Robert James
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Posts posted by Robert James
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The SFA has pulled the "Conference" League proposal, which is good news for the Pyramid.
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On 16/05/2023 at 17:27, Dev said:
This development was mentioned a couple of years or so ago. If Athletic or Loch Ness don't use it could there be a UHI team in the NCal soon? Ground-sharing must also be a possibility so two teams benefitting?
ICL might attract more students to the university, if it had a senior/winter football outlet. A ground share with Athletic or Ness would provide some finance for pitch/ground maintenance.
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Just now, Robert James said:
TYPO CORRECTION :
"for 23/24" NOT for 22/23
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Just now, Robert James said:
SPFL Play-off Final Result
Albion Rovers 0 Spartans 1 (1-2 on aggregate)
Presumably a straight club swap for 23/24, with no other impact on the Lowland League for 2022/23 ?.
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SPFL Play-off Final Result
Albion Rovers 0 Spartans 1 (1-2 on aggregate)
Presumably a straight club swap for 23/24, with no other impact on the Lowland League for 2022/23 ?.
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Glasgow Uni for obvious reasons.
Also, Clydebank.
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12 hours ago, Le Tout P'ti FC said:
Good grief. You go away from P&B for a few weeks and come back to find the team from your village has joined the EOSFL! I’m in no way ITK about them and will be as intrigued as you will be about where they will eventually settle in the pyramid!
As a few others have commented, the ground is in top condition for joining the league at that level. There is a covered stand seating about 50, and uncovered standing / railed off from the pitch on either side thereof.
Plus a small covered enclosure being built on the other side of the pitch (between the dugouts).
Take say Ormiston, who have a very tidy ground. Linton Hotspur would I’d suggest mark a small improvement on that ground today, before any new works are completed.
Some kind of building works are indeed taking place now behind the goal adjacent to the clubhouse. I expect the remainder of the pitch will need to be railed off and they might be doing something to expand the car parking behind the goals, judging by where the works taking place are. I’ll take a better look next time I wander past.
The clubhouse itself is excellent. Changing rooms available for both teams and referees, showers and toilets. Kitchen area with pies (bring a change of clothes for gravy soaking) and best of all an honesty bar for cans of chilled T (they are not licensed so cannot sell booze). Plus a telly and a pool table.Playing surface is superb and very well maintained. A number of games will no doubt fall due to West Linton being amongst the coldest places on earth, but that besides I’d be surprised if a game is lost due to water logging.
The one thing that will need a lot of work is the playing squad. I’ve seen the team a half dozen times or so since lockdown, and they’ve been solidly thrashed every time. Maybe I’ve picked bad games to watch, but I’d put them well behind the likes of Edinburgh College or West Calder from teams in that league I’ve recently seen.As regards where the facilities come from, my understanding is that the new primary school and some houses were built on their former pitch. The new ground is built on land which I believe was donated by a local farmer. So I’ve been told in the past.
What is very evident is that the community aspect of the team is building every passing month. I regularly see a big turnout for the kids section and that’s ultimately what I suspect will be of most importance to the club.Crowds for games I’ve seen have hovered somewhere around 50 on average. Not tremendously well supported today, but then an EOSFL league team here could feasibly draw support from the nearby towns and villages of Carlops, Dolphinton, Biggar, Elsrickle and Broughton, so there’s a reasonable catchment area before you reach the neighbouring football teams in Penicuik, Peebles or Carluke.
Before I go too far into my “Bonnyrigg where do I get parked” mode, the amenities of the village outwith the club for an away day fan are easily summarised. One pub in the centre, the Gordon Arms, and a co-op! That’s your lot.
Local celebrities include me, and John Hartson lives just along the road.
Not much else to add other than to wish them well. And to hope they draw Campbeltown Pupils away in a cup and let me have a seat on their bus!
An excellent post.
And good luck to Linton Hotspur for 2023/24.
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On 18/04/2023 at 08:23, LongTimeLurker said:
Should have phrased that more carefully. Brechin City promoted with Albion Rovers, Bonnyrigg Rose, or Stranraer relegated sending Edinburgh Uni down to the EoS premier is one scenario to keep an eye on. Darvel or Auchinleck Talbot rather than Beith winning the WoS championship could also complicate matters in the west by forcing Linlithgow Rose into a promotion playoff but that's looking increasingly less likely.
Update for the Lurker -
Darvel have 55 points with 3 matches to play = max 61 points if they win them all.
Talbot have 47 points with 5 matches to play = max 62 points if they win them all.
.Beith already have 63 points, so can't be overtaken.
Linlithgow Rose will be EoSL champions 2022/23, as they can't be now be overtaken (by Sauchie Juniors or any other EoSL club), and will be promoted to the Lowland League, as they do hold an SFA Licence. Congratulations.
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On 29/04/2023 at 11:53, happy said:
Glenafton Athletic 1 0 Cumnock Juniors
Hurlford United 2 2 Darvel
Rutherglen Glencairn 1 1 Drumchapel United
Cumbernauld United 0 3 St. Cadoc's
Maryhill 2 0 Kilsyth Rangers
Lanark United 0 1 Ardrossan Winton Rovers
Congratulations to Beith Juniors as 2022/23 champions of the WoSL currently with 63 points so far (with 3 games to play)
Which club will be WoSL runners up :
Darvel currently with 55 points & 2 games to play. Max points 61 ?
or
Talbot currently with 47 points & 5 games to play. Max points 62 ?
I understand that Beith don't have an SFA licence, so aren't eligible for promotion to the Lowland League. Darvel & Talbot ARE licensed, but won't be champions, so cannot play in the Lowland playoffs.
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On 09/03/2023 at 18:09, LeedsPhil said:
Yes there is.
I attended a Bonar Bridge home game at the end of the North Caley season that had been due for the Saturday but was brought forward to the midweek and played under lights at borrowed Golspie.
When I asked why, the Bonar Bridge club official told me that he had had to do that move because the players had told him that they were off to their summer clubs (the primary football up there) and he'd have had insufficient left for the fixture had it remained on the Saturday.
Will Bonar Bridge continue as an NCL club next season ?
I've not heard any rumours about new clubs joining the league for 2023/24, although I thought Dornoch had previously expressed some interest in returning within a few years. Very unlikely for next season IMO.
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On 10/01/2023 at 10:05, Dev said:
The WoS seems to have imposed an end of March dead-line for applications from potential new clubs. Is the same dead-line in place in the EoS?
Even with additional relegations from the 2nd Division there could be four vacancies in Div.3. Any likely applicants showing yet? Presumably the usual Cupar Hearts speculation but nothing much else in time for next season?
The EoSL has traditionally had a 31st March closing date for new applicants. On occasions it has published the NUMBER of new applicants, WITHOUT naming them.
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On 18/04/2023 at 23:35, tamthebam said:
I note that amongst the past winners of the Highland League are Aberdeen "A".
I wonder why the northern equivalent of the LL, The Highland League hasn't had Colts teams forced on it- you could have Ross County and Aberdeen for starters, maybe ICT (albeit they're skint) and conceivably Dundee and Dundee United. I mean surely the argument for having the Cheeks plus the Jambos Colts in the LL would equally apply to having Aberdeen Colts in the HL.
Or is it because the HL has been going since 1893 and they're not prepared to put up with shite like this.
Spot on mate !
Also, IF as I suspect, very few of the Highland clubs will be interested in a national Conference, with several "B" teams (eventually), and playing against more SPFL reserve teams. Furthermore, have the HFL clubs been CONSULTED about this 'concept',, which will undermine the purpose (and prestige) of the of Pyramid. I doubt if they've been formally asked for their views.
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1 hour ago, PossilYM said:
Thanks parsforlife.
Leaving aside the LL B teams farce, i'm curious to see how this Conference would pan out.
Even a 16 team Conference might have problems finding 8 Highland League teams on merit.
The Scottish pyramid doesn't need an additional tier/conference, but the Celtic/Rangers issue isn't going to go away,
IMO, the solution is to extend SPFL League Two, from 10 to 18 clubs, with immediate effect, by PROMOTING the top 4 Lowland & Highland league clubs, based on their position at the end of this season. By introducing a 34 match format season, where the bottom League Two club next season (ie no need to relegate club 42 this season), would be automatically replaced by the HFL / SLL play-off winners. And YES Celtic B and Rangers B, would be promoted on merit (this season). Also, League Two clubs would only play each other ONCE per season.
The integrity of the pyramid would be retained, and Hearts B would not be promoted on merit, and it would be in the power of the Lowland & Highland Leagues, to decide whether or not they would accept future SPFL B teams into membership.
I am however aware that the above 'solution' would be lost in the current (typical) Scottish football quagmire !!
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On 13/03/2023 at 12:35, Sherrif John Bunnell said:
If Loch Ness blow it again, they should just rebrand themselves as Black Isle Hibernian.
Congratulations to Loch Ness - NCL champions for the 1st time
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On 17/03/2023 at 07:17, Fraz_1311 said:
Syngentas resignation was confirmed at a meeting last night all games this season now cast as void.
Syngenta won't be missed by many/most fans., including me.
Record expunged.
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On 24/06/2022 at 23:50, FairWeatherFan said:
Pollok, Benburb, Bonnyton Thistle, Rutherglen Glencairn, and Kilwinning Rangers in the West.
Lochee United and Tayport in the Midlands.
Syngenta and St Andrews United in the East.
Think that's it unless I've forgotten someone.
Need an update regarding new 2023 licensed applicants.
Syngenta's situation ?
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On 10/03/2023 at 22:17, jimbaxters said:
Correct. Any incentive of advancement has been minimised now.
The SFA's leaked proposals are a disgrace !
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On 09/12/2022 at 11:04, archieb said:
Very positive progress. Best wishes for your SFA licence application.
On 10/03/2023 at 21:51, sdr71 said:Talbot still have to play Beith twice. Win those, and they have 7 games in hand to close a 12 point gap.
Talbot are the stronger club, but with so many games still to play, they will need to keep players fit/keen playing +2 games every week.
Any body like to guess what the attendances for the two Beith v Talbot games will attract ?
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As far as I am aware, Beith are nowhere near obtaining an SFA licence, which is a pity, as they are arguably favourites to be crowned WoSL champions. Darvel's consistency has slipped, and Talbot have too many fixtures to fulfill. As potential champions, Beith are not licensed, so they cannot enter the Lowland promotion play-offs at the end of this season. Top 6 :-
BEITH 21 -48 DARVEL 20 - 41 POLLOK 22 - 38 MEADOW 20 - 32 TALBOT 14 - 30 CLYDEBANK 17 - 30
Disappointing for the WoSL, if it is not represented in the Pyramid play-off,
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On 14/02/2023 at 20:55, rockson said:
It should give relegated SPFL clubs a better chance of returning to the SPFL..
That would mean they would have to attract good enough players to win the league they get elegated into - which hasn't happened so far (but might in Brechin's case.)
As is stands SPFL clubs relegated into the Lowland League - most of whose players will be out of contract, being on one-year deals - seem to face a big problem in persuading enough good new ones to join a sinking ship.
Granted a Lowland club returning to the SPFL may occur in future but it doesn't look likely right now for precisely the reason above.
Highland League Brechin City may be the first club to win back a place in SPFL Tier 4 ?
Bonnyrigg Rose may be the first pyramid champions to be relegated back to Tier 5 (from the SPFL) ?.
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On 28/01/2023 at 23:06, Cowdenleith said:
Long way to go and the HL winner may have a say, but how mental would a Bonnyrigg v Tranent play off for a place in League 2 be?
Tranent Juniors and Tranent Colts have announced that they will be merging as Tranent FC.
A very progressive development.
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On 09/02/2023 at 13:03, Marten said:
I've watched football in the (then) Skye & Lochalsh league before. It's a very decent standard. But I don't think they'd be interested in the NCL over there. Playing in the winter in Skye could be a challenge, plenty of players are away in the winter and travel costs would be a big issue there.
A fair point.
However Skye could follow Lewis & Harris, and enter a representative team in one of the NCA/NCL cups. Even Shetland did this for a couple of years prior to the pandemic.
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On 09/02/2023 at 20:05, Marten said:
If you do have a play-off that includes 2nd bottom in the LL, I think the best is to play a round robin. Then, depending on promotion/relegation with the SPFL, you can just promote/reprieve the top 1/2/3 of that round robin. It could in theory result in no promotion, but it could also result in promotion of 3 clubs (in reality either option would probably be very rare to happen). In any case, I think the highest finished eligible team of each league should go to the play-off, so if a champion is unlicensed, the next best team would go (probably with an additional clause of having to finish top 3 or so).
The Midlands League/Tayside question is already sorted.
I agree.
The real problem in the pyramid is the relegation/promotion between SPFL League 2 and Tier 5 (HFL/LL).
There should be one AUTOMATIC promotion place for the winners of the Highland/Lowland play-off, replacing the bottom SPFL club, which would be relegated to the HFL or LL.
In addition, the HFL/LL play-off losers should then have a play-off against the club which has finished bottom but one in League 2. The advantages are :
(1) it would open-up the promotion chances for ambitious pyramid clubs
(2) it would mirror the promotion/relegation system currently used throughout the SPFL
(3) it should give relegated SPFL clubs a better chance of returning to the SPFL
(4) it should encourage the top pyramid leagues to review the promotion and relegation between tiers 5 & 6.
The above could be introduced in TWO stages (over 2 or 3 seasons), which might be more palatable for SPFL clubs.
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Congratulations to Fort about it (re)launching a Reserve team for 2023/24 ?
Orkney Fc has successfully retained its' membership of North Caledonian League, despite its' geographical location and associated difficulties.
Surely the Isle of Skye could do likewise, as the west Highlands and Islands region, would benefit from a 2nd pyramid club ? It would offer an opportunity for young footballers to gain experience of pyramid football. Are there any other rumours/news about potential new clubs/teams, in this region ?
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2022–23 Highland League Chat
in North Pyramid
Posted
Yes I agree !!!. You know how much I care about you experts.