A SCOTTISH Junior Cup and Premier Division-winning boss wants to see an earlier start to the season after the "Beast from the East" wrecked the entire Junior football card for the first time this season.

The Premier Division is FOUR games behind this time last year and there have been some 149 postponements since January alone.

Now Beith manager Johnny Millar, who won the Premier Division title in 2009-10 and followed it up six years later with the national trophy, would like changes made to help cut down the fixtures backlog at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

He said: "I know people are talking about making changes and lots of ideas have been suggested, with some people talking about scrapping a cup. But my idea would be to scrap the meaningless pre-season friendlies and start the season with the Ardagh Glass League Cup. This would cut down the number of games since we will have more fixtures in the bigger leagues and we could start in the middle of July instead of at the end of the month."

That was a view backed by Troon FC boss Jim Kirkwood who spoke to our sister paper the Troon Times.

Millar is fully in favour of the new leagues, which kick in next season and will see four leagues of 16.

He said: "I think competition will be good and the leagues should be less cut throat as at the moment a quarter of the teams in the Premier Division end up being relegated, two automatically and one through the playoff if they lose it."

However Millar does not back Kirkwood's view that Scottish Cup ties should only be given two chances at one ground before being moved to an all-weather facility to get them played.

He said: "It's okay for Troon who have a really good park but we're not all like that so that wouldn't be fair."

Third-placed Beith on Saturday host rejuvenated Cumnock and Millar said: "We beat them 6-0 at their park and will be looking to win again. The league is tight and five or teams are in with a chance of winning it."

Meanwhile here will be no old pals act when Saltcoats Victoria head to Dam Park Stadium to face Whitletts Victoria.

In opposing dug-outs will be home boss George Grierson and visiting caretaker manager Gary Russell.

It was Grierson who lured Russell to the Seasiders late last year.

Russell recalled: "George is a good friend - he brought me to Kilwinning for his first season and signed me up for Saltcoats. But I will be fully focused on the game. Whitletts are a good side. But we beat them at Campbell Park and will be looking to do the same again."