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Challenge Cup 2017-18


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19 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Difference this time is numerous "B" teams have made it through to there... 5 tonight, 2 possibles tomorrow.


Two crowds apparently undeclared. Here's the rest:

1,655 - Dundee Utd v Cowdenbeath
1,462 - Dunfermline v Arbroath
1,357 - St Mirren v East Kilbride
1,036 - Morton v Livingston
1,012 - QotS v Airdrie
971 - Raith v Brora
453 - Buckie v Brechin
413 - Stirling Albion v Montrose
387 - Hibs "B" v Elgin
333 - East Fife v Peterhead
319 - Clyde v Stranraer
278 - Annan v Celtic "B"
200 - Formartine v Hearts "B"
190 - Partick "B" v Stirling Uni
169 - Stenhousemuir v Cove
155 - Aberdeen "B" v St Johnstone "B"
155 - Albion Rovers v Spartans
153 - Hamilton "B" v Edinburgh City

? - Kilmarnock "B" v Berwick
? - Ross County "B" v Forfar

Good to see us take our rightful place amongst the 1K+ teams

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57 minutes ago, ropy said:

How widespread was the use of overage players in the U20s?

St Johnstone used two, Aberdeen one. Saints played Callum Hendry (who is a couple of weeks off being eligible and has no discernible first team experience and Ally Gilchrist, who has never played domestically for Saints' first team and is coming back from injury. Aberdeen played Scott McKenna.

I don't endorse this competition at all (and am committed to colts not gaining entry to the league) in its current format but took the opportunity to have a look at Saints U20s at a ground I like. Decent enough game, with Saints unfortunate not to at least force extra-time. Crowd was as you'd expect with it being an hour from Perth and the same from Aberdeen; probably little over a dozen Saints fans there. Very much felt like a youth match (unsurprisingly) rather than a proper cup tie.

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8 hours ago, Marr1 said:

Only crowd that was surprisingly good was the Buckie one - 453 for them is pretty good

Indeed - a few others also held-up fairly well (QotS, Stirling, East Fife).

However most were poor, many dreadful and they've clearly fallen since competition reorganised and added "B" teams etc. - and they appear to be worsening, although not entirely clear until tonight's 4 ties have been played and figures are released for Ross County "B" and Kilmarnock "B" ties.


Last night's attendances as % of last season's league average:

71% - Annan
64% - Stirling Albion
60% - Clyde

54% - Queen of the South
53% - East Fife
43% - Morton

39% - Stenhousemuir
37% - St Mirren
36% - Raith
34% - Albion Rovers
32% - Dunfermline
25% - Dundee Utd

OVERALL = 45%


2016-17's R1 & R2 attendances as % of 2015-16's league average


80% - Stirling Albion

75% - Cowdenbeath
65% - Berwick
64% - Stranraer
62% - Peterhead

57% - Clyde
57% - Queen's Park
51% - Arbroath
47% - Elgin
46% - East Stirlingshire
44% - Brechin

20% - Albion Rovers

OVERALL = 55%

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Just now, Glenconner said:

Basically Annan ripped the price for all it was worth.

I can see why clubs will raise prices - nae c**t is showing up to the games so taking a few quid extra from the silly fannies supporting this Colt farce makes sense. I'm actually disappointed that we've put our price at £10 for tonights match. £25 a skull for me, no concession rates. f**k them.

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Just now, The Moonster said:

I can see why clubs will raise prices - nae c**t is showing up to the games so taking a few quid extra from the silly fannies supporting this Colt farce makes sense. I'm actually disappointed that we've put our price at £10 for tonights match. £25 a skull for me, no concession rates. f**k them.

The danger with the Colt teams coming through the LL and possibly upwards is the effect it will have on the likes of an Annan or a Dumbarton. The trap door sadly awaits certain teams in the very near future.

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Attendances might be affected if the ties are not on season tickets.  Nothing re prices on the Well site for tonight's big clash with QP.  Mind you, the 'Well site mentions that it's season 2010/11 in its Ticket Information section.

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Looks like Highland and Lowland League teams are not much of a draw for fans of clubs like Stenhousemuir and Albion Rovers in much the same way as the colt teams, so I'm not sure the colt teams should be singled out on that. This is a competition that very few people tend to care about until it gets to the latter stages. I suspect the argument in high places would be that the couple of rounds before the U-20 teams get knocked out by Championship and L1 teams is good experience for the players involved and after that the focus of the competition switches to what happens when our second tier full-time clubs play against guest clubs from other parts of the British Isles.

1 hour ago, Glenconner said:

The danger with the Colt teams coming through the LL and possibly upwards is the effect it will have on the likes of an Annan or a Dumbarton. The trap door sadly awaits certain teams in the very near future.

Think as long as it is U-20 rather than U-23 (as the SPL2 proposals originally envisaged) there's not so much danger of that happening to any huge extent and by the time you are dealing with the effect it would have on HL and LL clubs would it be any worse on the gate than the likes of Edusport Academy, Edinburgh University, Rothes (amazing start but let's see if it lasts) and Fort William?

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Another successful evening of entertainment in the Challenge Cup. Brechin fans fuming at losing to lesser opponents 

 

Good to see Hamilton Under 20 win against Edinburgh City. City's fans are not bothered which goes to show their ambitions. Stenhousemuir fans were boasting they dont need this cup

 

Challenge cup is fantastic 

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Never knew about the under 23 idea.

Though i notice the term seems to have changed to B teams. Wouldn't be shocked if the age thingy is dropped long term. Plus a Lowland League 2 or LL East/West till the SFA/SPL get what they want.

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