BS7

The Play off between tier 4 and 5 can only be changed by agreement between the SPFL, SFA, HL and LL. Shoddy reporting and I'd imagine that if there is an agreement that there is no play off the tier 5 organizations will need to agree suitable reimbursement. To be honest though, with no clear line of sight to a way out of this, I wonder what productive can come from discussions.

Reading analysis of the likely future outcomes, it would seem that the second wave in the Autumn might be worse than what is about to hit us. I really dont know how you plan to finish a season, or plan to start another one, or even when things are likely to be normal again.

Play all the remaining games as penalty shootouts.

Bravo, Sir!

Maybe its more likely to be played behind closed doors, or in the case of the lowland league with a limited crowd. The issue of course with behind closed doors is that teams may still have several players go down with the virus, and the implications of quarantine.

I thought the winners of the league had the option of scratching, and you aren't out of it yet?

Bonnyrigg Rose were nearing their centenary when Kelty were formed.

FFS Dont encourage them.

East Kilbride were good that day. He was still an idiot though

2 Lowland League games for Kyle Hall this season, both resulted in red cards for coaches, along with 12 minutes of injury time across the two games. He's an idiot. What I don't understand is why he normally refs in the East of Scotland Premier, and has been given two high profile lowland league games. Thats Bonkers.

snookers required, but we need to regroup and get through the next two games. 3 games in 8 days was a stretch. its not over, just a lot more difficult. been in worse positions - #spiritofashfield

Yes. That’s exactly what last night does.

I think the Clydebank statement is the equivalent of the Bonnyrigg one in the east two years ago. The first domino had toppled...

Do you think it makes a difference now with the Scottish Cup? I'd say (and this is borne out by Bonnyrigg crowds) Scottish Cup > Junior Cup I think that's really why we are where we are today - once the junior clubs experienced playing against senior sides, there were always going to be some that would wonder "lets have that every season" along with Linlithgow and Girvan. I would have liked to have seen an all in non league cup, perhaps even with the bottom two leagues in the SPFL. However there's no appetite for it in the Highlands so, its not going to happen. Mind, once the west teams move to the WOSFL, the south challenge cup will be a stonking competition with all the best of the old east and old west juniors along with the best old seniors.

Bonnyrigg through 4-2 after ET

If you were the Lowland League why would you bother? It just seems like never ending hassle, and it's not likely to end anytime soon.

As it stands we can get one of 138 referees. Since we went senior we’ve had 50 Of them In league 2 Brechin for example can get 1 of 39 cat 1 refs. In effect they get one of around 27, as 12 cat 1s cover the top league every fixture round. i think - personally - it would be better if the lowland league operates from a smaller pool of referees. I think this - personally - because the gap between the standard of the top referee to the standard of the 100th referee is massive; and it would be beneficial for the better refs to ref at a higher level. Which is what happens in the top 4 tiers, but curiously not in the three tiers below. Its not really about which refs I think are good or not, that’s a subjective opinion, and as I’ve already said I don’t think the ref was the reason Bonnyrigg won or lost. * Numbers confirmed. *includes Cat 3 refs who are also assistant referees at SPFL level *Doesnt include Cat 3 development refs (45nr) who can ref cup ties Edit: I'll give you an example that doesn't involve Bonnyrigg. Kyle Hall has been allocated the Kelty v BSC game next midweek. I think Kyle Hall is an idiot from when he has reffed Bonnyrigg, but that's subjective. However, he is a Cat 2 and a capable referee. How many lowland league games has he reffed this season so far?Just the one. But now he's been allocated one of the biggest games of the season. Where has he been reffing, if not the lowland league?

Highlights are up on youtube: https://t.co/pjknaHH0Bg They are really good quality, and balanced I thought. I'm not sure I agree with Barry's assessment that Kelty could have been 5 up at half time, mind.

Brilliant - thank you - that’s exactly the list I’ve been looking for.

Struggling to see why you would want the same ref over and over again. What difference does it make as long as they are qualified? There’s not 50 refs of the required quality in Scotland outwith the cat 1s who cover the 4 top leagues to cover the lowland league. the suspicion being they are being given games to further their development it’s an insult to the guys are reffing the lowland league every week that when a big game comes along it’s given to cat 1s you would never normally see. If you think cat 2s and cat 3s are that good you can call for them to be given league 1 games.

The lack of a pyramid league in the west means refs from those associations get opportunities in the existing pyramid leagues.

Someone has helpfully explained why we get the spread of refs we do - Interesting, and it may change from next season.

I haven't seen anyone say it was the refs fault that Bonnyrigg lost or Kelty won - the highlights might show if he was right in the big calls on the day. I'm trying to think how to word this, but, I think Kelty have better players than I maybe thought they were, they were pretty ruthless in the way they went 3-1 up - I don't think anyone has stretched Bonnyrigg this season in the way they did, apart from BSC Glasgow. That said, I think we'll be disappointed when we look back at the goals conceded - we might have done more to prevent them. Whether the wind was a factor in the way the game was played, maybe, but ultimately the conditions are same for both sides. Once Kelty are two goals ahead it's a different game, they've a cushion and could set up a game plan for the second half. One of the things I love (and hate) about Bonnyrigg is that at 3-1 down nobody really believed the game was beyond us. We got a goal early enough, and we created enough chances to pull something out of the game. Did we create enough clear cut chances? I don't think so. Were we unfortunate not to score again? possibly. Does the team that score the most goals win, and everything else is just chatter? Absolutely.

Mike Roncone is a cat 1 ref. Your not happy they appointed one of the supposedly top officials for the game? That was his second lowland league game of the season. I've a bugbear with the huge turnover of referees. In 32 games this season, Bonnyrigg have had 28 different referees - and we're not seeing the "top 20" refs in Scotland. For comparison - Clyde have had 22 different referees in 45 games. You've had the same ref - Peter Stuart - for NINE games this season, how do you do that?????

You've really not understood the point I'm making. The clubs in the top 4 tiers won't have had 50 different referees in the last two seasons - but if you have information that is contrary to that, by all means produce it. As it stands the lowland league can be reffed by cat1/cat2 and cat3 refs. League 2 however is restricted to cat 1s. I don't think it would be unreasonable for the lowland league to ask for the refs to be restricted to a smaller pool of referees, in theory of a higher standard. It's not boys club football after all - it's the fifth tier of Scottish football.