lionel hutz Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Best of Luck to them, Wouldn't mind an away cup tie up there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Master Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 ...Orkney FC club... Have they taken naming lessons from Hibs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I think it is, yes, although obviously their location makes it difficult for teams to play outwith their own island groupings. All 3 compete at the Island Games football, which Shetland has previously hosted and won. Orkney and Shetland have rugby union clubs that have occasionally threatened to do something in the Scottish Rugby pyramid, and Scottish Rugby Cup. Incidentally they've played in the national rugby levels before - and Orkney currently play in the North League (tier 5) which runs down to Fife, Stirling, Dundee and Clackmannan - despite rugby being mostly amateur. SRU provides travel assistance grants, IIRC. There doesn't seem to be any Shinty in the Northern or Western isles, bar one shinty club - not competiting in adult leagues - in Uist. Not so, Lewis Camanachd have been competing in North Division 3 since 2011. They are a great succes story and are currently enjoying their best season so far. Their situation illustrates the problems any island football might face though as they start the season by playing a series of away games before a run of home games once the ferry timetable has changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Arran should have had a team thrown into the lowland league instead of the pointless no-marks who got in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 Muir of Ord Rovers and Clachnacuddin Reserves both withdrawn... NCFL will now go ahead with 6 teams next season playing each other x4 for 20 games. Last season they also ran one of the cup tournaments as a Supplementary League followed by SFs & Final. http://www.leaguewebsite.co.uk/northcaledonianfa/LeagueNews/view/33289 So the clubs are: Alness Utd Golspie Sutherland Halkirk Utd Orkney Sutherland Utd Thurso Utd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estragon Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 That and hating people that aren't white and straight. Not just people that aren't white and straight, even their diet chiefly consists of blanched asparagus, uncooked baguettes and dog shit from the 70s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeefc1988 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Was brought up in Shetland and there are a good few teams and some players that could do a good job in most leagues in Scotland. There has long been a call for an application to a mainland league but cost is a massive issue. A plane ticket to aberdeen or inverness alone will set you back no less than £60 one way and the boat is not much cheaper. It just would not be viable. A wee friendly now and again would not go amiss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 Thought an update might be in order. Orkney opened up their season in strong fashion, with a 2-2 draw at home to traditionally strong Golspie Sutherland, followed by a 7-0 home demolition of Alness United. Then they had a blank weekend as other clubs played in League Cup QF (including Lewis & Harris, who demolished Sutherland Utd 7-0, in a tie played at the halfway house of Dingwall). Orkney then took on a third home game in a row which was a squeaked 1-0 win over Thurso. Then another blank weekend. Then their first away game of the season came on Saturday past when they secured a 1-1 draw at defending champions Halkirk. So a credible 2 wins & 2 draws. They're currently top by 1pt. In other islands-related NCFL news, Clachnacuddin of the Highland League scratched from 2 cups, including to Shetland in the NC Cup QF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizfit Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Was brought up in Shetland and there are a good few teams and some players that could do a good job in most leagues in Scotland. There has long been a call for an application to a mainland league but cost is a massive issue. A plane ticket to aberdeen or inverness alone will set you back no less than £60 one way and the boat is not much cheaper. It just would not be viable. A wee friendly now and again would not go amiss. Are Guernsey not facing the same issue in the English lower leagues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivo den Bieman Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 I was just about to say that- Guernsey have been in English non league three seasons now and are in the Ryman League Division One South, three levels below Conf Premier. Certainly, for the first two seasons of their existence, they agreed to meet the travel costs of all visiting teams to smooth their passage into the non league Pyramid. Don't know how high realistically they can aim but a push for Conference South within 5 years or so isn't too fanciful. They get regular 4 figure gates for games at Ryman 1 South level, which more normally attract crowds of 150-300. With people like Matt Le Tissier involved, and a wealthy catchment area to draw on, money isn't a problem, for now. I see no reason why Orkney couldn't compete at a good level if they wanted. Whether there is the appetite for senior league football is another matter, and I doubt they would get beyond their current league, without some similar travel cost arrangement as Guernsey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted October 13, 2014 Author Share Posted October 13, 2014 There's a thread on FitbaNorth which says that Orkney themselves have obtained enough sponsors to cover their transport costs this season, which must be 10 away league games by my reckoning... I think NCFL is playing 2-home-2-away this season... plus cup ties. Apparently they also have a deal with the ferry company ensuring discounted travel for themselves and opponents. And they collect the visiting team from the quayside in a coach so they don't have to pay for a bus, in addition to 20-odd foot passenger fares, but can leave it on the mainland. Part of me is still impressed the existing NCFL clubs were open-minded enough to admit them. If they do win NCFL then there will naturally be interest in whether they'd aspire to go on to HL or North Juniors. What might be more realistic in the short-term could be SFA membership. Getting licensed isn't insurmountable and that would mean Scottish Cup entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherrif John Bunnell Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I remember a few County fans saying they were quite impressed with the set up in Kirkwall when County played there pre-season a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclizine Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 They'd need a bit of work done, the Pickaquoy Centre pitches are unenclosed grass pitches, one surrounded by an athletics track. There is a floodlit all weather pitch - that might make more sense to add an enclosure to. Don't see why it couldn't be done though! Orkney is at least a short ferry trip from the mainland. I could see Shetland struggling distance wise and their home pitch at Gilbertson Park is a swamp of a public park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Imagine a Scottish Cup trip to Orkney or Shetland. That would be wild. The trip to Wick with Raith Rovers was mental a few years ago. Here's a question for HibeeJibee. A place I've always reckoned would be big enough for a small football team is Oban. They have a team, Oban Saints I think. Do they ever progress in the Scottish Cup? What league do they play in? An Oban away day would be really good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclizine Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Oban play in the SAFL Premier Division, they aren't SFA members so can't play in the Scottish Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Shame. Would be good if they were in the highland league or something. The population as of 2011 was over 8000, that makes me think there is opportunity there. Just reading Oban is more a shinty town. Getting a train to Oban for the football would be brilliant though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 I suppose places like Campbeltown, Oban and even Dunoon face the same issues as the islands but on a smaller scale - they have the population and perhaps the players, but are hampered by the travelling. Argyllshire once had decent representation in the Scottish Cup. Campbeltown Campbeltown Athletic entered the Scottish Cup in 1888-89 but scratched an away tie at Oban. Dunoon 1st Argyll Rifle Volunteers entered the Scottish Cup from 1891-92 to 1893-94 but never won a tie: their most notable match was a 7-1 defeat at Morton. They also lost 10-0 at Kilbarchan and 6-0 at Cartvale. Inveraray entered the Scottish Cup from 1890-91 to 1894-95. In their first season they beat Lochgilpead 4-1, then Oban 4-2, before crashing 10-0 at Morton with a crowd of 2,000 present. Next season they beat Oban 3-2, Oban Rangers 4-2, before losing 6-1 at Ayr. Next time out they beat Lochgilpead 6-2 - then Oban scratched to them, then they scratched to Annbank . Following season Fort William scratched to them, then they won 3-1 at Dunach, and they then scratched a home tie to Port Glasgow Athletic (that may have been a financial arrangement). In their final season they scratched to Thornliebank. Lochgilphead entered from 1887-88 into 1892-93. Season #1: lost 9-1 to Oban... #2: beat Balaclava Rangers 15-1 then lost 4-2 at Oban... #3: bye then scratched to Oban... #4: lost 4-1 at Inverary... #5: scratched to Oban Rangers... #6: lost 6:2 at Inverary. I'll consider Oban itself shortly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 Oban Oban FC have been mentioned several times above, and they entered from 1885-86 to 1892-93. Season #1: crashed 9-1 at Vale of Teith... #2: Our Boys Blairgowrie scratched to them, then they lost 8-1 at Dunblane... #3: won 9-1 at Lochgilpead, bye, the lost 5-1 to Arbroath... #4: a walkover v Campbeltown then beat Lochgilpead 4-2, then bye, then lost 6-0 to Clyde. Only Argyll club to ever reach the Fourth Round... #5: beat Oban Rangers 5-2 in local derby, Lochgilpead scratched, then lost 3-0 at Alloa... #6: another local derby was won 3-0, but lost 4-2 at Inverary... #7: lost 3-2 at Inverary... #8: Oban Rangers dispatched 4-3, then scratched to Inverary. Oban Rangers entered from 1888-89 (as Balaclava Rangers) to 1893-94 but usually played second-fiddle to Oban FC. In addition to scores mentioned in my comments on Inverary, Lochgilpead and Oban FC, they lost 4-1 to Dunach in their swansong. Oban West End entered from 1895-96 to 1897-98, being the only Argyll club to play in the Scottish Qualifying Cup. They were very unlucky on their debut losing 5-4 at home to Duncrub Park. Next season they scratched to Newton Thistle. Finally lost 0-9 to high-flying Vale of Leven. Bute had Bute Rangers - who entered in during 1880s and 1890s. They were typically placed in the mainland section and usually lost to strong clubs like Arthurlie, Thornliebank and Neilston. They did hold Neilston to 4-4 draw once, but scratched the replay. Never actually won a tie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Going to Dunoon or Bute can't really be more expensive or problematic for most sides than, say, Peterhead from the Central Belt or Berwick from Peterhead. The ferries are usually subsidised and the extra bodies would merit a similar discount by the companies involved. Get them all in, including an Arran side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I've still to tick Arran off the list of islands I've been to so I'm in full support of this. #getthemallin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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