We have applied to the SFA to have Saturday's match against Petehead postponned due to our injury problems.

Full story in a bit.

Not to be nasty but i dont think you will get the postponement due to the fact it is not an illness that is the problem. As far as i know clubs are supposed to factor in injury problems like this as part of the season.

Okay out of an outfield squad of 17, the following are unavailable through injury.

David King, Gary Lynn, David Dunn, Paul Lunan, David Keogh, Ritchie Montgomery, Craig Lumsden, Gavin Beith, & Alan Rattray (9)

In addition Fraser Coyle is a major doubt and Paul Tosh isn't match fit (but would probably make the game).

If the SFA do stipulate that we must play then...

GK Sean Murdoch
DEF
MID Barry Donald, Kevin Moon, Kevin Webster
FWD Gary Fraser, Darren Gribben, Michele Lombardi, Paul Tosh
------
Sub: Wood (GK)

.. would have to be joined by two trialists and a player brought in on loan.

Incidently is it 2 or 3 games a player can play as a trialist before you have to sign (and does being an un-used sub count as an 'apperance')

Ahh happy days!

I thought you would have to have less than 11 players for the game to be postponed.

EDIT: Just seen Big Kev's post, he just got in before me.

I beleive there is a % threshold for injured players.... i.e x players injured out of a squad of y.

If we have to play, we have to play

Dont you have youth players that can play as i say it is horrendous injury problems, but i dont think the SFA can allow a postponement just for that fact.

No youth or reserve teams.

Not sure if such a situation has arrisen before to be honest.... having a trawl through google now.

Didn't Hearts appeal for their game against Inverness to be postponed a couple of years back due to illness? They ended up having to play the game and lost 2-0 if I remember correctly.

I'll play for a bridie

Aye so aboot 9 fit players (obviously excluding Shaw) but im sure we'll find some way to feald 16 loons, even if we have to get Stevie Florence back!

how do you propose we manage that?

I'd play for free, mind you I volunteer there and still don't get a free bridie! But I'm charming the Sadlers Ladies and hoefully Christmas I'll have got a free Bridie (But obviously i'd have liked forfar to have won a game by then )

is it 7 games without a win (SHOCKING!)

I assume Davie MCGregor can play Get the Sadler's lot on the go! lol

Crazy situation! I can't remember a club having a game postponed due to injury or illness in recent times. Did Aberdeen not try to have one postponed a few yearsback but get told they had to play?

Either way, we'll hopefully find out tomorrow.

Think that was for the bad road conditions for travelling fans.

I'd forgotten about that one. Sure there was one before that though.

We had 9 out at the start of the season (although a couple played through injury) and just had to get on with it. Although I sympathise with Forfar I cant see the SFA helping out in this case.

But then you were able to call on the produce of a good youth team no?

Here's one
An untimely flu virus robbed Hearts of more than a dozen first team players for the visit of Inverness. Having been denied with their request to have the match postponed, a Hearts reserve side lost 2-0 to Craig Brewster’s troops.

It's true, no youth team or reserve!

There was that one, but i think there have been 2 or 3 cases recently where teams have appealed to get their game postponed because of injury, and since it wasnt a flu bug and they were able to field enough players then its tough shit. I think the SFA are allowed to give special dispensation to sign players or something, but as i said before i dont think they will allow the postponement (although with the SFA you never know for sure). As a more recent case, all be it in the EPL, look at Spurs asking for their game to be postponed at the end of last season when the team got food poisoning. I just cant see your appeal being successful

A couple of the under 19's played and we also used trialists in a few of the games.

I know what your trying to say, and if indeed we do have to play then so be it. - Don't ask, don't get!
Will have to find some defenders mind!

You really don't! We've got some, and still can't defend!

You can play as a trialist in 3 games, pretty sure an unsed sub counts as an appearance.

Therein lies the problem. For Forfar to have an outfield squad of just 17 (I assume that's 19 in total) when they don't have a reserve or youth team is ridiculous.

If you have any money to spare for additional wages I'd be delighted to spend it for you

Money is irrelevant. Forfar should have signed enough players for a proper squad, regardless of their wage budget. If that means releasing/not signing some highly paid players, so be it.

I think Forfar are right to ask for the posponement but I don't think they'll get it. And if they don't I am sure they will turn up and try their best under difficult circumstances. At least after that there is a break for the international matches and hopefully we can get some guys back half fit.

It's very easy to say after the fact about too small a squad but is 19 really that small? Especially for the Scottish Second Division?
Is there any rules from the SFL regarding minimum squad sizes?

The Hearts match referenced earlier wouldn't be relevant would it, being that it was an SPL match not SFL, and they have some different criterias.

I can't recall an injury situation like this at Forfar in my 20 or so years of watching them. The past couple of weeks has been like watching horses (very apt given some of the players involved) fall at Grand National. And given this easily being our poorest squad in terms of quality in many a season too seems to spell trouble for us but I hope the lads can prove me wrong.

Whatever, if we are playiong on Saturday it will definitely be an interesting defence!!

To me 19 is at least 3 players short of the squad size any team would need in any league.

Why should peterhead be punished for forfars

Lack of budget
Poor training regime
Bad luck


If they can't field an 11 they should be docked points, and if they can whats the problem.

Not strictly true. They did have a lot of folk out with the flu but the team that took to the field showed about 3 or 4 changes (IIRC) from the Hearts team the previous week so it hadn't really affected the Hearts first team that much. It had affected their Reserves sure but the first team showed hardly any change at all.

Well thats called living within means - Perhaps if your lot had followed that line of thinking in previous years you wouldnt be up to your tits in debt.

As for a poor training regieme Id love you to try and justify that statement.

Bad luck - your telling me!

All of the above said, Im of the opinion that Peterhead shouldnt be put out by this if at all possible.
If we get 11 and can play then ill be delighted. If we cant get 11 then we can just give the points to peterhead and have a mass game of double kuber instead

This is really bad, however I don't think the game will be abandoned can't see Peterhead accepting it and I'd imagine theyd have a say.

Quite an embarassing situation to be honest. Although to claim its due to poor training schedule is rediculous. A squad should be bigger than around 21/22 but we just can't afford it.

Surely its woth giving Stevie Flo a short term contract, and what about that French trialist from Partick?

I'm willing to be signed as an amateur to make up the numbers.

Thats only half a joke

Believe Flo has a recurring groin injury

No way should it be called off. We must have about 50 odd players signed at our club through first team, u19s and u17s. Its Forfar's own fault if they don't have this. Plus, they could easily sign up players in the next 2 days. Plenty players without a club going around. Ill play if they want me to. Keep me away from Kevin Webster though.

I'm a bit surprised that Forfar don't have players on delayed contracts with the local junior sides.

Although I have sympathy for Forfar, if a professional club cannot fulfill its fixture because of a lack of a squad then the game should be forfieted and the offending team docked points.

To have a squad of only 19 with no reserve or youth team is just laying you open for this sort of situation! Bottom line, Peterhead should not be punished for Forfars failings!

It's the SFA who deal with requests such as these, so it doesn't matter whether it's SFL or SPL afaik.

I'd like to think we can help Forfar out in some way as that's what lower league football is all about, but I somewhat selfishly don't want the game to be called off. You can start a match with as little as 7 players I think...

If living within your budget mans you can't even get 11 players out then you'r obviously playing at too high a level, and need to drop down to a level where you can have a bigger squad of cheaper players.

Re, poor training , whats to say its not a poor training regime thats causing all these injuries, or at least some.

Bored at Uni are you Kulli?

I do take your point that a squad of 19 is susceptible to something like this happening - particularly as there's no youth team to cover any potential any injury problems. We've been lucky to get a couple of guys in (Malseed and Boyack) who are probably playing for nothing to bolster our squad - maybe Forfar could've looked into something like that at the start of the season? Lack of experience from Shaw?

Poor training?.... doubt it. If they're only training a couple of nights a week surely only limited damage could be done. If they were full time I would be more suspicious.

I believe some of the players were actually pulled from training to prevent any more risk of injuries the past two weeks.

As for docking points I think some people are missing the original point, at no time have Forfar said they would not play the game they have applied to have it postponed. I am sure if the SFA tell them to play the game they will to the best of their abilities.

Why should they not ask given the injuries they have?

Back in the day, under Allan McGraw, Morton were so short of players that they had to raid Gourock YAC u'21s for players. Luckily guys like John Anderson, Craig McPherson and the late David Lothian were available but even so, surely Forfar could go down the same route. Failing that, make yer sub keeper play up front.

They can ask all they want, but they shouldnt get. As I have said, I offer my services. So you have another player to add to your squad. I can play left back and I am not signed to any team. You would surely be able to find some more players from around Forfar like me.

I think that all those questioning Forfar's request for a postponement to this match due to the hellishly high level of injuries need to bear in mind that this is due to injuries ALONE. Were suspensions part of the problem then, yes feel free to piss on our parade.

One or two had quoted a squad of 21/22 being ample. Even if we had this we would still only have 9/10 fit outfield players with two goalies!?

Situation comes about due to two things in my opinion - lack of money to fund a larger squad let alone reserve/youth set ups and plain bad luck.

Any grounds for suggesting we play for the points with rushie keeper or six-a-side?

I would also like to put myself forward for this one. Not sure how it would work but I'd imagine the Loons could sort out a temporary release from my amateur contract (as Ton did with YAC) and have it reinstated for our quarter final the next day.

Sorted - you'll get a team yet, Loons.

Impressively quick lunch eating, given I saw him in the lobby of the Chemistry building just before 1!

I certainly hope so - for one of our guys it's a 'Weetin o'the heid, in Peterheid'.
Reregistering the manager as a player. two trialists, and one loan player should do the trick.

I wonder how good Sandy Wood is outfield!

As suspected, the appeal has been rejected (Radio Tay)