LongTimeLurker Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Maybe 30 league games was the more important angle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitburn Vale Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 What would SPFL clubs say about the prospect of dropping into a 10 team league playing only 27 games? There's still a lot of rumour and counter rumour on this,dare say at games up and down the SHFL this weekend,chairman and committee men will be deep in conversation.Interestingly enough there's a big game in the league cup Formartine v Brora,a shire team vs a north side,would love to be a fly on the wall in the North Lodge Park Boardroom. Though from what's being said over on fitba north,Formartine declined the offer of going to the "meeting",there was five out of these six shire clubs at it .....Fraserburgh,Cove,Keith,Inverurie,Turriff,Huntly. Formers and Vale weren't there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 P&J has confirmed what is going on: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/sport-editors-picks/843506/could-breakaway-movement-tear-highland-league-apart/ - as stated earlier, before Christmas a vote was held on splitting into 2 divisions of 10 if membership went beyond 18 clubs. This was won 9-8, with the Wick delegate not present and a proxy vote against (to tie 9-9) not accepted - P&J confirms that in January a 'formal' vote was held but only 7 clubs voted in favour of dividing at 19 clubs, the remaining 11 votes were in favour of raising the bar to 21 clubs. P&J says Brora, Buckie, Clachnacuddin, Cove, Fraserburgh, Inverurie, Keith were the 7 in favour of a lower threshold. - it's now claimed that these 7, who may either have recruited or trying to recruit 2 sympathetic companions (which would bring things back to 9-9), are threatening to form a breakaway league if the decision isn't reversed. They would invite a further 3 clubs to join them. Presumably the last 6 would fold or have to go Junior or North Caledonian. - there is a "special meeting" next midweek to revisit the issue, although the constitution apparently forbids a 'formal' revote It doesn't say the rebels want to divide at 17/18 clubs. So it seems things have turned rather fraught up north. One thing I don't really understand is how any breakaway would work. Surely you couldn't just breakaway, then say "hi, SFA, we're now tier 5"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnie_man Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 So the SFA President's club is one of the "rebels"? you couldn't make it up....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 So the SFA President's club is one of the "rebels"? you couldn't make it up....... He may have had off the record discussions with his colleagues at HQ, and may have been given a nod and a wink to carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 One thing I don't really understand is how any breakaway would work. Surely you couldn't just breakaway, then say "hi, SFA, we're now tier 5"? If Cove are involved, they will know how the SFA executive views this. This winter has shown that the current arrangement is clearly unworkable even with 18 clubs due to the need to be finished with rearranged postponed games by mid-April in time for the HL/LL and club 42 playoffs, so if the principle of progression is being advanced by moving to a workable arrangement, I suspect the SFA have the power to intervene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Aren't they still playing cups early in the season? Postponements happen, but I'm not sure how 34 games played over 42 weeks is overly difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitburn Vale Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 He may have had off the record discussions with his colleagues at HQ, and may have been given a nod and a wink to carry on. That is exactly what has happened ma man,I've got it on the qt that the SFA are in the know and approve!!! There will be no seperate North+Aberdeenshire leagues,that has been blew out the water with Brora'a involvement,the gang of 7 or 9 will be pushing their agenda for Two Highland Divisions at the LMC meeting at Lossiemouth on the 3rd of March. My preference is for two leagues of 12,playing 33 league games a season,meaning playing a team 3 times a season. That would involve 6 new sides in, about the maximum they could hope to bring in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Aren't they still playing cups early in the season? Postponements happen, but I'm not sure how 34 games played over 42 weeks is overly difficult. They play the Finals of the local cups on weekends in the autumn (Aberdeenshire and North of Scotland cups depending which half of the region); and they play all of the League Cup on weekends in February-April including postponements getting another Saturday. LL plays its League Cup off the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 They play the Finals of the local cups on weekends in the autumn (Aberdeenshire and North of Scotland cups depending which half of the region); and they play all of the League Cup on weekends in February-April including postponements getting another Saturday. LL plays its League Cup off the end. Makes little sense to do this and also complain about not having enough time to get the league season finished. Ultimately there is a time limit on the league games getting played, but if the cup goes into may then it wouldn't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 The big problem they have is rules about how far clubs can be expected to travel for midweek games. No Fort William solves a lot of scheduling problems, as they tend to have a lot of weekend postponements, which cannot easily be rearranged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivo den Bieman Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 He may have had off the record discussions with his colleagues at HQ, and may have been given a nod and a wink to carry on. almost certainly this is the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 - P&J confirms that in January a 'formal' vote was held but only 7 clubs voted in favour of dividing at 19 clubs, the remaining 11 votes were in favour of raising the bar to 21 clubs. P&J says Brora, Buckie, Clachnacuddin, Cove, Fraserburgh, Inverurie, Keith were the 7 in favour of a lower threshold. - it's now claimed that these 7, who may either have recruited or trying to recruit 2 sympathetic companions (which would bring things back to 9-9), are threatening to form a breakaway league if the decision isn't reversed. They would invite a further 3 clubs to join them. Presumably the last 6 would fold or have to go Junior or North Caledonian. Anybody want to join me in re-forming Citadel and joining this new league? Mon the Sheep's Bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnie_man Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Or a new Caledonian and a new Thistle...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broomhill Ultra Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Sorry if I'm being a bit thick but is this proposed breakaway going to sit in isolation from the pyramid or still have the potential for promotion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Sorry if I'm being a bit thick but is this proposed breakaway going to sit in isolation from the pyramid or still have the potential for promotion? My reading of it, from what has been posted, is that it is a negotiating ploy to force the North of Scotland FA clubs to come to the table for discussions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitburn Vale Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 My reading of it, from what has been posted, is that it is a negotiating ploy to force the North of Scotland FA clubs to come to the table for discussions. No it isn't,there's two northern clubs in the gang of 7 who are proposing this,Brora Rangers and Clachnacuddin,the others involved are Keith,Cove,Buckie,Inverurie and Fraserburgh,quite a broad geographic mix. It's got nowt to do with north v shire clubs and everything to do with these clubs pushing there agenda on the rest,some of it good like two leagues with promotion and relegation some not so like a daft 10/9 team split. It will be part of the pyramid as the SHFL clubs signed up for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 No it isn't,there's two northern clubs in the gang of 7 who are proposing this,Brora Rangers and Clachnacuddin,the others involved are Keith,Cove,Buckie,Inverurie and Fraserburgh,quite a broad geographic mix. It's got nowt to do with north v shire clubs and everything to do with these clubs pushing there agenda on the rest,some of it good like two leagues with promotion and relegation some not so like a daft 10/9 team split. It will be part of the pyramid as the SHFL clubs signed up for it. I don't understand it at all, Clach, Keith and Buckie would most probably be put in the lower section. I can only think it's to do with too many potential money earning games being scheduled for loss making Wednesday nights early in the season to make sure the fixtures are completed before the play offs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 My reading of it, from what has been posted, is that it is a negotiating ploy to force the North of Scotland FA clubs to come to the table for discussions. No it isn't,there's two northern clubs in the gang of 7 who are proposing this,Brora Rangers and Clachnacuddin,the others involved are Keith,Cove,Buckie,Inverurie and Fraserburgh,quite a broad geographic mix. It's got nowt to do with north v shire clubs and everything to do with these clubs pushing there agenda on the rest,some of it good like two leagues with promotion and relegation some not so like a daft 10/9 team split. It will be part of the pyramid as the SHFL clubs signed up for it. These posts also suggest it's an Aberdeen FA v North situation I think the OP has missed the point of the discussion last night. That being, the Aberdeenshire FA teams had a meeting amongst themselves to discuss cutting the North FA teams loose and making their own breakaway league, as none can compete with Brora and none can be bothered travelling. Of the nine SHFL clubs involved, seven said yes and two said no. Disgusting chicanery. Got it the wrong way about apparently as Cove Rangers (that's where the SFA president comes from) are said to be in the willing to breakaway Aberdeenshire FA faction. It all appears to be driven by the desire to get the 10-9 split HL setup agreed to with North of Scotland FA clubs being viewed as the main obstacle to achieving it. They have to secure a majority to get the split. The point of the breakaway threat is to secure that majority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 These posts also suggest it's an Aberdeen FA v North situation That's what everybody thought, turned not to be the case. P.S. Don't see why Cove should get a vote seeing that they don't even have a ground or a timetable for getting one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.