082 Alex McDowall: Replacing the Junior Cup, bumper prize money, why the conferences don’t work, reopening SJFA membership & life at Gartcairn

IT'S the semi-finals of the Scottish Junior Cup this weekend as Auchinleck Talbot play Kirkintilloch Rob Roy and Petershill take on Yoker.

But if Alex McDowall has his way there will only be one more season of the competition in its current guise.

The chief operating officer at the Scottish Junior Football Association joins us on the show this week and he has some big news for clubs.

In a Down The Divisions exclusive he outlines his proposals for a replacement for the flagship tournament and the bumper prize money up for grabs.

It’s a must listen as we look at what’s on offer and what’s needed to make it a reality.

Before taking over at the SJFA Alex was chairman at Gartcairn and he tells us why he thinks the conferences in the West of Scotland league were a bad idea.

He also hits out at the decision to give the Old Firm colts more time in the Lowland League and explains why there should be a board made up of every league at tier six.

Plus there are his plans to reopen junior membership for clubs who left.

There’s all that and more plus Mark Mackay’s Best of the West as we go Down The Divisions.

We'd also like to give a quick mention to our sponsors FortyFour Creative. They have a team of highly skilled and passionate photographers, graphic designers, videographers and video editors to help promote your content, brand, organisation or event. They make creation personal. Find out more at www.fortyfourcreativehq.com

If you have any comments we'd love to hear from you. Likewise if you're at a club who would like your post-match audio featured on the show then do get in touch. You can email [email protected] or contact us through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Down The Divisions logo design: Adam Aitken

Intro and outro music: Bensound