I don't know how they could be supported in the longer term if their current financial backers pull out.

Turriff United and Banks o' Dee would be the two teams from that list that I would think are not far off what is required. Of the others, Alness and maybe Invergordon would be a good shout in terms of the size of community they come from, although I think the facilities at either are somewhat lacking at the moment.

Outwith that I wouldn't mind seeing the likes of Ellon United and Stonehaven showing some ambition in stepping up - both decent sized towns in the Highland League area.

What I wouldn't like to see the HFL go for is Formartine United - a lot of people are desperate for new members in the league, but I don't think they are our answer as I don't know how they could be supported in the longer term if their current financial backers pull out.

Would love to see Ellon up, as they are very local to me! So are Fortmartine actually, do they play at Pitmedden yeah?

Yeah well slightly outside Pitmedden to be exact on the outskirts of the village

Turriff United and Banks o' Dee would be the two teams from that list that I would think are not far off what is required. Of the others, Alness and maybe Invergordon would be a good shout in terms of the size of community they come from, although I think the facilities at either are somewhat lacking at the moment.

How would Keith be supported in the longer term if they lost theirs? They've won the league twice this decade and still get pathetic crowds. Imagine if they had to live within their means.

the restructuring thats needed is to clear out the cocks that administer the league;tomorrows league card is a fucking joke when you consider they played a full schedule a mere two weeks ago in direct opposition to a live international game and will be doing so again in a few weeks.what the f**k is wrong with these people?

Is it not the case that to be in the Highland League a team requires SFA membership and the facilities that comes with that? That means floodlights, cover for 500, decent changing rooms etc...

Regards Formartine United, their ground just now is as basic as they come but they do plan to redevelop it.

When Lok played Ellon last season, they were talking about trying to take the club on but it's not an overnight job.

So when will the decision be taken, and is there a confirmed list of interested clubs yet?

You would have to say, it would be surprising for the HFL to go up to 17. It retains the same problem as before i.e. a team sitting out each weekend; but it boosts the number of rounds required from 30 to 34 (i.e. a whole extra month of games), while only giving any given club 4 more matches. And it means an 'extra' round on the League Cup. Going to 16 only uses current parameters (same number of weekends/no extra round in League Cup) but gets rids of the problem of the odd number of teams.

Although I don't see enough teams coming forward with the facilities anyway, going up to 17 or 18 would also require a big shake-up in how the league works. You'd be talking 34 league rounds (only 2 less than the SFL), but still having the Scottish Cup/North Challenge Cup/League Cup/+ local FA cups.

They'd surely need a lot more midweeks, an extended finish to the season, or less postponements?

You would have to say, it would be surprising for the HFL to go up to 17. It retains the same problem as before i.e. a team sitting out each weekend; but it boosts the number of rounds required from 30 to 34 (i.e. a whole extra month of games), while only giving any given club 4 more matches. And it means an 'extra' round on the League Cup. Going to 16 only uses current parameters (same number of weekends/no extra round in League Cup) but gets rids of the problem of the odd number of teams.

Although I don't see enough teams coming forward with the facilities anyway, going up to 17 or 18 would also require a big shake-up in how the league works. You'd be talking 34 league rounds (only 2 less than the SFL), but still having the Scottish Cup/North Challenge Cup/League Cup/+ local FA cups.

They'd surely need a lot more midweeks, an extended finish to the season, or less postponements?

So what happens with a 2-division format? A system of 18 games is obviously not enough, but would they go to 36? Even with 'all' the cups scrapped (i.e. all but the League Cup, and participation in the Scottish Cup) that requires a much longer season and/or many more midweeks. You'd also think that there would be concerns over the 'boredom' of playing everyone four times. (I realise you are sort of saying this it outweighed by the 'meaninglessness' of the big league'). Could you find 5 clubs though?

18 teams doesn't equal 36 league games. Remember, we used to have all you mentioned above AND the Qualifying Cup as well, prior to its dissolution. We were used to long seasons, and this free weekends this is a relatively new thing.

I don't think you could find five clubs of a standard that would add something to the current HFL. no. Any more from the Shire and there is a risk the standard will thin out and instead of having a few teams like Locos, Cove and Keith who are noticeably better than the rest, the talent gets spread around and we end up with 8 Huntlys. The North likewise, and its suffering badly already.

Would the Shire sides vote in a team from up north or down by Oban? Would the North teams elect another member from East Aberdeenshire? Would anyone want Elgin?

But if 5 teams come into the set-up to make 2 of 10, those 5 would be in the bottom division, where to be honest it's not going to affect the best sides anyway. The standard is not going to drop at the top. Fort William are utter garbage and anyone coming in will be better than them, so it's not as if the standard on the pitch will drop much. They've been royally caned by both an Amateur select and a very average Junior side who won't IMHO get beyond the 3rd Round of the Junior Cup, as ever.

Fort will be different next season, it says here.

I was meaning your suggestion of 2 divisions of 10 i.e. 18 games or 36 games... Also, your point on the Qualifying Cup is irrelevant in the new era - those games have been replaced by the Challenge Cup and the Scottish Cup. Clubs play more games in these, than in the Qualifying Cup and old-style Scottish Cup.

The best bet would I suppose be waiting for a pyramid to come about - you might end up with say Elgin coming down, and there would be the ability to drop weak teams into lower rungs.

They actually seem worse, despite the American interest!

Thats because the Americans aren't doing anything until next season, or at the earliest the end of this one.

But what can they actually do? Will they magic away the inability to keep a squad together for a full season or awake local interest in the side? Fort William's issues seem rooted in geography.

The names of players getting bandied about earlier have Premiership and international experience.

Even if they can only get them in for a few months, it'll be enough to trounce this season and last seasons points combined. I doubt they'll ever convince the locals to watch regularly. If this all ever happens, that is.

Unless Fort William are going to SERIOUSLY splash the cash, they'll have to settle for mercenary 3rd Division players IMO but it's not exactly commutable - last time I drove up there it took me hours!

A - apparently they do intend to spend money
B - the players are coming from US colleges with a few to playing some games while they aren't involved at college level.

How its all going to work, I'm not sure. Whether it will, I'm even less sure.

Not many Premiership and International players playing for US colleges.

It all sounds a bit pie in the sky to me. College soccer players will be skilful but how will they cope with the midges!?

So, have we got a list of interested clubs apart from Formartine and Turriff?

Not all the players are coming from colleges. One of the guys more likely to be involved was at Bolton recently.

I've been to Fort William a dozen times with Lossie and never been bothered by midges. Snow in April, yes, but not midges.

I'm sure I read a recent report which mentioned midges attacking the players.

Not yet. The decision should be made around the end of the season, if theres one to be made. If Banks O'Dee have ruled themselves out, as has been reported, I'm not sure how many will get in.

I thought Banks O'Dee were looking to step upto the HL, hence why they applied to play in the Aberdeenshire Cup?

So, have we got a list of interested clubs apart from Formartine and Turriff?

Dee ready to play in Highland League
Welsh’s claim after Fort William mauling

By Richard Easton

DEE-LIGHTED: Banks o' Dee celebrate their win over Fort William in the Scottish Cup.
More Pictures

BANKS o’ Dee manager Garry Welsh believes their 10-goal mauling of Fort William in the Scottish Cup proved his players are ready to compete in the Highland League.

The Spain Park boss insists that if and when a decision is made regarding any application to join the Highland League, then it will be the club’s committee who will have the final say.

However, he has warned that Dee may lose their best players to Highland League clubs in the near future if they don’t decide to leave the Junior ranks.

Welsh said: “From someone who has been in the Highland League, I would think hard about doing it again, purely in terms of the travel involved.

“But from the club’s point of view, if you were to write down all the plusses and minuses then it could only improve the club.

“And if Turriff and Formartine are successful with their applications, then it would be a great time to do it.

“I really couldn’t think of a better time for the club to be doing it.

“The players could certainly handle it.

“We would need a bigger squad, but we have players here like Robbie Turnbull, Richard Scaiffe, Gordon Carstairs and Myles Brownhill who will be playing in the Highland League within the next year or so regardless of whether Banks o’ Dee are there or not.

“The issue is whether the club wants to commit to the bigger picture of it.

“That’s the million-dollar question and at the end of the day that decision is none of my business.

“I think that if we were to apply, then it would be looked upon favourably, although I’m not party to what happens behind the scenes.

“Some of them might wake up this morning thinking that the time is ready for the club to do this, while others will be thinking that they should never do it.

“But it’s something that needs to be looked at very, very closely.”

Welsh insists that Saturday’s result and the Scottish Cup run in general will have no effect on the team’s domestic form as they bid to qualify for next season’s competition by retaining their Superleague crown.

He said: “I don’t think it will be a problem for the players we have here.

“We have several very important games between now and the time we face Inverurie Locos in the second round at the end of October, so there is definitely enough there to keep the guys interested.

“I don’t think the players will look at the Locos game any differently to the way they have prepared for an Aberdeenshire League or Aberdeenshire Cup game.

“They are a fairly level headed bunch and both my assistant Ian Taylor and myself will be there to make sure they keep their feet on the ground.”

Meanwhile, Welsh has hit back at suggestions from Dyce boss Andy Milne that the club were not given permission to talk to striker Kevin Neish.

He said: “I really don’t know where Andy Milne is coming from.

“Why on earth would we arrange to meet the player for talks when we knew the press would be there if we didn’t have permission to talk to the player?

“The player himself is very frustrated as he was hoping to be involved in the Fort William game, and I don’t know how we can move things on from here.”

Despite the claims of the Dee boss, Dyce secretary Keith McIntosh is adamant they still have yet to receive the go-ahead to talk to the striker.

He said: “Banks o’ Dee do not have permission to speak to Kevin.”

From someone who has been in the Highland League, I would think hard about doing it again, purely in terms of the travel involved.

These Shire Boys are fair pansies when it comes to getting on a bus.

Then again, it's not everyone's idea of a good day out! I really wasn't that into all the travelling Lok did last season for umpteen away ties.

There is a life beyond football occasionally!

...plus expanding the HFL to the degree that it had 2 divisions would surely reduce travel in the short-to-medium term? As most of the weak sides, which tend to lie to the West of the current league, would be in the lower tier?

im really confused to be honest.

Are they deffo increasing the league? Is it a set number? Is anything for sure?