North Britain Open

We need to allow top Scottish teams to play their reserve sides against other sides.
The world cup has just been won by Spain. The runners up were the Netherlands, the 3rd place team, were Germany. All 3 of these European sides allow either reserve sides or youth sides to compete against real teams.
In Germany big sides allow their reserve sides to play up to the third division north.
In Spain big sides can play their reserve teams up to the Spanish second division.
In the Netherlands the youth teams of Ajax play in the Dutch cup.
As a result of this when foreign players get in the way of developing native players, the youth player is not thrown on the scrap heap they instead get another chance to play real teams in real matches.
In the old days in Scotland, if you were the best youth team, player in Scotland all you had to do was get past another Scot to play in the first team.
So a developing striker at Celtic just had to be better than some old Scottish striker who might get sold anyway. Nowadays a developing Scottish striker will have to get past numerous foreign players to get into the first team. Often even when Celtic sell a striker they just buy a another ready made striker to replace him.
So the opportunities for Scottish players to make the grade a re limited at top clubs an infact all SPL sides.
As a result WE as a real team suffer.
I say lets allow all SPL sides to play against real senior pro sides in a new trophy.
My idea is the North Britain open. Allow the 12 premier reserve sides, plus the first teams of senior pro teams from the third and second division and non league visions to play these sides.
The difference I would do with the German,. Spanish and Dutch system is I would not limit the squads of the the reserve sides from the SPL.
In the Spanish, German, and Dutch system these separate side plays as totally different squads that cannot be interchanged from week to week. Obviously massive sides like Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich can afford to run separate squads but small SPL sides cannot. I would use the old British system of allowing players to move from reserve to full teams. Except I would have some rules to stop player burn out an to ensure teams were not simply playing their first team in the trophy.
The rule could be no player can play in the reserve team if they played for the first team in the previous 8 days and that only 6 players in the squad can be over 25.
This would ensure teams were genuinely reserve sides and used for developing youth players but that if a player did a good job for the reserve team they could move to the first team and play in Europe for the side.
In the old reserve league in Scotland players could move from reserve sides to first teams week in week out I think this system should be kept, but that this system allows fringe players to get matches.
Format of tournament.
Number of games in tournament. The ideal number of games would around 10 - 16. This way players get some match experience but not player burn out, which is good for player development.
There needs to be good balance between allowing a lot of SPL reserve teams to play but having more proper first teams than reserve sides in the trophy.
The first rounds could have groups of 11 with each team playing eachother once.
With the top 3 or 4 teams of each group qualifying for the knockout stages.
I would have groups of 11 teams in each group with each team only playing eachother once. Some will say that it is not fair to only play eachother once but this is a cup competition not a league. By playing eachother once it allows teams to play a max variety of teams without having to play too many games. Obviously to ensure teams have the same number of home and away games teams will groups will need an odd number of teams if playing eachother only once.

Invitations to foreign sides
To add interest and novelty to the trophy it could be a good idea to allow teams from Northern England to take part. Reserve sides of Newcastle United, Sunderland, Middlesbourgh, Manchester United reserves, Liverpool reserves, Everton Reserves and some non league sides from Northern England such as Blyth Spartans etc.
How can second and third division sides play extra games on top of their present system?
An issue with this trophy is could some teams be able to play another 12 to 14 games extra a season. I think to do this the number of games for second and third division teams would have to be cut. There can be numerous ways this can be done.
1) Perhaps the second and third division could split after 18 games then have the top 5 and bottom 5 play eachother home and way. So they play only 26 games a year. So they can free up 10 games to play reserve sides of big sides.
2) The second and third division teams could play eachother 3 times a season and then only play 27 games a season.
3) Or the 30 teams in the SFL could change to two divisions of 16 teams by bringing in two more sides into the league. So that only the second division teams would play the SPL reserve sides.
4) The entire Scottish system could re organize so the SPL is 16 teams, the SFL first division is 10 teams and the second division is 16 teams and these last 16 teams play the reserve sides of SPL sides. Other trophies would be needed for SPL sides too make up for the loss of the first team matches. Such a trophies against teams from other countries.
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Sandyford

Sandyford village itself lies just south of the M50 motorway, accessed from junction 13. At the heart of the old village is a traditional square, including a monument to the working men of the village. The industrial estate is just north of the motorway. The depot for the Luas Green Line is located on the eastern edge of Sandyford Industrial Estate, as are two stops, Stillorgan and the terminus Sandyford.
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North British Cup

Ok so what Scottish football needs is a way for out top sides to play some other top sides from another country. So how about playing the top sides of England.
So the ideal scenario could be play some clubs from Northern England and the top two Welsh sides in a new trophy. And offer the 3rd Scottish Europa place to the winner or runner up or 3rd or 4th place side. On the condition that the side taking scotland place gives its coefficient points for that season to Scotland.
Here is a great idea Scottish football creates a new cross border trophy for the 8 clubs in the Scottish league and top 4 clubs of the Cumbria, and Northumbria, top 5 clubs of Yorkshire, plus the top 2 Welsh clubs of the English league.
Creating a 10 + 4 + 5 + 2 clubs in the trophy. That equals 18 teams.
So 10 sides from England and Wales, 8 from Scotland. .
There are 2 groups of 4 teams. The top 2 teams and the best 3rd place side all go through to the two leg quarter final, then the two leg semi final then the final held in the North of England, Wales or Scotland each year.
The top 5 Scottish clubs, all go through to the group stages.
top 4 English league sides all go through leaving 9 teams already through.
preliminary round to find other 3 places in competition. involving two Scottish sides and the other English league sides
So need 12 teams in preliminary round currently have 10
12, 6, 3
Preliminary Round 1st round
Top 5 Scottish sides through to group stages.
Top 4 English sides through to group stages.
So 9 teams are already in group stages.
Only 3 more teams are needed.
These will be taken from the 6th, 7th and 8th, 9th and 10th best sides from Scotland.
There are 11 English league sides in the trophy. So take the best 4 away (already in group stages) from that leaving 7 teams.
So 5 Scottish sides and 7 English sides play a one leg round. Leaving 12 teams to play eachother.
2nd Preliminary round
The 6 surviving teams play eachother the top sides go through to the group stages.
Group stages
3 groups of 4 best
Quarter final one leg
Best two teams from each group and best two 3rd place sides go to quarter finals.
Semi final
Final.

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Horse Tram at Douglas- Isle of Man
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Calf of Man

Calf of Man is a 250 hectare island (almost 1 square mile), off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man. It is separated from the Isle of Man by a narrow stretch of water called the Calf Sound. Like the nearby rocky islets of Chicken Rock and Kitterland, it is part of the parish of Rushen. It has two seasonal inhabitants. The word 'calf' derives from the Old Norse word kalfr which means a small island lying near a larger one.

Scotland Yorkshire football cup correction

How about a Scotland Yorkshire football cup.
Between the top 4 teams of Scotland and top 4 English league sides of Yorkshire.
8 sides in the trophy in a two groups of 4 trophy. P
Two groups of 4
Top two teams got through.
Semi Final One leg - Top team of each group at home
Final One leg - Neutral Venue
The two have a similar population.
The nation and region have similar cultures and similar sizes football sides.
While Scottish sides often do not get far in Europe, Yorkshire sides often do not even get in to Europe.
So this could be fun trophy with two regions one the same island not far apart with an extra spice.
For instance now from Scotland
Celtic, Rangers, Dundee United, Hibernian
From Yorkshire
Hull, Sheff Utd, Middlesbrough, Doncaster Rovers
Normally Leeds and Sheffield clubs would be in it.
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Scotland Yorkshire Football Cup

How about a Scotland Yorkshire football cup.
Between the top 4 teams of Scotland and top 4 English league sides of Yorkshire.
8 sides in the trophy in a two groups of 4 trophy. P
Two groups of 4
Top two teams got through.
Quarter Final One leg - Top team of each group.
Semi Final One leg - Neutral venue
Final One leg - Neutral Venue
The two have a similar population.
The nation and region have similar cultures and similar sizes football sides.
While Scottish sides often do not get far in Europe, Yorkshire sides often do not even get in to Europe.
So this could be fun trophy with two regions one the same island not far apart with an extra spice.
For instance now from Scotland
Celtic, Rangers, Dundee United, Hibernian
From Yorkshire
Hull, Sheff Utd, Middlesbrough, Doncaster Rovers
Normally Leeds and Sheffield clubs would be in it.
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