Doomsday for Juniors on horizon

David McGlynn, the boss of East Region Super League side Musselburgh Athletic, delivered his assessment on the future of the Junior game as clubs brace themselves for a lengthy lay-off due to the cold snap for the second season running.

The prospect of being deprived of gate income for more than a month - there are no games scheduled for the two festive holiday weekends - is a major blow to Musselburgh in particular due to the fact they've only had three home games so far this season.

Work on new a new clubhouse and changing rooms took longer to complete than was originally planned but now it has finished the excellent facilities are lying unused due to the weather and could stay that way well into January.

In the Evening News last week, Derek Strickland admitted last season's big freeze had left Whitburn Athletic in a financial mess that contributed to them being relegated from the Super League. McGlynn, who played for Falkirk and Berwick in the Senior game and Whitburn, Linlithgow, Camelon and Tranent in the Junior ranks, echoed his views about money becoming a growing worry for most clubs.

And he even went as far as predicting the day when Junior clubs will only be that in name, with players pulling on jerseys as amateurs.

"Players can't go on holding clubs to ransom because, first and foremost, the money just isn't there," said McGlynn. "What's more, due to Senior clubs cutting back on squad sizes we'll be able to pick up players for nothing. That's the way it is going and I can certainly see the day when Junior football will be amateur."

While seeing games called off due to bad weather is bad enough, McGlynn reckons most Junior clubs are probably seeing attendances dip due to the recession.

"I was talking to the Penicuik chairman recently and he was telling me that earlier in the season they had a run of six games in a two-and-a-half week spell," he added. "At 5 per game plus travelling expenses that soon adds up and people just don't have the extra money any more. It starts at the top, with the likes of Celtic, Rangers, Hibs and Hearts, and works all the way down to our level."

As one of the richest clubs in the Junior game, Linlithgow probably don't have to worry too much about a prolonged lay-off, though the income from a pending Emirates Scottish Junior Cup clash with Auchinleck certainly wouldn't go amiss at the moment. Chairman David Roy says he doubts the Junior game will become amateur but he backed up Strickland's view that clubs - even the ones with a bit of money - have to tighten up contracts to avoid them having to pay wages when there's no income due to bad weather.

"What has happened in the last five to ten years is that Junior clubs, in following the trend of Senior clubs, have ended up with contracts are too beneficial to the players," said Roy.

"We will all have to learn from that because it puts pressure on clubs when they are having to pay out wages when there's no money coming in and we've got to hope that players see sense and help their clubs get over such a hurdle.

"From my experience, I would say that most players in the Junior game are playing football as a hobby and to keep reasonably fit and they see what the predicament clubs are in financially when it comes to times like this due to bad weather.

"However, I don't see the Junior game having to go amateur, not in my lifetime anyway, and I hope it doesn't because I think the standard of our game has improved since we started seeing a bit more money come into it. I think the introduction of the Super League has made it more professional and also more exciting for the fans."

DO you agree with David McGlynn's views about the Junior game? Let us know by e-mailing [email protected] and we'll print your comments in a future issue.

ALL tomorrow's East Juniors and East Seniors matches have been postponed.