Bulletin.

With a final tally of two votes in favour, zero against and two non-votes, the Commission of Electoral Affairs is pleased to announce the successful passage of the 2024 referendum to amend the Constitution. This now raises the voting age and minimum age for election to the future Legislative Assembly from twelve to eighteen.

This announcement may also be found in the form of a gubernatorial decree and reflected in the latest version of the Crown Dependency's Constitution, available here. 

Separately, the Office of the Governing Commissioner wishes to congratulate Lord Andrew Creed on his election to Prime Minister of the Empire of Austenasia. New South Scotland looks forward to working with the Creed Administration as the Empire charts a path of reform. 

Bulletin. 

The previously-advertised referendum to increase the voting age from twelve to eighteen is now open to all New South Scottish citizens. 

Citizens wishing to understand the referendum in greater detail may read the first Commission of Electoral Affairs bulletin here. 

Citizens have the opportunity to vote via the below link until 2359hrs EAST, Tuesday 24 September 2024. 

The results of the referendum will be announced via gubernatorial decree.

Article. 

In an equally amusing and awkward turn of events, a surprise press release issued by the Samizdat Friendship Football League (FFL) has revealed that the New South Scottish Spreadsheet Footbal Association (N3SFA) and Samizdat FFL share a logo. 

Responding to developments with a statement of its own to the Gazette, the N3SFA confirmed that the FFL undoubtedly claimed the logo before their New South Scottish counterparts. However, both sides agree no party legally owns the rights to the image. 

N3SFA and Bamuru Boomerangs CEO, Hugh McFarlane KCA, was eager to set the record straight.

"There is no debate. Although we did not realise it at the time of founding the N3SFA, the FFL clearly beat us to the logo.

"We want to reassure our Samizdat colleagues that this was an innocent mistake. In the spirit of friendship between micronational football leagues, we are more than willing to design a new logo for the N3SFA, which we are legally able to do under Section 1.4 of the decree which created us.

However, we are a competitive bunch in New South Scotland as well. If the FFL is up for the contest, we challenge Samizdat FC to a 'best of three' round of spreadsheet football against the Bamuru Boomerangs. The winning league keeps the logo!"

This masthead is able to confirm that the  Würtige Empire's WUESFA has already agreed to host the competition, should the FFL and Samizdat FC agree to the contest.

In its initial press release, the FFL stated it had contacted the N3SFA to clarify the logo clash, although the N3SFA has been unable to locate this correspondence. 

This story will be updated by the Gazette as the situation develops...

MORE: Update to article in response to Friendship Football League press release here.

Article.

Spreadsheet Football has formally arrived in New South Scotland with a gubernatorial decree establishing the New South Scottish Spreadsheet Football Association (N3SFA). The unique e-sport, which sees notional football clubs compete in a carefully managed, spreadsheet-based competition, has its origins in the Uber-Essian Football System and ​Würtige Championship. The code was more recently consolidated within the Würtige Empire to form the Würtige-Uber-Essian Spreadsheet Football Association (WUESFA).

The inaugural WUESFA season has witnessed an historic championship compared to prior Spreadsheet Football contests. A total of 20 teams are currently competing in the Würtige Premier League (WPL) and a further 20 teams in Würtige Division Two (W2). 

The New South Scottish Honorary District of Bethania has been represented in the WPL by Bethania United while the Honorary District of Bamuru has cut its teeth in the W2 ring, represented by the Bamuru Boomerangs.  

​The Crown Dependency's WUESFA participation is a victory for New South Scotland's new, semi-independent foreign policy. This recently saw the territory forge sub-national foreign relations with  the Technocratic Capital of Würdigeland (TCW), paving the way for inclusion in the WUESFA. ​The Bamuru Boomerangs have even faced competition from the NL Snooks, who represent the Würtige Colony of New Lacedaemonia, located only 920km to the Crown Dependency's southwest.

At the time of publication, New South Scottish premiers Bethania United are placed number eight in the WPL, after initially claiming second place with a crushing opening victory against Mercia's Artifax City (4-0) and a follow-up win against Uberquiesenberg's SpVgg Halyards (2-0). However, Bethania's luck has since sourced with consecutive losses against TCW clubs West Wurdigestadt (0-3) and Bayer Uferstedt (0-1). 

With the W2 division a week behind the WPL, the Boomerangs have fared somewhat less favourably than Bethania United, placing directly ahead of the Snooks as 11th in the competition. Bamuru recovered from a 0-1 loss to Northudankton's Freeswoods Athletic and a 0-2 defeat against Paravia's Galvestik, having scored a 2-0 win against Kaiserliche Universitat to prove that Boomerangs really do come back.

Bulletin.

With the passage of the Gubernatorial Decree for a Constitutional Referendum to Increase the Voting Age 2024, the Commission of Electoral Affairs hereby announces a constitutional referendum for 24 September 2024. 

The Office of the Governing Commissioner has sought the proposed amendment to better reflect the older demography of the Crown Dependency following the 2024 citizenship audit.

Citizens will have an opportunity to vote via a link provided on this website on Tuesday 24 September 2024, until 2359hrs EAST.