shawfield shed boy Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Hope montrose stay up for social and travellin reasons unless Edinburgh win their P/O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfcuk Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Hope montrose stay up for social and travellin reasons unless Edinburgh win their P/O hope they stay up as well, agree Edinburgh if a winner for the play offs please not Brora no offence but there are more than enough ex highland league teams already in the set up. still say regionalise below championship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stimpy Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 *maybe Well I've got my weekends booked off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdinburghBlue Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Suspect there may be a lot of neutrals at the final game - for ghoulish reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeAreElgin Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 there are more than enough ex highland league teams already in the set up. What, a massive 4 clubs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfcuk Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 What, a massive 4 clubs? yip more than enough???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullyweehutch Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 My question is what will they do if for example Montrose loose the playoff to a lowland league team. Surely Montrose won't the be in the Lowland league as they would be a highland league team. They can't extend the league? Doesn't seem to be planed here by the spfl unless I'm missing something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Lanarkshire Jag Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Doesn't seem to be planed here by the spfl unless I'm missing something. You are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 My question is what will they do if for example Montrose loose the playoff to a lowland league team. Surely Montrose won't the be in the Lowland league as they would be a highland league team. They can't extend the league? Doesn't seem to be planed here by the spfl unless I'm missing something. I'm amazed that this question hasn't already been asked... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RabidAl Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Latest from the P&J about Brora's intentions: The opportunity to progress into the senior ranks will be taken. The application will be lodged before tomorrow’s deadline and the focus is on the two-legged match against Lowland League champions Edinburgh City before the winners face the worst team in League 2. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/football/highland-league/534931/theres-no-stopping-rise-champions-brora-rangers/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Montrose would be part of a 19 team Highland League. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 yip more than enough You better not be including thon freak show in Inverness as part of that four. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 (Growls...). If Montrose loses to Edinburgh City then Montrose go into the Highland League, as there is a fixed boundary (equivalent to the Tay)... It's not that however goes down takes the place of whoever comes up. That could see Berwick playing in the Highland League / Elgin playing in the Lowland League / whatever, FFS. In England the team nearest the boundary would switch leagues. Not here (yet). That's probably sensible just now, as there are no clubs in the pyramid between Aberdeen (soon potentially Montrose) and Stirling. It seems the Highland League would simply run with 19 clubs - though it might also give impetus to a revival of Keith FC's plan to restructure into 2 divisions of 10, which they unsuccessfully proposed last season. They don't yet have levels beneath them on the pyramid to 'vent' excess clubs into. In the case of the Lowland League, they have the EOS & SOS leagues below, but they aren't at full complement of 16 yet anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RabidAl Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Can't see the HL going with 19 teams given the struggle to fit fixtures in for the 18 teams this season in time for the pyramid play-offs. Those additional 2 games might make all the difference... I guess Banks O'Dee might be hoping for Edin City to come through the play-offs - since they're licenced they'd presumably be expected to make the HL numbers up to 20 for 2 divisions of 10 next season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 If they can run with 19 they need the same number of fixture dates for 20, so probaby doesn't make much difference. Longer term I suspect they need a few more clubs than 20 (they could get away with unlicensed clubs in a second division) to come up with a two division format their clubs would vote for (i.e. one where almost all would stay in the top flight). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RabidAl Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I was thinking of 19 teams meaning it'd be 36 games next season, as opposed to this season with 18 teams meaning only 34 games. But it's a good point about the number of actual fixture dates: they'd need 38 fixture dates with a 19-team league, but only need 34 fixture dates at the mo. Can't see that working when they have to be finished by mid-April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivo den Bieman Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Suspect there may be a lot of neutrals at the final game - for ghoulish reasons. yeah, rubberneckers won't be particulalrly welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cityfan Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Latest on Brora's position from STV. I don't think Montrose and Edinburgh City have much to worry about, they don't seem up for it at all... Brora Rangers chairman John Young says his club will take part in the first ever SPFL Play-Off match after exploring all options to avoid competing. Brora retained their Highland League title this weekend after beating Turriff 2-1 to set up a showdown with Lowland League winners Edinburgh City. The winner of the two-legged clash will then face the 10th place side in League 2, currently Montrose, to gain a spot in the league system. Many at the club have voiced their concerns over leaving the Highland system and chairman Young admits he would prefer not to feature in the end of season showdown. Speaking to STV, he said: "We’ve looked at all options and there’s no way we can avoid competing. We meet SPFL criteria for entry level so we can’t opt out, we’ve got to go for it. "There could be quite severe penalties [if we opt out] so we don’t want that. "My personal thoughts are that I’d rather we stay where we are but as a club we’ve got to move forward and we will be trying our best to get through into the SPFL. "Our players are professional and they always want to win every game. If we get through, we get through." Asked about his concerns about stepping up, Young added: "Our major concern is finance. We’re a small village of 1,200 people. "It’s quite hard to sustain ourselves in the Highland League so to travel longer distances, get players off work etc is going to cost the club sustainably more money in our view anyway.” Clubs must meet SPFL membership criteria or have secured necessary approval or period of grace from the SPFL board to compete in Play-Off matches. Failure to comply or secure this would prohibit clubs from playing. Young confirmed Brora’s Dudgeon Park ground is subject to licence at the moment, adding: "The criteria for the SPFL is bronze level for floodlighting, which ours may or may not be. "We’ve just upgraded our lights so we need to get them tested but we get a period of grace to get them up to the standard." Brora can count former Inverness CT players Ross Tokely and Gavin Morrison in their squad alongside ex-Ross County midfielder Stuart Kettlewell. Despite his own concerns, Young admits manager Davie Kirkwood is desperate to make the step up but not all of the playing squad feel the same. He said: "I’ve spoken to the manager and yes he appreciates where we’re coming from but he would like to go up and compete at a higher level. "We have players that have come down from a higher level to come play with us because they didn’t want all the travelling etc and even some of our younger players, who I thought would jump at the chance, are not that keen. "If we get there [sPFL] then we might have to rebuild the team, which is not helpful." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthernLights Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 What are the proposed dates for the Brora-Edinburgh games? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Can't see the HL going with 19 teams given the struggle to fit fixtures in for the 18 teams this season in time for the pyramid play-offs. Those additional 2 games might make all the difference... I think their clubs will prefer 4 extra midweeks/July weekends to splitting into 2 divisions of 10 or whatever - particularly given no-one knew the significance of finishing 10th and above. If they got a fixture pile-up next season that may change views although Brora actually have no game for a fortnight before the final day this season. They could also move to playing a cup off the end of the season, like LL do. I guess Banks O'Dee might be hoping for Edin City to come through the play-offs - since they're licenced they'd presumably be expected to make the HL numbers up to 20 for 2 divisions of 10 next season? Possibly, but if 19-club HL (1 division) I doubt they'd admit club #20 in case e.g. Elgin came down next season. What are the proposed dates for the Brora-Edinburgh games? Saturdays 25th April & 2nd May. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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