Ross County v Linlithgow Rose

[grinderbrokeyourhearts]

So are the Juniors basically like those teams in the Highland League that have no ambition to get promoted to the senior leagues? Always seemed odd to me that not all clubs would welcome a proper pyramid in Scottish football.

I think that's a bit harsh. The pyramid isn't set up right, financially it's a huge ask for teams like us to take the leap.

We've travelled 2000 miles in the cup this year and that could easily be a League 2 travel ask. Is it not obvious hat the "lower" top leagues should be more regional? Then I think you have a winner.

[Forfinn]

Is it not obvious hat the "lower" top leagues should be more regional? Then I think you have a winner.

I'd agree with that, definitely. So it's the case that Linlithgow Rose would be interested in entering the senior set-up if the circumstances were right, rather than them being content in a Juniors bubble?

[HTG]

I will say with some certainty that we will not get "cricket scored". With a few breaks last season against Raith we'd have been 3 or 4 up at half time. In this run we've been better at taking our chances. It's a tough ask for us but not one we'll fret about too much - it's Ross County not Barcelona we're playing!

[1320Lichtie]

League 2 travel ask. Is it not obvious that the "lower" top leagues should be more regional? Then I think you have a winner.

No, it isn't. There's absolutely no desire for that from anybody in the lower senior leagues. Linlithgow is the same size as Forfar, you could support it financially if you really wanted too.

[HTG]

No, it isn't. There's absolutely no desire for that from anybody in the lower senior leagues. Linlithgow is the same size as Forfar, you could support it financially if you really wanted too.

Agreed

[grinderbrokeyourhearts]

I'd agree with that, definitely. So it's the case that Linlithgow Rose would be interested in entering the senior set-up if the circumstances were right, rather than them being content in a Juniors bubble?

Yeah I think we would, it might not seem it from those looking from afar but we've been at the forefront of change in the juniors for over a decade now. We pressed for the move from the old John Walker league to merge with the Tayside leagues to create competition and then pressed on to get SFA licensed.

For me there's a clear North East/North West/South East/South West line that could be drawn and that could easily be implemented from League 1 down. Then make it even more regional below that.

It's about getting people to the games at the lower level, so the closer the teams the bigger the gates - once you get up to the top two leagues - the "one off" nature will boost the gates and you'll either kick on and get bigger or drop down to your regional league again.

I can't understand why it hasn't happened yet.

[yoda]

I will say with some certainty that we will not get "cricket scored". With a few breaks last season against Raith we'd have been 3 or 4 up at half time. In this run we've been better at taking our chances. It's a tough ask for us but not one we'll fret about too much - it's Ross County not Barcelona we're playing!

Back Post Misses came out with this exact line earlier in the season. His beloved Falkirk were then slapped back into place with a 7-0 defeat.

Linlithgow (or Rose, do they prefer "Rose"?) will probably score. I think I was still in Thomas The Tank Engine dungarees the last time County kept a clean sheet. Still, County have enough quality to win by a good few goals. Only Celtic and Hearts have scored more league goals at home in the Premiership.

Lay the smack down, McIntyre. As full-strength a team as possible.

[grinderbrokeyourhearts]

No, it isn't. There's absolutely no desire for that from anybody in the lower senior leagues. Linlithgow is the same size as Forfar, you could support it financially if you really wanted too.

I'm not saying that we couldn't, but it would be a hell of a lot more sustainable if we weren't budgeting in trips to Wick, Peterhead, Stranraer into the season.

I just see it as common sense, surely it would stir interest and revive local rivalry and breed competition?

Am I not right in saying the lack of appetite is maybe for fear of dropping down the leagues? The game needs rebalanced for the good of the game.

I'd love a crack at senior football, but I do think it would be a stretch for us as it currently stands.

[1320Lichtie]

I can't understand why it hasn't happened yet.

Because nobody in the senior leagues wants it, I'd go as far as saying I wouldn't bother going if we were playing in a local league. I want to see us compete on a national stage, half our players come from Glasgow/Edinburgh and even further away anyway. What difference would it really make?

Agreed

I'm not going to go and look into populations of senior teams towns but you're the same size as Forfar and bigger than Montrose and Brechin for a start. All 3 get average crowds of 400-600. Linlithgow could do it. I hope they do look to go down that route along with the other bigger clubs, move on, the seniors has so many benefits, SFA money/grounds/cups to things as basic as a fixture list set out at the start of the season! This 'but we have tae travel like a 6 hour round journey for a game 6 times a year' carry on is silly.

[HTG]

Back Post Misses came out with this exact line earlier in the season. His beloved Falkirk were then slapped back into place with a 7-0 defeat.

Linlithgow (or Rose, do they prefer "Rose"?) will probably score. I think I was still in Thomas The Tank Engine dungarees the last time County kept a clean sheet. Still, County have enough quality to win by a good few goals. Only Celtic and Hearts have scored more league goals at home in the Premiership.

Lay the smack down, McIntyre. As full-strength a team as possible.

We get called all sorts - either will do. Obviously the game should only go one way but ICT took a couple of games to get past Stirling and I'd be very optimistic that we'd take a result from them so I think we'll just give it a go and see what happens. We're normally all about playing football but on this occasion, if it moves I'd be booting it!

[1320Lichtie]

I'm not saying that we couldn't, but it would be a hell of a lot more sustainable if we weren't budgeting in trips to Wick, Peterhead, Stranraer into the season.

I just see it as common sense, surely it would stir interest and revive local rivalry and breed competition?

Am I not right in saying the lack of appetite is maybe for fear of dropping down the leagues? The game needs rebalanced for the good of the game.

I'd love a crack at senior football, but I do think it would be a stretch for us as it currently stands.

If you were in the 3rd you'd have 2 trips to Elgin/Annan/Berwick. In the 2nd 2 trips to Peterhead/Stranraer. Vast vast majority of teams in the central belt.

[Sherrif John Bunnell]

We get called all sorts - either will do.

That's refreshing to hear. Some Partick fans seem to get very upset when we call them Partick.

[grinderbrokeyourhearts]

I'm not saying a 10 mile radius. I'm talking St Andrews to Galashiels.

I just think that's more sensible, I think crowds would increase and it would be far more attractive to fans.

Point taken though lads as you are in that league so it's interesting to hear that opinion from the other side.

From our point of view, save Dunfermline we wouldn't have a bigger gate than vs Bo'ness so naturally that worries me.

I do think we'd grow as a club but we are up against Falkirk, Hearts, Hibs and the OF given our place on the railway so it's difficult to get more than we have.

[parsforlife]

Tbh financially a long journey is barely even notable, certainly not prohibitive.

[grinderbrokeyourhearts]

If you were in the 3rd you'd have 2 trips to Elgin/Annan/Berwick. In the 2nd 2 trips to Peterhead/Stranraer. Vast vast majority of teams in the central belt.

Fair point

[grinderbrokeyourhearts]

Tbh financially a long journey is barely even notable, certainly not prohibitive.

I'm also talking from a fan interest point of view. We have an average gate around 300-400. When we play Boness we take 300-400. If it's Stranraer it's a quarter of that at most.

I just see it as an easy way of creating more interest in the game and being more financially stable for smaller clubs.

[Sergeant Wilson]

I've had my eyes opened.

Today I've learned that Linlithgow Rose are in the East Region Superleague, that there are four divisions in the East Region, including, bizarrely, a North Division and South Division; that the North Region has a Superleague and, confusingly, East and West Divisions; and the West Region has a Superleague that consists of a Premier Division and First Division, with supplementary District Divisions.

And that McBookie is everywhere.

What's bizarre about regionalised divisions? County were bottom of one not long ago.

[1320Lichtie]

I'm also talking from a fan interest point of view. We have an average gate around 300-400. When we play Boness we take 300-400. If it's Stranraer it's a quarter of that at most.

I just see it as an easy way of creating more interest in the game and being more financially stable for smaller clubs.

Aww min, sorry for crashing this but it winds me up every time I see stuff like that. You've probably noticed elsewhere.

Even these local leagues just wouldn't work. I mean who would be in ours? Forfar/Brechin/Montrose... Then who? There's not any HL/LL teams around here or any junior teams of any note, Carnoustie/Tayport/Broughty etc are quite decent junior teams (I think) but they have 10 men and a dug watching games, there's not any interest in it up here. For whatever reason there seems to be a few good size junior teams playing in the same league as teams they dwarf.

Broughty, like a load of other clubs in the Superleague/Juniors for example. Playing in front of 20 people a home game then 300 when they go to Bo'ness. Derbies would also become utter shite if you played one every single week.

Travelling really isn't an issue, it would be a breath of fresh air for yourselves and the set up overall if clubs like Linlithgow, Bo'ness and any other junior team with crowds of 350+ tried to progress on. It really would.

I think some of you guys are getting stuck in the past and tradition.

Anyway, I'll stop derailing the thread. I'll be hoping you guys can do something in Dingwall. (a million miles away from the vast majority of teams and a population of 5,000 by the way!!)

[parsforlife]

I'm also talking from a fan interest point of view. We have an average gate around 300-400. When we play Boness we take 300-400. If it's Stranraer it's a quarter of that at most.

I just see it as an easy way of creating more interest in the game and being more financially stable for smaller clubs.

How interesting would it be in the east region point of view if it was in place this year? You need to keep some form of competiveness and national football certainly assures that more so, big risk going regional and loosing the interesting title/relegation battles.

The idea that Arbroath vs Peterhead has a higher crowd than Arbroath vs annan is bonkers. Berwick aren't going to bring the same crowds as Ayr would to east end(which isn't particularly significant) either.

[The Mantis]

In saying that we cruised past Stirling Albion with a 9-0 win and who remembers the game v Whitehill Welfare back in the Highland League days. I wont

You're as bad as that erse Bannerman who mixes up Whitehill and Annan yet if anybody mixed up Fraserburgh and Forres he'd blow a gasket

As somebody else pointed out it was St Cuthberts from the SOSL you beat 11-0 and not WW of the EOSL and now the LL.

Actually that was in the old days of the Qualifying cup. Remember the last 4 qualified for the Scottish.

The final of the South Q-cup saw Whitehill beat St Cuthberts 5-0. A certain Bobby Wilson was there to spy on St Cuthberts and I was speaking to him on the way out, and saying County would only need 9 men to beat that lot and Bobby just laughed. I heard later, maybe it was from Barry Wilson, he had to big up how good St Cuthberts were just in case the County players went out on the lash Friday night.