welshbairn Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 They could. But a team going out to deliberately lose a game is match-fixing. A potentially dangerous thing to do, surely. Is it against the rules to field a reserve or youth team squad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 So now they're fielding schoolboys, and (hoping) they lose the tie ? This story is getting as tall as some of the stuff about them wrecking their own lights. Richard Gordon: Meanwhile, it's a big day in non-league football as the League 2 pyramid playoffs get underway. What's the big team news, Jim? Jim Spence: Well Richard, a lot of media attention and a big crowd here, but an unusual selection for Brora as Golspie High School U15s take the field. Richard: Eh, Golspie High School U15s, Jim? Sutherland 6-aside champions, but there'll be some questions asked about that no doubt. Anything else to report? Jim: Not much. Brora's boys on a packet of Skittles each not to keep the score down, allegedly. Also, I see bits of broken light-bulb all around. Very odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 So now they're fielding schoolboys, and (hoping) they lose the tie ? This story is getting as tall as some of the stuff about them wrecking their own lights. Richard Gordon: Meanwhile, it's a big day in non-league football as the League 2 pyramid playoffs get underway. What's the big team news, Jim? Jim Spence: Well Richard, a lot of media attention and a big crowd here, but an unusual selection for Brora as Wick High School U15s take the field. Richard: Eh, Wick High School U15s, Jim? Caithness 6-aside champions, but there'll be some questions asked about that no doubt. Anything else to report? Jim: Not much. Brora's boys on a packet of Skittles each not to keep the score down, allegedly. Also, I see bits of broken light-bulb all around. Very odd. I was just asking the question, not suggesting it. Teams put out sub strength teams all the time now, especially down south. Thought it used to be against the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hampden Diehard Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 All the talk of Brora (essentially a village side who'll tumbled down the pecking order if the guy with the cash pulls out) not wanting to accept promotion takes us full circle re the pyramid. We have imposed a system on tiny clubs that may see them propelled into a situation that they don't really want, and is not sustainable. Elgin find it difficult to recruit locally as guys not enough guys want to be travelling all day Saturday every second week (and don't start with the midweek nonsense). I would hazard a guess that the situation will be worse at Brora. Brora may come up and find that their opponents will include Annan and Berwick, whilst even trips to the Central Belt and Angus will be relatively marathon. I can see why they might not want to come up. They must be absolutely delighted with this new-found success, irrespective of how it is funded. I know that I would be, if I supported them. We have tacked two relatively isolated divisions, with some very small sides in them, onto the SPFL set-up. If the pyramid is to work, then something needs to be done below (say) the second tier. As for Aberdeen supporting another club, despite some decent success, Cove don't attract many at the moment. Edinburgh, a population of 500,000 as against Aberdeen's 220,000, couldn't support a third club when Meadowbank were based there. Our crowds are dismal and Partick Thistle's core support is just over the 2000 mark. Fans in Scotland don't have a great pedigree in supporting smaller sides in the big cities. Speedway tried to impose promotion on teams a number of years ago and abandoned it as the teams in the second tier saw the step up as suicidal, plus their fans were happy being big fish in a smaller pond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hampden Diehard Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I was just asking the question, not suggesting it. Teams put out sub strength teams all the time now, especially down south. Thought it used to be against the rules. It is, and every so often the authorities try to take someone to task.....but not that often. Then again, when you are Chelsea and bring in Didier Drogba or the now-departed Torres for the usual guy up front, how weak is that making you?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm hoping Elgin get demoted, nice easy away day for Clachnacuddin. I'm not sure what would happen if it's the Lowland team that gets promoted though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drs Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 . Clubs do not have a "right" to a particular league just because they want to be in it. Swing and massive fucking miss from P&B's resident puddle drinker there. How is the Scottish League working out these days? Oh thats right it doesnt exist any more as all of the top clubs wanted to be in a particular league that wasnt the Scottish League and went off to be in the SPL. So um, you're talking shite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm hoping Elgin get demoted, nice easy away day for Clachnacuddin. I'm not sure what would happen if it's the Lowland team that gets promoted though. Not sure about what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Not sure about what. Would we have a 19 team HL or would the bottom team get demoted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Nowhere for the bottom team to go, as Juniors haven't joined the pyramid yet? Unless Cove are put out for being unlicensed it'd surely be 19 (or admit Banks o'Dee = 20, or 10-10?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Brora may come up and find that their opponents will include Annan and Berwick, whilst even trips to the Central Belt and Angus will be relatively marathon... Maybe worth bearing in mind that trips to Aberdeenshire are already a marathon for them and the A9 is a better road than the A96. Travel is undoubtedly an issue but it already is for far north clubs like Brora and Wick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The SHFL can deal with a 19 team league. We've had odd numbers before and starting a week earlier would allow us to get through some of the fixtures. Won't be long til the SHFL incorporates other junior/NCL sides and goes to 2x14/16. Leagues of 10 won't go down well, and a recent proposal to do so was punted into the long grass. 32 teams would make for a better League Cup too. For all Brora may find some of their opponents are long haul ones, they could as easy find themselves in a league with teams like Elgin, Montrose, Peterhead, Forfar, Brechin, etc. Trips to the central belt for potential games against Stirling Albion would see Brora do about an extra 34 miles each way on top of their travelling to Cove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm sure the HL could cope with 19, especially with an early winter as mild as this one. Notice you chose the longest away trip Brora have, one that they make one time a season cups permitting, a return trip of 7-8 hours, weather permitting. Not sure how many players would be keen on a trip to Brechin, Montrose or Forfar either. I drove from Inverness for a Falkirk game at Montrose last year. Never again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The SHFL can deal with a 19 team league. We've had odd numbers before and starting a week earlier would allow us to get through some of the fixtures. Won't be long til the SHFL incorporates other junior/NCL sides and goes to 2x14/16. Leagues of 10 won't go down well, and a recent proposal to do so was punted into the long grass. 32 teams would make for a better League Cup too. For all Brora may find some of their opponents are long haul ones, they could as easy find themselves in a league with teams like Elgin, Montrose, Peterhead, Forfar, Brechin, etc. Trips to the central belt for potential games against Stirling Albion would see Brora do about an extra 34 miles each way on top of their travelling to Cove. Is 32 teams playing in region covering from the Tay north feasible? How about 16/14 top league with 2 leagues of 10 bellow that north west/south east. I know you said 10 team leagues weren't popular at the vote but the clubs coming to make those leagues up are used to small leagues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 People in Brora have to travel 7-8 hours to get a pizza. For football it shouldn't be a problem. A 10 team top flight might be of interest to Cove/Buckie/Formartine/Locos treasurers but the idea of playing Fort/Rothes/Strathspey four times a year does absolutely nothing for me. And play a 24 game league season and filling the empty dates with cups ain't interesting either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 People in Brora have to travel 7-8 hours to get a pizza. For football it shouldn't be a problem. A 10 team top flight might be of interest to Cove/Buckie/Formartine/Locos treasurers but the idea of playing Fort/Rothes/Strathspey four times a year does absolutely nothing for me. And play a 24 game league season and filling the empty dates with cups ain't interesting either. Was that 2nd part to me? I wasn't meaning the top flight, it looks a no goer, but feeder the leagues could at least start with 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm sure the HL could cope with 19, especially with an early winter as mild as this one. Notice you chose the longest away trip Brora have, one that they make one time a season cups permitting, a return trip of 7-8 hours, weather permitting. Not sure how many players would be keen on a trip to Brechin, Montrose or Forfar either. I drove from Inverness for a Falkirk game at Montrose last year. Never again If Brora struggle to recruit players for a national campaign then they won't be staying there for long anyway. They can then build a competitive squad again at a level that suits their status. Though I'm sure similar arguments were made about Ross County and Peterhead, who have had relatively few problems enticing players. Not forgetting the likes of Stranraer and Queen of the South who AFAIK have, or certainly did have, many of their players actually training in Glasgow and commuting for match-days. Inverness or Aberdeen could act as a similar base for almost every Highland League club needing to attract a wider pool of players, if they wished to pursue that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 If Brora struggle to recruit players for a national campaign then they won't be staying there for long anyway. They can then build a competitive squad again at a level that suits their status. Though I'm sure similar arguments were made about Ross County and Peterhead, who have had relatively few problems enticing players. Not forgetting the likes of Stranraer and Queen of the South who AFAIK have, or certainly did have, many of their players actually training in Glasgow and commuting for match-days. Inverness or Aberdeen could act as a similar base for almost every Highland League club needing to attract a wider pool of players, if they wished to pursue that route. Don't really disagree with much of that, given the proportion of HL players already based in Aberdeen and Inverness, and even Glasgow. But Ross County usually lose more than half their squad in the summer, although that might have been more to do with their demented last manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 On the reorganising point: at the moment you have the Angus clubs, Peterhead and Elgin liable to relegation from SPFL; the Highland League with 18 clubs; the North Caledonian struggling along with 6 clubs (but they seem of largely 'Amateur' stance); and the North Juniors, organised: 14 10-10 with Superleague playing 26 games, and Districts playing 27 games. If the will was there I doubt it would be at all insurmountable for HL to drop from 18 to 16, the North Superleague increase from 14 to 16 to accommodate the 2 dropped from HL. 16 16 10-10 Incorporating the Tayside Juniors would be more complex: there are 14 of them, so you could form a third district, mixing the top clubs in higher up. But their current outlook is southerly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaffenThinMint Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Swing and massive fucking miss from P&B's resident puddle drinker there. How is the Scottish League working out these days? Oh thats right it doesnt exist any more as all of the top clubs wanted to be in a particular league that wasnt the Scottish League and went off to be in the SPL. So um, you're talking shite. I'm sure there was supposed to be some form of coherent point in the above word salad from the Juniors section's remedial case Drs (as ever over egging his cake). What it had to do with a club demanding the "right" to be part of a particular existing league "just because" is anyone's guess. The SPL clubs weren't demanding the "right" to be part of a particular league because they wanted to be in it - they left the existing league set up and set up their own - not even remotely close an analogy to a Highland/Lowland club refusing promotion to a tougher league. Oh, in case you haven't noticed, that separate SPL you bibdribbled about ceased to exist in June 2013 when it merged with the SFL to form the current SPFL. I thought you'd remember that one at least, considering it came partly from the fallout of your "big" team's arrogant zombie replacement being refused entry into whatever league it felt like & being told it was Div 3 take it or leave it. Great days, which hopefully we shall be revisiting again by this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.