NE63 exile

The door is well and truly shut on going back to England now. Once the club moved back into Scotland they signed their membership of the English FA away for good just as the Welsh clubs did who opted for the League of Wales back in the early 1990s. I was a regular visitor over there during their Northern League and Northern Premier League days and as Cowdenbeath says they were a very well ran and respected club. Never heard anyone have a bad word to say about them in all the years I travelled across there. Always looked after you and offered the hand of friendship. It was a totally different atmosphere the last few times I was there during the season when they won the second division in 2005/6.

Was at the game myself. Pretty much how I called it.

I wondered whether Darvel’s form may take a wee drop after they exited the Scottish Cup. Especially after all the hype of the Aberdeen win and the Falkirk build-up. Sometimes it can be hard to pick things up again once all the media attention his died down. Big game on Saturday now with all to play for.

Neilston management team went after the game I heard.

Some interesting points made by Newky Broon and Back Post Willie. In response to Newky's point about the problems faced at Berwick because of Bonnyrigg's emergence, I think you could go back a little further to when Edinburgh City got promoted when the Berwick manager's gig became that little bit harder because there was a team in the Capital who could offer the Lothian-based players league football on their doorstep without having to make a 100-mile trip down the A1 for home games. The training base in Haddington I'm told could always be a problem when trying to attract players from Edinburgh & the Central Belt when the City clubs were training on the doorstep. I think the club had looked at facilities in Edinburgh but it came down to cost and it was a lot more expensive than what the place in Haddington cost. As regards bringing-in North East based players as Back Post Willie suggested you'll need to pay top dollar to get the mercenaries from the Toon to commit to making the journey up the A1. The likes of Blyth Spartans, Morpeth Town, North Shields and Ashington are all throwing serious money around down there and to temp the guys to have to go a further 50-60 miles north for home games plus the travelling for the away games is going to cost some big bucks.

The weather been good up in the Bonar Bridge area this week so their pitch should be ok as it was bit heavy after last week’s game with Invergordon.

Gone down to one division for now as Duncanrig have pulled out and Claremont are taking a season out to regroup with a view to rejoining for season 2023/24.

As far as I’m aware Threave tend to rely on signing local based players from down in the South West.

Have to agree with the other posters a cracking appointment for Beith. Can’t say I wasn’t surprised at the announcement what with him being available and the post vacant.

According to Bet365 stats tonight not one shot on or off target. How long can Ferguson survive.

One of my best mates and truly still stunned by the news. He not only loved his hometown club but he had a passion for the game at this level. Feel for his colleagues at Stranraer who were truly choked when they told me today. He’ll be a massive miss to everyone who knew him.

Stevie Aitken would be a good appointment in my opinion. Safe pair of hands. Did a great job with Stranraer and did reasonably well with Dumbarton until it seemed to go pear-shaped towards the end of reign.

All the big hitters from the Southern League joined but a couple from the Northern Premier League didn’t. Can’t remember if Mossley didn’t get a ground grading or just knocked it back. They were Trophy finalists the season of the APL was formed. Southport knocked their invitation too on financial grounds. Blyth Spartans were offered the chance but didn’t want to move and the Isthmian League were not part of the pyramid like the Northern League at the time so it was a couple of seasons later until the likes of Enfield and Dagenham got the nod. Promotion was not compulsory until a few years ago. You had to put your name forward by a certain date if you didn’t that was it you couldn’t be considered for it.

Even after promotion/relegation was brought in a couple of clubs have been denied promotion as their grounds were deemed not suitable for a ground grading and were not gave time to get the work done.

Sorry to see you guys go (from a Berwick fan who has suffered the same fate). I’ve had some good afternoon’s out at the Glebe and it was always a pleasant ground to visit. Realistically anyone in that bottom division is one poor season from suffering the same fate now. There is no margin for error now. What now for City? Am I right in saying your manager is contracted for a further two seasons and I wouldn’t have thought many players from the central belt will fancy the Highland League. Would it be not more viable at looking at getting in a manager who knows the Highland League scene and the players in the catchment area?