Smiley Culture Posted November 21, 2018 Posted November 21, 2018 https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/sport/football/highland-league/draft-proposal-to-create-fifth-tier-league-three/amp/ Sounds like a plan to get ‘B’ Teams into the pyramid to me.
ScoRoss Posted November 21, 2018 Posted November 21, 2018 A lot could be done to shake up the lower leagues in Scotland, mainly more rationalisation, but this is a complete none starter. For instance, I'm not sure there are four teams in Scotland capable of funding a full colt team.
Smiley Culture Posted November 21, 2018 Author Posted November 21, 2018 14 minutes ago, ScoRoss said: A lot could be done to shake up the lower leagues in Scotland, mainly more rationalisation, but this is a complete none starter. For instance, I'm not sure there are four teams in Scotland capable of funding a full colt team. Heard that it could be a ten team league, so 4x Highland, 4x Lowland and 2x Colts teams. Which would make more sense and I think even Stevie Wonder could see who those two would be.
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted November 21, 2018 Subscriber Posted November 21, 2018 I can't see it happening either as the Highland League is spread far and wide, I keep an eye out for Wick Academy scores as I worked there for a while and I could not see them being in it, it took me 3 to 4 hours to get there by coach from Edinburgh!! Edit: Actually I think it took longer than 3 hrs by coach, the scenery was beautiful but the winding road went up mountains and you looked down inside the coach from the window and I was shiting myself as I hate heights.
tlr Posted November 21, 2018 Posted November 21, 2018 I remember the prophecies of doom when Brora - the second most northern Highland team - were 20 minutes off beating Montrose in the League Two Play Off Final, since it is the size of a large village and would have been about a 300 mile round trip from their nearest away day. I cannot see how you can introduce another nationwide tier below the current bottom one in Scotland and make it viable - certainly if any of them lie outside the Central Belt. How many people are going to trek from deepest, darkest Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh to watch a fifth tier tie between Buckie and Spartans?
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted November 21, 2018 Subscriber Posted November 21, 2018 1 hour ago, tlr said: I remember the prophecies of doom when Brora - the second most northern Highland team - were 20 minutes off beating Montrose in the League Two Play Off Final, since it is the size of a large village and would have been about a 300 mile round trip from their nearest away day. I cannot see how you can introduce another nationwide tier below the current bottom one in Scotland and make it viable - certainly if any of them lie outside the Central Belt. How many people are going to trek from deepest, darkest Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh to watch a fifth tier tie between Buckie and Spartans? Aye, some people look at a map of Scotland and they think some Cities or Towns are only a few miles apart and don't take long to travel, when I did some security work in Edinburgh before I retired I rang up the control and asked for a relief officer as someone had rung in sick, he was only going to send someone from Aberdeen to Edinburgh by car until I told him that was no good as that would take him around 3 hours to get here, the controller was based in London and he was looking at a small map and he thought it would only take about 1/2 hour traveling time lol. As I said, I don't think it will happen as Highland clubs are spread far and wide and the furthest Highland clubs are Wick Academy & Brora Rangers who you mentioned.
Smiley Culture Posted November 22, 2018 Author Posted November 22, 2018 Is there much appetite within the Highland League to move into League Two? Most games will be absolute mammoth treks and big financial burdens on very small football clubs. I get the impression a certain few teams fancy getting their “Colts” teams into the pyramid somewhere and this was a move to try and facilitate that.
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted November 22, 2018 Subscriber Posted November 22, 2018 12 minutes ago, Smiley Culture said: Is there much appetite within the Highland League to move into League Two? Most games will be absolute mammoth treks and big financial burdens on very small football clubs. I get the impression a certain few teams fancy getting their “Colts” teams into the pyramid somewhere and this was a move to try and facilitate that. A lot of Highland club supporters follow teams in the SPL anyway like Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen etc but a lot of these supporters may travel to see the latter I have just mentioned once in a blue moon if they can afford it, the travel time and cost is a big factor. As I mentioned I stayed in Wick doing security work in 2000 and stayed in a small hotel there, the landlord was a Hearts supporter and he said he may go and see his Jambos play maybe 3 times a year but the cost and work commitment in Wick hampered him from going more, he was happy keeping check of the Hearts score but still watched Wick play but said when they played the likes of Fort William that was around 166 miles travel time he would give that a miss, winter time in the highlands can be pretty bad also for travelling. 3 h 46 min (166.2 mi) via A9 and A82 4 h 7 min (193.5 mi) via A9
ScoRoss Posted November 25, 2018 Posted November 25, 2018 On 22/11/2018 at 19:02, Smiley Culture said: Is there much appetite within the Highland League to move into League Two? Most games will be absolute mammoth treks and big financial burdens on very small football clubs. I get the impression a certain few teams fancy getting their “Colts” teams into the pyramid somewhere and this was a move to try and facilitate that. A few clubs have ambitions of moving into the League structure, but I imagine they are the clubs located in places with better transport links. Cove Rangers, based in Aberdeen, are quite ambitious with their new stadium and are looking to follow Edinburgh City's example. Brora definitely would rather not have to move up a level, unless a reorganisation of the league took place. They have no history of playing these other clubs outside their region and it would probably not be as much interest in their community in them. At least when you play the clubs from surrounding areas there is a bit of rivalry to sell it.
Smiley Culture Posted November 25, 2018 Author Posted November 25, 2018 30 minutes ago, DeadLinesman said: Whatever happened to Gretna? The bloke who pumped his money in, pulled it out when he became ill, which showed how unsustainable it all was, they failed to fulfill a couple of fixtures IIRC and were subsequently relegated and then liquidated. The fans started a new team, who play in the Scottish non-leagues.
DeadLinesman Posted November 25, 2018 Posted November 25, 2018 I remembered the rise from nowhere and then they completely disappeared. Hopefully happens to Man Citeh soon.
tlr Posted November 25, 2018 Posted November 25, 2018 Remember Kenny Deuchar used to score about every ten minutes during their catapult up the leagues. Now playing as Gretna 2008 in the Lowland League. Can remember Annan Athletic, the town next door, replacing them, think it was the first time I had ever seen that properly happen in football.
DeadLinesman Posted November 25, 2018 Posted November 25, 2018 3 minutes ago, tlr said: Remember Kenny Deuchar used to score about every ten minutes during their catapult up the leagues. Now playing as Gretna 2008 in the Lowland League. Can remember Annan Athletic, the town next door, replacing them, think it was the first time I had ever seen that properly happen in football. Got close friends in Annan. See them play a few times each season.
tlr Posted November 25, 2018 Posted November 25, 2018 1 minute ago, DeadLinesman said: Got close friends in Annan. See them play a few times each season. I do keep meaning to go and see either them or new Gretna one day, I think they are the only Saturday matches in Scotland I could actually get back home again from!
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted November 25, 2018 Subscriber Posted November 25, 2018 9 hours ago, Smiley Culture said: The bloke who pumped his money in, pulled it out when he became ill, which showed how unsustainable it all was, they failed to fulfill a couple of fixtures IIRC and were subsequently relegated and then liquidated. The fans started a new team, who play in the Scottish non-leagues. Aye, they are struggling a wee bit at the moment 12th in the Lowland League. Gretna struggled badly in the SPL and the club were placed in administration after Mileson withdrew his support due to illness. At the end of the season, all of the club's staff were made redundant and the club were initially relegated to the Third Division due to their inability to guarantee fulfilment of their forthcoming fixtures. After this demotion, the one remaining offer to buy the club was withdrawn. The club resigned their place in the Scottish Football League on 3 June 2008 and were formally liquidated on 8 August. The club's supporters' trust then decided to establish a new club, Gretna 2008, who were accepted into the East of Scotland Football League on 11 July 2008. Whilst sharing the same fanbase and a similar name, the new club has no legal connection with the original Gretna Football Club. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretna_F.C.
Smiley Culture Posted November 25, 2018 Author Posted November 25, 2018 Sad to see East Stirlingshire as low as that. Perennially shit in the bottom division in Scotland pre-relegation and at one point only able to pay players £10 a week, I had a soft spot for them.
Guest Posted December 15, 2018 Posted December 15, 2018 On 21/11/2018 at 12:40, ScoRoss said: A lot could be done to shake up the lower leagues in Scotland, mainly more rationalisation, but this is a complete none starter. For instance, I'm not sure there are four teams in Scotland capable of funding a full colt team. Why don't teams in non league get prompted in Scotland? I know east sterling got relegated but they finished bottom for about 20 years before they went down
Honey Honey Posted December 15, 2018 Posted December 15, 2018 2 hours ago, Gunnersauraus said: Why don't teams in non league get prompted in Scotland? I know east sterling got relegated but they finished bottom for about 20 years before they went down A lot of them are village teams who are worried about the cost of travel as the league's are split into highland and lowland beneath league two.
Smiley Culture Posted December 15, 2018 Author Posted December 15, 2018 2 hours ago, Gunnersauraus said: Why don't teams in non league get prompted in Scotland? I know east sterling got relegated but they finished bottom for about 20 years before they went down They never had a pyramid below the Scottish League Two till about four or five years ago. East Stirlingshire were the first side relegated in the new play-off system that was introduced, being replaced by Edinburgh City.
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted December 16, 2018 Subscriber Posted December 16, 2018 Edinburgh City sitting on top too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_football_league_system
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted December 16, 2018 Subscriber Posted December 16, 2018 18 hours ago, Gunnersauraus said: Why don't teams in non league get prompted in Scotland? I know east sterling got relegated but they finished bottom for about 20 years before they went down As I mentioned in a post further back, the Distance from Wick to Fort William is around 166 miles so imagine if you lived in Wick and wanted to see the likes Wick v Hearts or Rangers play the travelling time would be colossal and cost a bomb, the majority of the fans in the Highland League would not be able to afford it let alone the club chairman/owner could afford it either. As I mentioned before also I worked in Wick a few years back and it took me hours by coach to get from Edinburgh to Wick, I was lucky as the security firm I worked for paid all the travelling and hotel costs as I would have not been able to afford it myself.
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