[Hoss]

Mr Ed, on May 1 2008, 19:44, said:

Perhaps players were better years ago and I am old enough to remember many great players from the past but one thing is still the same, only one team has ever won the league in any given season and following that the rest have followed on i.e. second ,third etc.
So by that logic all teams could not all have been brilliant or the league would have ended up tied. As far as I can see every team in the league tries their best with what players are available at the time and every team has over the years generally tried to improve their facilities ( yes I know one or two could do better) .As someone who spent many years in amateur football please let me tell you there is no comparison between the leagues, I have never seen the players putting up the nets or having to pay for a game or for their training in the South. Could things be better ? yes they could , but by that old saying " You can only p--- with the c--- youve got. B)

how did the teams back in the good old days fare in the Scottish cup? Only askin cause recent teams have done okay....if the old south teams were that much better they should have fared better(if they got into the cup back then?) is that logical??????????

[boyfaethetoon]

saint scoop, on May 2 2008, 07:24, said:

well said rab saints been in four finals ok won one lost two one on pens against strong annan team final to come in the other semi monday, beat crichton 5-1 beat threave in a semi, stranraer fc in two boyfaetoon i s a numpty so if the not in top lot teams

Surely this forum is for us all to express our opinions not call each other names such as numpty i probably know more about football than you ever will and played at a level you never will so why come on and call people names just cos they have a different opinion to you mind you i suppose you have to keep up the good name of saints fans ignorant and clueless

[boyfaethetoon]

Mr Ed, on May 1 2008, 19:44, said:

Perhaps players were better years ago and I am old enough to remember many great players from the past but one thing is still the same, only one team has ever won the league in any given season and following that the rest have followed on i.e. second ,third etc.
So by that logic all teams could not all have been brilliant or the league would have ended up tied. As far as I can see every team in the league tries their best with what players are available at the time and every team has over the years generally tried to improve their facilities ( yes I know one or two could do better) .As someone who spent many years in amateur football please let me tell you there is no comparison between the leagues, I have never seen the players putting up the nets or having to pay for a game or for their training in the South. Could things be better ? yes they could , but by that old saying " You can only p--- with the c--- youve got. B)

I take your point ed but dont you think players in the south years ago had more ability stronger and they only got booked or sent off for real tackles not petty things like now and you hardly saw anyone argue with the ref. Its a shame Tarff didn't manage to keep going with the players they were bringing in the league was getting back to what it used to be a hard competative league that did attract far more fans whats your thoughts?

[Queensthroughandthrough]

boyfaethetoon, on May 2 2008, 13:49, said:

I take your point ed but dont you think players in the south years ago had more ability stronger and they only got booked or sent off for real tackles not petty things like now and you hardly saw anyone argue with the ref. Its a shame Tarff didn't manage to keep going with the players they were bringing in the league was getting back to what it used to be a hard competative league that did attract far more fans whats your thoughts?

This league is better now than ever before.

There are more teams from the districts than I can ever remember competing in the South League.

Even match programmes have been issued for important games.

It's just a damn pity that the teams who receive money don't invest it into their stadia, it would make me go to more games for sure.

[P.A.F.C]

Queensthroughandthrough, on May 2 2008, 16:14, said:

This league is better now than ever before.

There are more teams from the districts than I can ever remember competing in the South League.

Even match programmes have been issued for important games.

It's just a damn pity that the teams who receive money don't invest it into their stadia, it would make me go to more games for sure.

Dont agree with you on the league being better now . NEWTON and SAINTS were producing programmes for league games back in 1980,s. I totally agree that money should be spent on grounds though.

[Slipmat]

boyfaethetoon, on May 2 2008, 14:49, said:

I take your point ed but dont you think players in the south years ago had more ability stronger and they only got booked or sent off for real tackles not petty things like now and you hardly saw anyone argue with the ref. Its a shame Tarff didn't manage to keep going with the players they were bringing in the league was getting back to what it used to be a hard competative league that did attract far more fans whats your thoughts?

Sure there were some classy teams in the past but there was still a big divide between the best and the rest. Before Burns started pumping money into Tarff they were rank and you could predict in any season in the late 70s/80s/90s that they, Creetown and Girvan would be down at the bottom while Threave, Dalbeattie, Annan and Stranraer (and Lincluden Swifts when they were on the go) would be at the top with the rest somewhere in between. Then when Tarff got their financial backing they were so far ahead of most of the other clubs that you couldn't really say the league was competitive because Tarff were winning everyhting.

As far as player ability goes you have to remember there are 5 or 6 more clubs now than there were 20 years ago so it's natural that the talent that's available gets spread around more and lesser players who maybe wouldn't have got to play in the SOSL 20 years ago would get a game now.

Have to agrre about the bookings and sendings off now though - there are far more cards being dished out for much more innocuous looking tackles.

Going back to the original subject of the thread if Whithorn came into the league where would they get the players from if the likes of Wigtown and Stranraer Ath in Wigtownshire have already been badly hit by Stranraer forming a reserve team?

[boyfaethetoon]

Slipmat, on May 2 2008, 19:24, said:

Sure there were some classy teams in the past but there was still a big divide between the best and the rest. Before Burns started pumping money into Tarff they were rank and you could predict in any season in the late 70s/80s/90s that they, Creetown and Girvan would be down at the bottom while Threave, Dalbeattie, Annan and Stranraer (and Lincluden Swifts when they were on the go) would be at the top with the rest somewhere in between. Then when Tarff got their financial backing they were so far ahead of most of the other clubs that you couldn't really say the league was competitive because Tarff were winning everyhting.

As far as player ability goes you have to remember there are 5 or 6 more clubs now than there were 20 years ago so it's natural that the talent that's available gets spread around more and lesser players who maybe wouldn't have got to play in the SOSL 20 years ago would get a game now.

Have to agrre about the bookings and sendings off now though - there are far more cards being dished out for much more innocuous looking tackles.

Going back to the original subject of the thread if Whithorn came into the league where would they get the players from if the likes of Wigtown and Stranraer Ath in Wigtownshire have already been badly hit by Stranraer forming a reserve team?

Agree with most things your saying but there were some right good games when tarff had the guys from ayrshire and further because other teams upt their game i can remember several games with tarff and creetown well worth the the entrance money but i really do think that the south have allowed too many amateur teams in. As for facilities some of the member clubs should take a good look at theirs i know Newton dont own their changing rooms but surely they should be condemed, and lets hope the sfa or someone helps none member clubs Creetown could do with new changing rooms. So lets hope tomorrow at the Cricton serves up a stormer of a game and shows us the standard aint that bad.

[boyfaethetoon]

Mr Ed, on May 2 2008, 22:57, said:

Football has changed, players have ,I think, as much ability as as they did in the old days but are softer.Yes referees do book players for things that would never have been bookings before.In going back to when I say softer let me explain.I know lots of players playing South football now who do not train at all ,they think because they have some ability and perhaps score goals then they are above that type of thing.It is no accident that that the older players that are still playing at a high level are still good players. It is because they have worked hard throughout their careers and really care about the game. Perhaps one of the biggest changes to football is the number of players who think that playing on a Sunday and winning against crap teams is some kind of achievment. I am a great believer in that you should always play to the highest standard that you are capable off and that only by working hard will you ever know how good you could be. B)

True enough what you say i find it strange some south players dont train surely playing in a league that is supposed to be senior football they would train, when i played amateur we trained twice a week at least and paid for the privalage of slogging our guts out then went to 3 or 4 times depending on the games

[P.A.F.C]

boyfaethetoon, on May 1 2008, 17:31, said:

The league really is poor and most of the teams would serve better in tha amateur leagues when i watched the south years ago it was a right good competative league with players like Bobby Mckie Sandy Sutherland and Jim Bark ect all playing in it and more weeks than not first team players stepping into the Stranraer Reserve team I used to enjoy the south rather than first team matches now i only watch the south if nothing else is on.

I wonder how some of todays teams would cope with the front pairing of Jim Bark and Jim Hannah or when they came up against Harry Rogers or the late Ben Herries.

[boyfaethetoon]

P.A.F.C, on May 4 2008, 16:46, said:

I wonder how some of todays teams would cope with the front pairing of Jim Bark and Jim Hannah or when they came up against Harry Rogers or the late Ben Herries.

The players you have quoted would stroll past any team in the present south league in fact i heard a wee rumour that a south team tried to talk bobby mckie out of retirement but bobby has a dodgey knee although stiil plays six a sides and strolls through

[P.A.F.C]

boyfaethetoon, on May 4 2008, 16:45, said:

The players you have quoted would stroll past any team in the present south league in fact i heard a wee rumour that a south team tried to talk bobby mckie out of retirement but bobby has a dodgey knee although stiil plays six a sides and strolls through

Bobby,s a great guy played against him many times he was a good solid player but was treated unfairly when he was in charge of reserves in reserve league West (i think).Ended going from team of locals to mainly trialists and first teamers.I,m totally with you that players from that era would walk south league.

[boyfaethetoon]

P.A.F.C, on May 4 2008, 18:06, said:

Bobby,s a great guy played against him many times he was a good solid player but was treated unfairly when he was in charge of reserves in reserve league West (i think).Ended going from team of locals to mainly trialists and first teamers.I,m totally with you that players from that era would walk south league.

Yes i agree Bobby was a good guy i was lucky enough to play beside him for 3 years and he never shirked a challenge and put the fear of god into opponents he had a decent touch too. and helped young guys playing beside him he would talk to you the full game