Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted December 6, 2020 Author Subscriber Posted December 6, 2020 Six of today’s Highland League clashes have now been called off
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted December 13, 2020 Author Subscriber Posted December 13, 2020 Quote Highland League: Huntly’s Cammy Bowden hoping for Scottish Cup progress Cammy Bowden hopes Huntly can seize their Scottish Cup chance this weekend. The Black and Golds face Lowland League side Dalbeattie Star at Christie Park in the competition’s second preliminary round. For Highland League clubs competing in the Scottish Cup is a prestigious occasion with the prospect of a tie against one of the country’s biggest clubs a possibility if you can get through a few rounds. Defender Bowden hopes Huntly can get past the first hurdle in the tournament for the first time since season 2016-17. He said: “We need to work on the stuff that we didn’t do quite so well on Saturday (1-1 draw against 10-man Deveronvale), but we’re all really looking forward to the game. “It’s a big chance at home in the Scottish Cup to go and do well and everyone’s looking forward to it. “As a player, there’s always that buzz about the Scottish Cup and the opportunity it provides to potentially get through some rounds and play teams from a higher level. “But it will be a tough game against Dalbeattie, but hopefully we can get our first win of the season against them.” Bowden joined Huntly in the summer after 11 years at Turriff United. During his time at the Haughs, he experienced a number of ties against SPFL opposition. However, the one that stands out was in the 2012-13 campaign was Turriff reached the fourth round and faced First Division Morton. After a draw at the Haughs, they were defeated in a Cappielow replay. Bowden added: “We had some decent games when I was at Turriff. I think the best we did was reaching the fourth round and we earned a replay against Morton. “We drew with them at the Haughs and then went to Cappielow so it can be a great occasion for people to play against these teams, but firstly we’ve got to focus on putting in a good performance on Saturday to get a result.” Huntly are still seeking their first win of the season under new manager Allan Hale, they picked up their first point in the Highland League against Deveronvale at the weekend. Bowden believes it is only a matter of time before they click fully into gear. He said: “I think they are because it’s a good team full of good characters. “Everyone wants to win and they’re not happy with just getting a point on Saturday and there are some really good players. “I think things are coming together, we’ve got a few new boys coming into the team so things can take a bit of time to get that momentum going, but certainly it will come.” https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/highland-league/2713015/huntly-cammy-bowden-scottish-cup/
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted December 25, 2020 Author Subscriber Posted December 25, 2020 Quote Keith chairman Andy Troup had seen first-hand the benefit of having supporters back into football stadiums. Highland League outfit Keith were one of the clubs permitted to have fans back into their ground. Clubs at this level have gone to great expense to put measures in place to make members of the public feel safe on their return to stadiums. Kynoch Park, the home of Keith, will, however, be closed again for spectators on Boxing Day for the Scottish Cup tie with Hill of Beath Hawthorn. The national lockdown – starting today – had put paid to any hopes of keeping fans coming through the gates. “It’s good for their mental health; I’ve been speaking to a number of fans coming through the gates and this is all they’ve been looking forward to on a Saturday,” said chairman Andy Troup. “With there being no hospitality it freed me up to be at the forefront with the temperature checks and the feedback I had been getting is they can’t believe what we’ve had to put in place. “I haven’t had anyone say they feel unsafe. The stuff we’ve had to put in place is unbelievable and that’s the same for all Highland League grounds.” Their 5-1 win over Fort William earlier this month presented them with a first home Scottish Cup win in more than two decades. They knew, should they have got through, that the first round was set for Boxing Day and conversations needed to be had. “There’s not really any additional challenges. The first one is player availability and there’s only one that might not be available,” added Troup. “A big thing is the amount of volunteers we have that do day-to-day things. I spoke to them a couple of weeks ago that if we got through, the date was set for Boxing Day and would they be available. They all said yes.” One of Keith’s most memorable days in recent history came in the Scottish Cup, where albeit they were defeated 10-1 by Rangers at Pittodrie in the 1995-96 season, the whole town rallied behind the Maroons. “I remember the late Sandy Stables saying ‘could the last person in Keith switch out the lights’ because there was no-one left in the town,” added Troup. “That always stuck with me. “This is probably the biggest competition in the calendar for most clubs. It brings so much hype to the club and the players. “The money makes a huge difference. If we could get to round three or even four, that’s a life-changing some of the money for any Highland League club. “You can see what it did for Fraserburgh when they got Rangers – the whole town came together. Every Highland League club puts so much work in, something like this brings everyone together.” https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/highland-league/2749912/keith-fc-andy-troup-scottish-cup/
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted January 2, 2021 Author Subscriber Posted January 2, 2021 Scottish Cup - Jan 1 2021 Brora Rangers v Camelon Juniors Match postponed waterlogged pitch.
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted January 10, 2021 Author Subscriber Posted January 10, 2021 Scottish Cup Saturday 9 January Fraserburgh 2-1 Banks O'Dea (Result) Monday 11 January Cameron Juniors v Brora Rangers 1-2 (Result) All other matches postponed due to Covid regulations Tuesday 12 January Formartine v Annan Athletic P Buckie Thistle v Inverness Caledonian Thistle P Keith FC v Clyde P Dumbarton v Huntley FC P Wednesday 13 January Nairn County FC v Montrose P
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted January 31, 2021 Author Subscriber Posted January 31, 2021 Quote Wick Academy boss Gary Manson suggests Highland League extension to answer pyramid play-off quandary Wick Academy boss Gary Manson reckons the Highland League season will have to be extended if they have any hope of completing it. As it stands, the league calendar is due to run until April 17, but no team has yet played more than three games, with Strathspey Thistle yet to play a fixture in the Highland League. The division is currently on pause as part of the shutdown of football below the Scottish Championship and recently there has been less optimism about getting the season finished. The Highland League also has the added factor of the pyramid play-off to consider. Last year, despite naming a champion in Brora Rangers, the league were denied a representative in the playoffs when they were scrapped. Usually, they are required to finish before the end of April to allow time for the pyramid play-off to take place. Wick boss Manson said: “I’m not very optimistic, to be honest. The only thing I can see is, with Leagues One and Two being paused, if they want to go finish their season then we should be able to finish ours and complete the playoff games for the pyramid system. “That’s the only stickler. In years gone by there was no promotion and I imagine, if that was still the case, the league would have been called already. But the leagues are in a tricky situation; they don’t want to give up their place in the pyramid system, so they’re going to have to try their very best to finish the season so the play-offs can take place. “When that’s going to be? I have no idea. No matter what they’re going to have to push the season out – normally they would have to finish by the middle of April. I would think the end of May would be a more realistic date. If you’ve got the play-offs at the end of that, you’re going into June. “It’s a nightmare. I don’t envy Rod (Houston, league secretary). He’s in a tricky situation where he’s got so many people to please and, as you know, you can’t please everybody.” Manson’s side has only played two league games this campaign, with a further two in the Scottish Cup. Wick was also one of several clubs to see crowds back this season, with the league opener against Buckie Thistle and the Scottish Cup tie with Musselburgh Athletic played in front of spectators at Harmsworth Park. The Scorries traditionally have a healthy home support and Manson was pleased they got to see some sort of football this season. He added: “Back in November, it felt like life was sort of getting back to normal before the second spike happened and having a crowd was part of that. Then the second wave hit, worse than before, so it was a bit of a novelty in respect of the two games.” https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/highland-league/2852863/wick-academy-gary-manson-highland-league-season/
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted February 2, 2021 Author Subscriber Posted February 2, 2021 Quote Highland League: Nairn County chairman Donald Matheson backs delaying next season to finish the current one Nairn County chairman Donald Matheson would advocate pushing back the start of the 2021-22 season to get the current one completed. With news that football below the Championship was to remain paused coming out on Friday, taking it until at least February 14, the Highland League would be under pressure to get all the current fixtures played on time. At present April 17 is the last date for matches this season, however, it looks as though this will have to be extended with teams only playing a handful of their 15 games. The league’s management committee will meet tonight to discuss the latest developments, with Scottish Cup concerns also likely to be raised. Seven clubs – Brora Rangers, Keith, Huntly, Formartine United, Fraserburgh, Nairn and Buckie Thistle – are still in the competition, with the prospect of ties against clubs who are or hope to be testing players. Matheson said: “I was speaking with (league secretary) Rod Houston through the week and what was reported in the papers – still hoping to complete the league – if we can get back to playing then the priority has to be completing the league. “The Scottish Cup has to be looked at. I don’t know what’s going to happen with that until Monday. We’ll see if the SFA had anything to say about that. “The priority has to get the league done and dusted, regardless of how long it’s going to take, but then we have to look at what happens if it runs really late. It can run on but then it’s the preparation for starting the season as normal at the end of July. That I can see getting pushed back a couple of weeks, to give the boys a bit of a break.” The Highland League usually finishes before the end of April to fit in with the pyramid play-off, where the champion will face the winner of the Lowland League. The victor then goes on to face the bottom side in League Two for a place in the SPFL. There has been a mixed reaction to what could happen to the Highland League, with Rod Houston optimistic it could be completed and others more sceptical about it. Matheson added: “Again, you just don’t know. You’re hypothesising a lot of the time. It could come up all sweetness and light – what happens if things change again? It’s a year in March. We thought it’d be three or four months. At least we did get back to playing some football, which was a huge bonus for the supporters, players and everyone involved. “I know what I want to happen but I just don’t know. I hope we do get some form of football back, even if we have to be back behind-closed-doors again. We can then maybe get set up with the streaming again, which seem to be reasonably successful. If we do that at least we can show people some football, even if they can’t be at the ground.” https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/highland-league/2855524/nairn-county-donald-matheson-highland-league/
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted February 25, 2021 Author Subscriber Posted February 25, 2021 Quote Highland League asked if clubs would be able to carry out Covid-19 testing ahead of restart talks The SFA have asked the Highland League and Lowland League if they would be willing to conduct Covid-19 tests ahead of talks about a possible restart. It is understood the two divisions at level five of the Scottish football pyramid have a meeting with the governing body today regarding when they may be able to resume and prior to those discussions have been asked if they would be in a position to carry out testing. All football in Scotland below the Championship has been suspended since January 11 and it is not yet clear when, or if, it may return. Prior to the shutdown clubs outwith the Premiership were able to train and play while carrying out temperature checks on those involved. From last month the Championship clubs have also started carrying out Covid-19 testing. Clubs in League One and Two have offered to conduct weekly coronavirus tests on personnel in a bid to get their campaigns up and running again. However, figures within the Highland League have previously ruled out testing because of the cost and it is believed that will be relayed to the SFA. It is understood if clubs were to test it would cost them around £1500 a week. It is not known if Highland League clubs not being in a position to carry out Covid-19 testing could lead them being in cold storage for a longer period than their League One and Two counterparts and the potential ramifications that could have for the pyramid play-offs. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/highland-league/2927782/highland-league-asked-if-clubs-would-be-able-to-carry-out-covid-19-testing-ahead-of-restart-talks/
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted March 2, 2021 Author Subscriber Posted March 2, 2021 Quote UPDATE: SFA says ‘commitment to weekly PCR testing’ convinced Scottish Government to allow the return of League One, League Two and SWPL1 March 2, 2021 The Scottish FA has confirmed League One, League Two, Scottish Women’s Premier League 1 and the Scottish Cup have been allowed to return on the basis all teams perform weekly Covid testing. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon earlier revealed some of Scotland’s part-time professional leagues will be able to return to action, with Highland League sides permitted to complete their Scottish Cup ties as long as they test for those matches. Football below the Championship has been suspended since early January. The First Minister said: “Later today, the Public Health Minister will support the resumption of competitive football in Scottish Leagues One and Two, the Scottish Women’s Premier League 1 and for the purposes of playing Scottish Cup ties, certain Highland League teams. “I hope this news will be welcomed by football fans across the country.” A statement from the SFA this afternoon promised a revised Scottish Cup schedule as soon as possible, while also saying the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and Scottish Women’s Football (SWF) would provide “respective league fixture schedules in due course”. It read: “The Scottish FA welcomes news from the First Minister that Scottish Women’s Premier League 1 and SPFL League One and Two can return to football activity immediately. “The parameters under which that return is allowed follows discussions between the Scottish FA and representatives of each league and based on the current SPFL Premiership and Championship Joint Response Group Protocols, including a requirement to undertake PCR testing once per week. “Scottish Women’s Football Premier League 2, Highland League, Lowland League, East, West & South of Scotland Leagues, Scottish Junior FA Leagues and the North Caledonian League all remain under temporary suspension and their return to football activity will be reviewed in line with the Scottish Government’s road map out of the Covid-19 crisis. “We will continue to liaise with representatives of those leagues in the coming weeks to establish an appropriate return to football protocols. “The Scottish Cup has also been given the approval to resume, with all clubs in the competition given permission to participate subject to compliance with PCR testing requirements. Revised Scottish Cup fixture dates will be announced as soon as possible. “The SPFL and SWF will also update on the respective league fixture schedules in due course.” Rod Petrie, Scottish FA president, said: “We are pleased that the First Minister has again recognised the importance of football in Scotland. “The decision to temporarily suspend parts of the professional game played by predominantly part-time teams was not an easy one to take. None the less, given the sharp rise in infection rates caused by new strains of the virus at the start of the year, it was the right thing to do to assist the national effort to reduce its prevalence during the lockdown. “The preparatory work undertaken with representatives of affected leagues and their commitment to the inclusion of weekly PCR testing has given ministers the confidence to permit the return of SWPL1 and SPFL League One and Two. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/spfl/2941651/first-minister-nicola-sturgeon-confirms-some-leagues-below-the-championship-will-be-allowed-to-restart1/
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted March 24, 2021 Author Subscriber Posted March 24, 2021 Quote Brora Rangers 2 Heart of Midlothian 1 Brora Rangers created one of the biggest shocks in Scottish Cup history as the Highland League champions knocked out Hearts in the second round. Christophe Berra appeared to have saved the Championship leaders' blushes by cancelling out Jordan MacRae's early opener with 20 minutes remaining. But Martin MacLean replied five minutes later to book a home tie against League Two side Stranraer in the third round. FULL REPORT
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted July 9, 2021 Author Subscriber Posted July 9, 2021 Saturday 24 Jul 2021 Breedon Highland Football League Brechin City FC - v - Turriff United FC Buckie Thistle FC - v - Lossiemouth FC Deveronvale FC - v - Brora Rangers FC Forres Mechanics FC - v - Wick Academy FC Fraserburgh FC - v - Formartine United FC Huntly FC - v - Strathspey Thistle FC Inverurie Loco Works FC - v - Clachnacuddin FC Keith FC - v - Nairn County FC Rothes FC - v - Fort William FC Wednesday 28 Jul 2021 North of Scotland Cup Forres Mechanics FC - v - Rothes FC Nairn County FC - v - Lossiemouth FC Strathspey Thistle FC - v - Golspie Sutherland FC Saturday 31 Jul 2021 Breedon Highland Football League Brechin City FC - v - Keith FC Brora Rangers FC - v - Rothes FC Clachnacuddin FC - v - Huntly FC Formartine United FC - v - Forres Mechanics FC Fort William FC - v - Fraserburgh FC Lossiemouth FC - v - Inverurie Loco Works FC Nairn County FC - v - Deveronvale FC Strathspey Thistle FC - v - Wick Academy FC Turriff United FC - v - Buckie Thistle FC Breedon Highland Football League - 2021/2022 Season Pos P W D L GF GA GD P Brechin City FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brora Rangers FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Buckie Thistle FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Clachnacuddin FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Deveronvale FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Formartine United FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Forres Mechanics FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fort William FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fraserburgh FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Huntly FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Inverurie Loco Works FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Keith FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lossiemouth FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nairn County FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rothes FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Strathspey Thistle FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Turriff United FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wick Academy FC - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ScoRoss Posted August 13, 2021 Posted August 13, 2021 Swapping the Caribbean for Glebe Park. Can he handle a Tuesday night away to Wick though?
Subscriber CaaC (John)+ Posted August 13, 2021 Author Subscriber Posted August 13, 2021 2 hours ago, ScoRoss said: Swapping the Caribbean for Glebe Park. Can he handle a Tuesday night away to Wick though? He will love Wick, spent some time working there years back, lovely place to work.
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