craigiemack

I've seen some horrible takes on the predictions for the season so I feel it is time to add my *educated* tuppence on the up coming seasons shenanigans. 1st-2nd: Imo a straight shoot out between 'Kilby' and Trojans. Last season they were both miles off Bonnyrigg but miles clear of the chasing pack. They've both probably improved and no one has improved enough to catch up to them. EK are always touted to win the league but fail to live up to the promise while this is the first year in a good few seasons that Spartans have a serious chance of winning the league. I think EKs squad is more balanced, they'll be defensively sound as usual and the attacking threats of McLaughlin, Elliot and Vitoria will be boosted further by Bob McHugh. Spartans attack has the potential to be the most potent since the 0-4-6 total football of East Stirlingshire in 2016/17. Penker, Brown, Russell, Henderson and Dishington is certainly a mouth watering proposition but fitting them all in will be a problem. I think EK will pip Spartans but if Spartans attack fires then they might run them close. 3rd-6th: The battle for the UEFA SPFL Trust Conference League spots is always the tightest battle in the league and this year is no different with i'd say about 10/11 teams thinking they have an outside shot of getting in. I think the ones at the forefront of that battle will be Borrowstounness, Tranent (the only town in the world to have every shop in its town centre listed on its wikepedia page. Including 3, count em, 3 bookies), the East Stirlingshire Chinese money launderers and Open Goal KFC Alloa. Bo'ness had a pretty miserable season last year but they look to have strengthened somewhat and if they manage to get 18 players to each game I'd imagine they finish closer to the expected level they'd be at when they entered the league. Tranent are an unknown but winning breeds confidence and I think the feel good factor around the club will be similar to what Kelty and Bonnyrigg achieved. Maybe not as successful but they certainly won't be anywhere near mid table. Trying to be as neutral as possible here but from what I've seen of the Shire, people are sleeping on us. We've certainly improved in a lot of areas and have a lot of talented young players that might rip teams apart at the Grangemouth Stadium. If we can get a decent goalscorer in on loan then I'm confident we'll be top half at the very least. Only Bonnyrigg had a better defence than us last year and despite having the best goalie in the league (fact) we look to have improved it further, Kyle Ewing looks like he could be a serious player at this level. KFC Alloa finished a lowly 15th last year but with the investment from the Own Goal podcast I'm sure they'll improve. I'm 99% certain they will not be higher than 3rd and it would not surprise me to see them down in 10th or so. I'll get to Berwick in a minute but if you're announcing a player with the phrase 'with over 300+ SPFL appearances' then chances are, as history has shown in the LL, you are signing an utter dud. 7th-11th: 1st Cowdenbeath Boys Brigade, Berwick Rangers Walking Football Club, Edufrance Academy of STV documentary fame, Civil Service Meanderers, and the Croy Colts. Despite placing these teams in such lowly positions I wouldn't be surprised if any graced the top 6, I just think they lack what the others have. I admire what Cowdenbeath are doing, but from experience. A young squad will make a lot of mistakes and lack the knowledge to get through sticky situations. The League Cup games don't help either, chasing shadows for 4 games against much better sides doesn't help anbody. I'm sure their season will have some highs, confident in saying they'll take a few scalps but I don't think it'll be enough. If they get off to a bad start it could be a long year. Berwick just baffle me, just a bunch of players that are past it. I am shocked that people are tipping them to challenge for the title, mid table at best. Edusport and Cumbernauld, they keep their business quiet but will be two solid outfits again. A few players from Dunipaces treble winning u20 team have gone to Colts so intrigued to see how they get on. The job Gary Jardine has done at CSS is unbeleivable but things are just getting harder for them each year. Other clubs invest but Civil dont have the capability to, always a solid side and the tactical nous will keep them punching way above their weight. 12th-14th: University of Bridge of Allan, the artists formally known as Gretna and Gala Pixiedean Rovers. Impossible to call Stirling Uni untill they play but they've lost quite a few influential members of their squad, namely Penker to Spartans and Doan to Bonnyrigg. Unless they have some hot fresh meat then they might be in danger. Gretna have a completely new squad after moving to the central belt I think. Currie and Dickinson were stand outs for Dalbeattie which should propel Gretna away slightly from the threat of relegation. Gala have been stalwarts of the LL but year by year they're slipping down the table. Some brutal hammerings in pre season doesn't whet the whistle. 15th-16th: University of Peffermill Baking Faculty and Dalbeattie self-luminous gaseous spheroidal celestial body of great mass. My relegation candidates for this year. Edinburgh Uni, much like Stirling but without the centre of sports excellence. If it wasn't for Vale they'd have gone a few years back. Dalbeattie were sliding down the table after their great start and have lost their management and a lot of players. We may sadly have to say goodbye to their Rangers Social Club, the junkie wains behind the goal and last but not least the Birchtree Hotel with its wonderful beer garden looking onto the burn. Looking forward to this season in what will be the first full season post COVID. Good luck to all the teams*, not the greatest league to be in with the Colts, vanity projects and universities but may the best outfit prevail. This post was made in tribute to bravehearts dad. Gone but never forgotton. Cmon the rose.

Our defence and midfield was quite make shift last night and we did have his lord and saviour Iain Ure in goals so not really fussed about the goals conceded. Our attack seemed to play decent though which was our main achilles heel last year. The young trialist sub, no 16?, apparently looked a decent player so looking forward to seeing him next week.

Got to worry a bit for Dalbeattie atm, feels like roles could be reversed with Gretna

I do criticise the league for a lot of things but the way they work the fixtures at the end of the season is pretty good. Got a feeling the league could go quite deep this year with a lot of big games in the final 4/5 rounds.

do you know any of the other ones?

In general the ev2 kits have been pretty humming. I like my rugby league (stop talking about rugby) and it is no surprise to me that loads of english teams have ev2 as their kit supplier. They're a bit clunky for football kits. I liked the redesigned kits of the last few years but they're nothing like the OG reebok ones which I'm quite pleased I managed to purchase a real one of online. I just felt that if we were ever going to redesign them it would have been better to have actually had a successful side wearing them haha. The kits this season, not a huge fan but kits are not something i get overly excited or bothered about tbh. It has been a long time since I looked at one of our kits and thought, yeah I really like that, probably the 2013/14 kits maybe?

Our record in cups recently has been woeful and the only ex junior team we've defeated awy from home is Blackburn I think so the omens aren't good if it is Crossgates we end up playing. The South Challenge is something we should be targeting getting to the later rounds, i'd quite happily take being a cup team as at least our season would have a bit more excitement in it. We're in 4 cups this year so would like a decent run in at least one of them.

Kirkcaldy and Dysart then Crossgates or Stirling Uni if we beat them. I’d imagine we’ll beat Kirkcaldy but their team looks to have a bit of experience. The Uni or Crossgates will pose a bigger threat but hopefully Crossgates away as we’ve not had a decent away game in a cup for a good few years now

I have been called a ‘virgin’ on Twitter by grown men that steam football manager to a collective audience of 12 people, arguably more than current BSC Cumbernauld season ticket holders. I apologise for any offence caused.

They’re no in the south challenge thankfully. It’s probably the best cup to play in, arguably better than the Scottish.

South Challenge Cup draw tomorrow, we've failed to get past the second round (i think) since the 18/19 season when we were defeated by Bonnyrigg in the quarter finals. Granted our draws have been generally dull. We're in the North East section, lots of quite exciting ties possible against clubs we've never played before and the possibility of some decent away trips too. I wouldn't be shocked if we drew Cumbernauuld Colts though.

I’ve never liked BSC since we came into the league, just a pointless club all round. If they were in Glasgow and promoting players from within like a ‘sports club’ should then I wouldn’t have a problem. The same with teams like Cumbernauld and St Cadocs. Cowboy Fraser took his brown paper bag for the colts and a few of my pals bumped into Ferry and apparently he was a knob so that’s more than enough for me to be petty

You don’t follow a team in this league and have to put up with this joke of a club and it’s antics though

No one buying season tickets so they’ve plunged to the bottom of the barrel and signed the biggest moron in the world to try and appeal to the virgins that actually spent money going to watch Open Goal live events. Things falling apart already, lovely. My wish is that it goes tits up, Ferry leaves in November withdrawing all funding and BSC go bust. I will bathe in the tears of Cowboy Fraser, the loser that does their social media and Derek ‘Mozza’ Robertson.

And instantly rises back to 36.5 with the signing of Liam Buchanan

I like the look of the Spartans team this season but think you’re a bit top heavy. Going to be hard to keep all the strikers happy unless you play some ridiculously attacking formation

We did not roll over in the play off games for this tomfoolery

I see that the season tickets go on sale tomorrow. Listening to ferrys interview yesterday I had a little chuckle when he said he was expecting good crowds because they've sold out a few shows at the hydro. Lets be honest, the people that would pay money to go to the Hydro to see 'Slaney' in some womens underwear and Kevin Kyle attempt to speak are morons, but probably not big enough morons to buy a BSC Cumbernauld season ticket. These people, predominantly Old Film fans, don't go to see their actual team, haven't went in their hundreds like predicted to see the Colts teams and there is no way in hell they are going to buy season tickets for this shambles. They might be a boost for the first couple of games due to the novelty factor but i'd be highly surprised if their average gates rise. I can not wait for this joke of a club to crash and burn, the day George Fraser and his cronies get booted out this league will be a great occasion.

Incredible that fitbaw is back in just a few weeks and things finally getting rolling on the signings front. I was quite worried for a wee while after we lost Gibbons and the rumours going around about losing a lot of players but we've managed to get through pretty much unscathed. Gibbons will no doubt be a big miss but he was a bit injury prone and we've replaced like for like so can be hopeful on that front. Andy Rodden, likewise is a decent player and I wish him well going up to League 1 with Clyde. But he is a left back and they are easily replaceable haha. Crooks and Churchill were both decent utility players but similarly easily replaceable. I would've liked Turner to stay just because I'm nostalgic but won't be a big miss. Craig Henderson is a good player but was just unable to hold down a place. Our squad last year was the most bang average Shire side I've ever witnessed, not necessarily a bad thing, so I wouldn't have minded any of the players signing on but equally not fussed about losing them. On the resigning front, Connolly is a real relief. The best Shire keeper I've ever seen and IMO the best in the league. If we didn't have him I fear what lowly position we'd be slumbering in. After years of watching Ritchie Barnard collapse any time a shot was hit at him then 5 years of Barclay moving about like his 6 yard box was filled with treacle it is a pleasure to watch a very good keeper. Kenny Barr and Andy Kay are 7/10s every week and valuable members of the squad while Dean Watson has that X factor that can really change games. He's still young and hopefully continues to grow and develop as he will be an important member of the team next season. Jack Hodge struggled with injury but theres a player in him and hopefully he'll be able to get a run of games next years. The players still undecided are Tyler Fulton, Connor Greene and Jamie Hamilton. If we managed to get all 3 signed up then i'd be really happy with our spine for next season. Our two new signings are both midfielders but seem like they could be decent. Dean Ritchie has played a bit of league 1 football and I would imagine comes in as a like for like for Gibbons while Fotheringham was rumoured to be one of the Camelon 5 that joined in 2016 but turned us down to go to Queens Park. I'd imagine we've got another 10 or so signings to go so looking forward to see who we'll bring in. The big one will be our new striker, I'd imagine it will be very difficult to replace Offord but a few decent strikers then we should be looking at trying to consolidate ourselves in the top 6 or so in the league. The Shire voting for the Colts, despite the board trying to kid on that they are voting for a 'pyramid review', is really disappointing. The fans voted for the club to say no to the colts yet the club have flipped to go against what the fans want. In a league thats already a joke with two universities, Cumbernauld Boys Club, BSC Cumbernauld and Edufrance Academy the prospect of 3 colts teams on top of that is really draining and ruins what should be a really competitive league next year. Overall though, I'm pleased with the business we've done so far. A solid 6th place awaits!

The Shire voted in favour for a play off for Club 42 haha but keep foaming man

Bob McHugh I would imagine will be a pretty decent signing. I'm sure that Ruddy is a bit of a p***k is he no? Was he no the boy that was giving it the big one because of how much he was on at Wolves when he was chucking baws into the back of the net for Ayr?

Pretty decent player, one of our better this season. Good at set pieces and got a decent strike on him when the opportunity arises. Surprised hes went as high as League 1 but good luck to him. Can't be any worse than some of your recent signings from us

Enjoy this period of hope because believe me it will not last. Your first pummeling by some utter jobbers will be your worst day as a football fan. I'm still mentally recovering from losing 7-4 to Selkirk in September 2016. Although I seen Scott Sinclair is coming to the LL, was mentioned earlier in the thread? Is Cowden his destination?

We finally build a decent team where a few good close season signings could propel us into challenger territory but that will not be the case. Gibbons the first of what I presume will be many heading for the door. Boy a know said he turned down decent money from Bo'Ness to join whatever the name of the club playing in Alloa are called now. Gibbons is a great player, it is no coincidence that our defensive record improved dramatically over the last couple of season and I wish him well.

When you announce a signing with *'insert player' has played over so many hundred games at SPFL level* then its only going one way. Geniunely baffling that after watching the Shire and EK spend hundreds of thousands on ageing duds that Berwick see this as the way forward