HTG Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 And the bottom end of the HFL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Nothing happening there if they can get away with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 HL website clarifying what the exact situation is. http://www.highlandfootballleague.com/News/Item/434_The_Pyramid_System_and_how_it_affects_the_SHFL.aspx That seems to be far closer to what I expected, ability to comply doesn't mean currently has requirements in place. The decision to have a straight north/south line seems daft to me, given both the geography and population distribution of the country. The lux value of a set of floodlights would be a very lame reason to avoid/deny promotion to the bottom two tiers of the SPFL now that they will seldom be televised barring another financial meltdown at Ibrox. Different scenario with LL clubs that have no lights at all obviously. . I fully expect the any promoted club to be forced to comply with floodlight regulations. I expect this will not stop anyone from being promoted even those without lights currently in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Nothing happening there if they can get away with it. Not in the short term, and while the juniors resist taking the plunge and joining in. More than likely we'll be revisiting the SHFL two division structure over the coming 4-5 seasons and looking for ways to include teams who want to be part of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTG Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 How many clubs have still to secure a licence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclizine Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 How many clubs have still to secure a licence? Last I heard was Cove and Fort William, with Rothes appealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Cove Rangers are the only one of the three (if Fort William are one of them?) who have a realistic chance of becoming Champions in the next few years. They're waiting to find out about their long delayed ground move before upgrading their ground (I would think). Brora have stated they have no interest in promotion so are unlikely to do up their floodlights to fulfil the SPFL requirements, and they are huge favourites to win again this season. I think Cove, Formartine and maybe Nairn? are the only teams who have been keen on the pyramid, could be wrong though. Looks like the LL Champions will get a bye to the play off. P.S. I'm all in favour of promotion and demotion at the bottom of the HL, but if it means a 2x10 system they can GTF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Think Cove's main problem is that their pitch is too small and can't easily be extended. Deveronvale and Inverurie have also been mildly pro-pyramid in the past from what I remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTG Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Cove Rangers are the only one of the three (if Fort William are one of them?) who have a realistic chance of becoming Champions in the next few years. They're waiting to find out about their long delayed ground move before upgrading their ground (I would think). Brora have stated they have no interest in promotion so are unlikely to do up their floodlights to fulfil the SPFL requirements, and they are huge favourites to win again this season. I think Cove, Formartine and maybe Nairn? are the only teams who have been keen on the pyramid, could be wrong though. Looks like the LL Champions will get a bye to the play off. P.S. I'm all in favour of promotion and demotion at the bottom of the HL, but if it means a 2x10 system they can GTF. Aye, because that's still only 20 teams. Where is the strength in depth going to come from in the sector to the north of the Tay? I know the Juniors in the South are sitting outside just now but I think that may change in years to come. The whole thing is going to be really lopsided beneath the top division. It's a point I've already made on the lowland league forum but it is worth repeating in here - well to me anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pride_of_the_Clyde Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Has Conon Bridge got a team? Once stopped at a petrol station there and remarked to return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Leighton Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pride_of_the_Clyde Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 No. Oh, okay, thanks. If I remember correctly, there is a patch of ground behind a bottle bank on which a Conon Bridge F.C. could begin play, at least initially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 At least you did a bit of research before asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Oh, okay, thanks. If I remember correctly, there is a patch of ground behind a bottle bank on which a Conon Bridge F.C. could begin play, at least initially. It's got to be in with a shout if the SFA do a runner from Hampden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick90 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 SFA are moving to the new Heriot Watt `national sports` centre ... 2 years from now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Brora have stated they have no interest in promotion so are unlikely to do up their floodlights to fulfil the SPFL requirements Which of the following would apply to them? i) Unable to gain promotion to League 2 due to sub-standard facilities (i.e. like Falkirk when they (disgracefully) saved Aberdeen from relegation) ii) Actively choose not be promoted. In this case I'd imagine it would the former but can a team choose not to be promoted if say they couldn't be arsed travelling to the Central Belt or beyond every fortnight? Can a Championship or League 1/2 club actually 'choose' not to be promoted? It would be a bit of a joke (in the way the league structure in Scotland would completely lose it's credibility) if so but I could understand why some HL teams wouldn't be happy with it seeing as 'they never signed up to it'. Eta: I've just noticed that the SHFL website link is stating that if the champions don't meet requirements then the opportunity to play in the playoff won't be handed down to the next best suitable team? Or is that the waiver they mention here? If either the SHFL or SLFL Champion Club does not meet with SPFL membership criteria, and no waiver is granted by the SPFL Board, no play off will take place. To play Devil's advocate though, it would be rather stupid if Clach or Wick kept getting playoff places year in year out despite finishing mid-table if nobody else upgraded their facilities. I guess this is what they mean by a 'waiver granted by the SPFL Board' where they decide if either of them 'deserve it' or not? Rather disappointing though that if neither SLFL or SHFL champions meet the ground criteria then 'club 42' will be saved, just like the aforementioned Falkirk / Aberdeen shambles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Brora are now saying if they win this season they'll put it to a vote by the fans on whether to go for promotion or not. Sounds like the board is split on the issue. No idea how the SFA or SFPL would react. http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-league-two/284342-brora-rangers-to-let-fans-decide-over-potential-spfl-participation/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Edit: the Latitude 56,4513N also means that the Tay can't be used as the yardstick. Perth clubs wind up in the Lowland League. So the Dundee / Angus clubs would be Highland League and St Johnstone (god forbid) would be Lowland. That very specific latitude seems to set to the southern-most edge of Dundee (and extends across to Connel, just north of Oban). Can't say that I agree with that as lowland would be much more suitable for any Angus club, but hey. Brora are now saying if they win this season they'll put it to a vote by the fans on whether to go for promotion or not. Sounds like the board is split on the issue. No idea how the SFA or SFPL would react. My opinion is that there shouldn't be a choice of whether a club 'wants' to go up or down. If it's the case that they're voting on whether to invest on new expensive facilities which would allow them to go up then that might be another matter (refers to this case I guess) but if the facilities are in place then there shouldn't be any question about it - they should be promoted and told to beat it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jute Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Which of the following would apply to them? i) Unable to gain promotion to League 2 due to sub-standard facilities (i.e. like Falkirk when they (disgracefully) saved Aberdeen from relegation) ii) Actively choose not be promoted. In this case I'd imagine it would the former but can a team choose not to be promoted if say they couldn't be arsed travelling to the Central Belt or beyond every fortnight? Can a Championship or League 1/2 club actually 'choose' not to be promoted? It would be a bit of a joke (in the way the league structure in Scotland would completely lose it's credibility) if so but I could understand why some HL teams wouldn't be happy with it seeing as 'they never signed up to it'. Eta: I've just noticed that the SHFL website link is stating that if the champions don't meet requirements then the opportunity to play in the playoff won't be handed down to the next best suitable team? Or is that the waiver they mention here? Rather disappointing though that if neither SLFL or SHFL champions meet the ground criteria then 'club 42' will be saved, just like the aforementioned Falkirk / Aberdeen shambles. Falkirk never saved Aberdeen from relegation. They saved us from having to go into a relegation play off with them and Dunfermline. Back on topic as far as I am aware the only way the winners of the Highland League could avoid promotion was by having a ground that did not meet the bronze level licence requirement. They cannot just refuse promotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Falkirk never saved Aberdeen from relegation. They saved us from having to go into a relegation play off with them and Dunfermline. I did actually mean to put 'potential relegation', sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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