax at times and some clubs are happy to mosey along, not doing anything.
”If you are part of the pyramid, it costs money to improve and get the different things you need to progress, but you can do that over time.
“It gives you a goal as a club; we need to raise funds for floodlights, we need to make the dressing rooms better, we need to improve the hospitality.
“At least there’s things there to go and improve on each year.
“If you tick them off, your club is improving all the time and you have something to strive for.”
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