It says on wikipedia that Shetland are to have a team in next seasons Highland League Challenge Cup anyone got any info on this?

Shetland Wikipedia Link

It was in the news just over a month ago that the SHFL clubs had agreed that Shetland will take part in next season's Challenge Cup "pending SFA approval". I don't know if this approval ever came though - certainly haven't heard it mentioned.

Hopefully it does go through i would be very interested in a match containing Shetland can't see them joining the Highland League though.

Would it be Shetland who would compete in the Challenge Cup or one of the Shetland club teams such as Delting or Lerwick Thistle? Shetland is just a select from all the clubs and isnt a club itself.

This is an interesting one. While I can see the benefits to Shetland football, it's going to be a huge journey (and expense) for any club who draws them away from home. In addition, the tournament has 16 teams currently - adding Shetland would require a play-off round.

One thing I would like to see is the winners of the North and South Challenge Cups being given places in the SFL's Challenge Cup. That tournament currently has 30 teams, so the 2 byes could be replaced by the two non-league sides, bringing it up to a full 32-club entry.

It would be a Shetland FA Select that would enter under the proposals. That could possibly cause a problem with the SFA as the Challenge Cup is for registered member clubs - and clearly the Shetland FA don't fulfil that criteria.

What I would like to see happen in the meantime is that the main island FAs - Shetland, Orkney and Lewis & Harris could be allowed to have some sort of 'special associate membership' where they could enter select teams (where all players fielded would have to be signed to a club in membership of that island FA) in the likes of the Challenge Cup and ultimately the Scottish Cup too of the Challenge Cup experiment proved to be successful. It would be a useful halfway house to act as a stepping stone to integrating football on the islands to that of mainland Scotland. My opinion anyway.

That would have to be part of an overhaul of who is and isn't allowed to compete.

I would imagine that no grounds in these Islands conform to SFA Associate member standard, and if the SFA relaxed the criteria, that would also allow in a lot of Junior clubs.

Aye, I would like to see the SFA make some sort of allowance for the island FAs (and ONLY the island FAs) in recognition of particular logistical problems they would face in order to compete in mainland competitions and treat them as a 'special case'.



It would take some work on the grounds front I should imagine - however, I think that the SFA criteria is a little harsh at present, would like to see that relaxed slightly. I don't have too much faith in the SFA being proactive in doing any of these sort of things unfortunately, so it will probably mean 'same old'.

Shetland would wipe the floor with any team in the Highland League, especially Lossie.
That's a fact.

Er, you do realise that the Shetland FA Select do play Highland League clubs fairly regularly in friendlies?

Results from Shetland's pre-season tour against SHFL sides:

Keith 1-1 Shetland
Huntly 3-1 Shetland
Deveronvale 4-0 Shetland
They also played Fraserburgh, but I don't know that scoreline.

Although these games are just friendlies, other than a commendable draw against the then SHFL champions, there would seem to have been little evidence that Shetland would "wipe the floor with any team in the Highland League".

Now, that is a fact.

one of Shetland's best players, Alan Duncan, can't get a game for Huntly so that says it all

If Shetland were to play in the challenge cup a play off with Golspie would be the best option. I don't see Shetland wiping the floor against Highland League sides but they would be a competitive side and would probably be a lot better side than the likes of Golspie, Fort William etc. I like the idea of Island selects from the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland competiting in the Scottish Cup. These Island selects already compete in the Island games and i don't think a couple of games each season will cause any money problems for the likes of Shetland and Orkney.

Lewis and Harris FA also looked into this a few months ago but decided against proceeding with it.

Well the Lewis & Harris Select drew 0-0 with Ross County's 1st team last week in a charity match. So it's interesting to see. I'd rather the top individual teams from the islands were entered instead of a select because then I could cheer on one of my old clubs... and hope the other one gets stuffed.

Dundee beat them 5-1 in a friendly last year did they not?

Rules for Scottish Cup entry are pretty lax - an enclosed ground with a roped off pitch is about as stringent as it gets. Goathill Park in Stornoway at least has a bench seated stand which is more than some in the EOS and SOS! I think Back's ground also has covered benches.

Aye they did.



Nope Back has covered terracing, same for Ness, and Point has about 50 uncovered seats!

Looks like there are benches in the photo here?

http://www.backfc.com/#/matchphotos/4528622219

New to me. Used to be just steps but obviously put something in now, still not much though.

Yeah it was 0-0 and was quite a competitive game by all accounts. County will be playing other Island sides in preperation for the new season as they will play a couple of Orkney sides. They will also run training for local children in the mornings of these games, so it is a very worthwhile task.

Shetland FA have been drawn away to Fort William in the Challenge Cup - an excellent chance for them to progress in their debut.

Preliminary Round: Date to be confirmed
Lossiemouth v Brora Rangers

First Round: Saturday 9th August 2008
Nairn County v Cove Rangers
Fort William v Shetland FA
Forres Mechanics v Deveronvale
Huntly v Inverurie Locos
Golspie Sutherland v Clachnacuddin
Fraserburgh v Wick Academy
Lossie/Brora v Keith
Buckie Thistle v Rothes

Very interesting

Pressure will certainly be on the Fort as a defeat could be fairly embarassing even by their standards
Might take the game in myself as i would like to see what standard the Shetland FA side are,
Played against some very good sides from the western isles and orkney in the highland amateur cup so Shetland should be of a similar standard if not better seeing they are a select

Tough one for Clach too,they'll not be looking forward to the trip north to Golspie

Very interesting yes, would like to have seen L&H Select at least, hopefully sometime.

Can anyone fill me in on the tecnicalities of this decision? Have the Shetland FA joined either of the associations (North of Scotland / Aberdeenshire)? What is the situation regarding players - are they amateur player registered in Shetland, who get permission to play in the senior tournament?

Can any player born in Shetland play for the Shetland select, no matter what club they play for?

As I understand it although the SFA Challenge Cup (North) is, as the name suggests, an SFA tournament it is managed completely by the Highland League. The Shetland FA Select are an invited team in this tournament (i.e. not there by right, but there by invitation from the SHFL) and not in membership of either regional associations. Players will have to be registered to a member club of the Shetland FA.

An interesting step forward and I hope it opens the door to the principal island FAs (Shetland, Orkney, Lewis & Harris) being granted a 'special membership' of the SFA eventually where they can field select teams in mainland cups, including the Scottish Cup.

You are correct, the only connection with the SFA is sponsorship (which is scheduled to end once this forthcoming season is finished). The North Challenge Cup is registered to the HFL; while the South Challenge Cup is registered to the EOSFA (not sure why not the EOSFL, but there you go).

I think its interesting that they've invited the Shetland Select to participate, despite it requiring another round, and possible travel issues as well (I presume they can be drawn home?). It's an issue for the HFL clubs - on behalf of themselves, and Golspie. I would however be rather less keen to see Select teams entering the Scottish Cup - I realise that somewhat special case of the islands, but my fear would be a slippery slope and the blurring of the lines regarding club football.

And don't we (Lossie FC) just know it! The draw means that we face a preliminary tie at home to Brora tucked somewhere in the pre-season scheule.

Personally I would have thought it would have been better to invite them into the Highland League Cup instead (this was mooted a few years ago) as that tournament only features the 15 member clubs and it would have been nice/more logistical to bring it up to a round 16.



Part of the agreement with this experiment is that Shetland play all games away. I guess if the experiment proves to be successful this can be reviewed, but that is the situation just now.



If my idea of island FA selects in mainland tournaments was to be realised, I would strongly want to see it strictly kept to the three major island FAs in recognition of their particular logistical issues - ie. I wouldn't be impressed with rural (or even urban!) amateur FAs trying the same route. In a sense I would want Shetland, Orkney and Lewis & Harris to be special member 'clubs'.

But lets see how this particular expermiment works out though.

You make good points, I had always wanted Golspie entered into the Highland League Cup to help them get more games against the kind of sides they'd face in the Scottish Cup. Perhaps you're tie v Brora can just get played on Saturday 26th July, the week before the league season is starting.

I also favour letting the North/South Challenge Cup winners into the SFL Challenge Cup in future.

That date has been set for the North FA Cup first round, so we may have another cup tie on that date. It seems as though the North FA Cup is reverting back to a straight knock-out format again.

Shetland in the Highland League?? interesting idea certainly and money for travel as far as Shetland is concerned would not be a problem given the revenue the SI Council get from the oil but it would be a problem for teams traveling to the shetlands.

Ness had a covered enclosure the last time I was there.

Yeah I meant that just got my words wrong way around. Back and Ness have both got a covered stand while Point "upgraded" their covered stand for 50 uncovered seats in what looks the most stupidest stand ever.