Harry’s Toffee Knees

Cumbernauld Colts 2 v 1 BSC Glasgow

Not a betting person, but if any bookmaker is still offering those odds for the Cumbernauld Colts v BSC Glasgow game tomorrow, I might be tempted to chance my arm, once I know tonight’s score, of course.

Think it was honours even between them last season, with both sides winning at home. I’m setting my sights lower and just hoping Edinburgh University can break their scoring duck this weekend.

Edinburgh University has lost quite a few experienced players this season and others are still not back; it’s also a few weeks until term time and new blood, so the next few weeks will probably see a patched up team and, alas, painful defeats.

Agree with your Kelty prediction. Caledonian Braves have quite a young team, so three games in a week might be tough for them, and Kelty should prove a stiffer test than Gretna 2008 and Edinburgh University, respectively. I think the Strollers v Rose game is harder to predict.

Friday 2nd Cumbernauld Colts v BSC Glasgow Saturday 3rd Berwick Rangers v Stirling University Caledonian Braves v Kelty Hearts Civil Service Strollers v Bonnyrigg Rose Dalbeattie Star v Gala Fairydean East Stirlingshire v Gretna 2008 The Spartans v Edinburgh University Vale of Leithen v East Kilbride Some interesting fixtures this weekend. Who will lose their 100% record, who will get their first point(s)? How many teams will be at the bottom on 0 points by Saturday evening?

You kill me, Nimmo’s notes.

How does a side go from losing 8-0 at the weekend to almost holding the defending champions to a draw?

Caledonian Braves 3 v 2 Gretna 2008

Ouch. Don’t think the University keeper could do anything about either.

Just seen the East Stirlingshire opener, cracking strike.

Looks as if they have worked hard to get things done. Sure they would have preferred a Saturday for their first new home game, but hey ho. Perhaps this thread could now be renamed, too.

Good points but still not much clearer on why it is that others write them off so blithely. If they were a flash in the pan, then that would perhaps be understandable, but they seem to have been consistently rising over the seasons, so you would perhaps expect them to be considered as potential winners. However, when I see people predict their challengers, they rarely get a mention.

Not entirely sure why that should be. Second last year, hard to beat, and certainly capable of scoring goals.

BSC will surely be happy to have taken 4 points from two tricky opening fixtures. The Spartans’ Twitter feed made it sound as if it was rather robust at times.

Goals aplenty, again. Bonnyrigg Rose off to a good start but a hard few days for Vale of Leithen.

Think that’s how it’ll shape up, too, though I suspect the gap between the teams in the middle to the top might be narrower than that to the teams battling relegation. Should be interest in most games.

Good point. But is becoming another Spartans such a bad thing? I appreciate that there is a window of opportunity for some clubs to realise their ambitions, but it’s currently not an easy league to escape from, at least up the way.

Damn video evidence. Looked clearer at the time.

True, but the League is arguably even stronger now, and this year they appear to have fewer experienced players on whom to call. Early days, of course, but the Vale of Leithen and Dalbeattie Star fixtures in August should be good indicators. They actually created numerous chances yesterday, but alas they lacked a little composure in front of goal.

Surely there has to be a question of long-term sustainability as well. Numerous clubs appear to be investing, presumably on the premise that it is better to do so now and attain (further) promotion from the Lowland League whilst it is a mix of strong and weak, rather than wait until there are many more stronger. I’ll be interested to see what happens to those clubs who invest but find promotion beyond their reach.

The game between Caledonian Braves and Edinburgh University was rather open and entertaining for the first half; it could easily have been 3-3 at half-time and there was little between them. The second goal, after the interval, which looked glaringly offside and was poorly adjudged onside, knocked the stuffing out of the University. Thereafter, heads went down and individual errors led to the eventual score line, with the Braves pressing their advantage to the end. The Braves looked physically bigger and stronger while the University side was both makeshift and inexperienced.

Given that the French officer and British officer are both showing the same open palm salutes, these might not be the best images.

Indeed. You could probably draw a line under tonight’s top ten and see those teams jostling for those positions all season and the remaining teams fighting to avoid relegation, and four of the teams haven’t even kicked a ball.

Good point. As you say, early days, but more relegation should necessitate more promotion, in both directions, and that could be tricky. Some teams may be better equipped to galvanise and remain in their respective divisions, whereas others may simply be marking time and awaiting the inevitable.