HibeeJibee

Decent forecast, but 1 inspection thusfar:

https://www.eosfl.com/item.php?pg=matchlge&pd=1044&frt=fixtures&it=7422 Earlier time of 1:30pm too. Still plenty local games on 28th: Bonnyrigg v Civil Service Musselburgh v Dunbar Newtongrange v Jeanfield Tranent v Camelon Arniston v Dalkeith Easthouses v Edinburgh Utd

Bonnyrigg raced into early 2-0 lead v Inverness in Youth Cup. Only previous non-league sides to reach QFs were Buckie (2002-03) and Cove (2018-19), AFAIA.

http://berwickrangers.com/gretna-2008-fc-the-visitors/

Penicuik v Whitehill has also come forward from Saturday 28th to Saturday 21st December.

Facts, facts... Seasons run late July to late May... with fortnight off at Christmas (except LL) and 2 months off in closed season. LL finishes on Saturday 18th April but as well as promotion playoff for 1 club the Lowland League Cup then runs over 4 consecutive weekends. EOS Premier finishes on Saturday 2nd May with promotion playoff running for 2 weekends. EOS First Division finishes on Saturday 16th May with title/promotion playoffs running for 2 weekends. Remember that LL and EOS Premier play 30 league games and EOS First Division plays 34 league games. King Cup Final is Sunday 10th May. South Challenge Cup Final is Sunday 24th May. EOS League Cup SFs are Saturday 16th May, with Final on Sunday 31st May. EOS Qualifying Cup may also run beyond March (as happened last season). There are 4 "unpopulated" dates in EOS Premier (Apr 4th, 11th, 25th, May 2nd), and 6 in EOS First Division (ditto, 9th, 16th). Currently the only clubs to have fewer than 3 or 5 league games respectively awaiting dates are Tweedmouth, Tynecastle (that's it)... currently the only with fewer than 5 or 7 respectively are Bo'ness, Camelon, Crossgates, Newtongrange, Sauchie and Craigroyston, Dunipace, Haddington, Heriot-Watt Uni, Leith, St Andrews, Dalkeith, Hawick, Stirling Uni EOS, Tynecastle. Granted some will also have cup weekends free. However there's likely to be further postponements and clubs with a 'live' interest in titles, promotion or relegation would finish on the last day. So it's not apparent what clubs would be free for an extra cup? This season EOS Qualifying League sections were abolished and King Cup made First Division-only to avoid too many cup-ties. If more cups were wanted a midweek Floodlight Cup would be your option.

Bump. Second half of LL season begins this Saturday - albeit 8 cancelled/postponed sees a few clubs on 13 or 14 instead of 15 games. Realistically it seems there are 4 contenders in the shape of Kelty and Bonnyrigg plus East Stirlingshire (played a couple of games more) and BSCG (couple of points back). It would take huge efforts from CSS or Spartans to reenter the battle. Harder to get a firm sense in HL who reached halfway on Nov 9th (16 over 17 dates), and now also have 15 rounds left notionally. They've currently 32 outstanding and clubs have played anything from 10 to 18 games. Looking likely Brora, Inverurie and Fraserburgh will duel for title although Buckie, Rothes, Nairn and Formartine are all within striking distance courtesy games-in-hand.

EPL had to facilitate more than 2 broadcasters for monopoly reasons IIRC, so they offered 2 special deals: for every game on Boxing Day and 'a bank holiday' (New Year) and every game on 2 midweek rounds (in early December and late January). One of them didn't sell first time round IIRC, and it seems they've since swapped halfs such that Amazon gets early December and Boxing Day - allowing them to package both under a 1 month trial - while BT gets New Year plus the graveyard slot in late January. Purportedly at least one of them sold for less than hoped, too. It's an interesting move by Amazon but also an interesting move by EPL. Of course a side effect is neither Sky / BT has any EPL action on Boxing Day (nor on New Year for Sky).

I've watched and listened to some contemporary coverage of Hillsborough. Search on Youtube and you will find the recordings of several BBC radio stations live from the game; live TV coverage of the game from Eire (probably find BBC up on there too); and Match of the Day that night presented by Des Lynam and Jimmy Hill. It didn't show any match highlights but was effectively a news special summarising what happened, interviewing officials, etc. (Rather crassly several - Liverpool chairman included tbf - openly reference its 'impact' on lifting Heysel ban, which hardly seems important). Interestingly even on day itself you actually have all the key components summarised quite openly: crowding outside; there weren't large numbers of ticketless fans; it was the police who opened the gate (stated during live coverage plus conceded by chief constable in MotD); stand under capacity but central pens became crowded; fences stopped people escaping onto pitch; medical response was inadequate; there was no hooliganism nor bad behaviour; and to avoid such disasters in future could require better safety and crowd management, modern stadiums and all-seater provision. Despite this... later "misinformation" and cover-up successfully clouded matters.

Seriously dislike retaining these 1-legged playoffs. Anyway here's schedule... 2 editions of NL between Euro 2020 & WC 2022 ! No warm-ups for WC 2022, btw. 2020 Mar ... Euros playoff SFs & Finals Jun ... Euro 2020 Sep ... Nations League days 1 & 2 Oct ... Nations League days 3 & 4 Nov ... Nations League days 5 & 6 2021 Mar ... WC qualifying days 1 & 2 Jun ... WC qualifying days 3 & 4 / Nations League finals tournament Sep ... WC qualifying days 5 & 6 Oct ... WC qualifying days 7 & 8 Nov ... WC qualifying days 9 & 10 2022 Mar ... WC playoff SFs & Finals / Nations League Division C relegation playoffs Jun ... Nations League days 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 (quadruple-header) Sep ... Nations League days 5 & 6 Dec ... WC 2022

Mid Annandale 1-4 Dalbeattie Star

Linlithgow Rose 2-3 Whitehill Welfare (aet, FT 1-1)

Average attendance was 88 last season, which I think is in line with their Northern League crowds in the 1980s but lower than the Northern Premier spell in 1990s which was more like 150 to 200. (There used to be crowd archives on those league websites so someone can maybe check). In my experience 100-120 or so has been their level recently but was 150-200 in early EOSL years. In their first 2 seasons in SFL3 it shot upto 403 and 465 then after Mileson's cash arrived 895 (SFL3)... 1,304 (SFL2)... 1,602 (SFL1)... 2,637 (SPL at Motherwell). So basically a huge third-of-a-century 'bell curve'. EDIT: To confirm what I was saying: in 2013-14 (first season in LL) they published crowds on their website. League average was 143. First games "back" at Raydale late in 2008-09: 433 v Gala 235 v ? 263 v ? "Playing home games for most of 2008-09 at Everholm in Annan their first attracted 131 people whilst away games varied in the main between 50 and 130".

Linlithgow resting men tonight, or Whitehill playing out of their skins/Rose toiling? League game in August finished 6-0 and Welfare only beaten Colville, Nitten, Coldstream and Blackburn.