Duns FC

[heedthebaa]

Resigned from the EOS for this season, detailed info on their website. Getting harder every year to put squads together down here in the borders. Hopefully all the committees good work doesn't come to nowt

[Duns Fan]

Really disappointed but in a way not surprised. As heid said the duns committee have done a tremendous job over the last 4/5 years to get to the club where they are. Many factors attribute to this. Perhaps the lack of competition in the eos could be one. I reckon though we don't play the players which is no fault of duns but the local lads are getting better offers elsewhere. Also hard to compete with the Edinburgh teams too when they have such a huge pool of players to choose from compared to Duns.

A really hope the club find their feet. Sad day but every cloud has a silver lining and confident Duns will be back playing where it be junior/senior.

[LongTimeLurker]

They seemed very keen on licensing at one point, so that is a bit of a shock. Shows how desparate things are getting for the EoS. Hope Eyemouth can continue, but you have to wonder whether Borders Amateur would be the better bet for them now as well.

[heedthebaa]

There has been rumours of this happening for months now, but you seen what was being achieved off the pitch and thought it couldn't possibly happen. I know they had to draft players in at the end of the season, but so did Coldstream and Eyemouth. Personally I couldn't see how 3 Berwickshire teams could sustain at EOS level and that one would follow Kelso. The fact Tweedmouth Rangers are in now and a new Spittal Rovers are in the Alliance means Berwick based players can now stay in the Town and get a decent level of football.

[Burnie_man]

Wow, that came out of the blue, I thought they were building a new stand and going for a licence? What were the precise reasons given?

 

EoSFL really is on it's last legs.

[tynie1874]

Think this will be the last season of EOS. And to think folk get paid to play in it!

[hunter]

sad day. some great lads at duns who have put a power of work into it off the pitch. lads in the area don't seem to want to commit to training seriously. hope they can sort themselves out and come back and play in their great facilities, but I personally cant see it, shame.

[Duns Fan]

Wow, that came out of the blue, I thought they were building a new stand and going for a licence? What were the precise reasons given?

EoSFL really is on it's last legs.

Can't attract the players to play for the club. We cant compete with other border clubs that have lowland league status and Scottish cup entry and we don't pay players so its very hard to bring in guys. The main statement is on the Duns website.

[Burnie_man]

^{Aye I just read it, pretty sad and I’m not sure what the answer is for Duns given that the Juniors is just as tough an environment to be in, if not more so. Maybe Borders Amateurs is where the clubs future lies for the time being.}

 

^{As for the future of the EoS, clubs will have to look at where it is headed and either a) as a League, approach the East Region Juniors for inclusion in the set-up or b) every man for himself and individual clubs seek to join the East Region or c) carry on with possible diminishing numbers.  I can’t see a long term future.}

 

^{Coldstream and Burntisland are licenced but didn’t even apply for LL this year, their licences appear to protect their Scottish Cup status and nothing else, and let’s be honest, Burntisland are a perfect fit for the Juniors given where they are and I see no reason why they could not move and keep the licence, Girvan are the precedent having just been awarded their licence.}

 

^{For the rest, Ormiston have been there before and again are a perfect fit (what’s happening with their new ground?), Heriot Watt have the facilities, as do Lothian Thistle HV.}

 

^{It’s an interesting one for LTHV and Leith Athletic, unlikely to be licenced anytime soon, but one of the them almost guaranteed Scottish Cup cash every season, what do they do in a league that (possibly) is on the brink?  Not sure Leith have the required facilities at the moment, fenced in 3G “cages†are not Junior standard.}

 

^{It’s interesting times, are we close to having some form of “unity†in the East at last, albeit not in the most ideal of circumstances.}

[calmac25]

Are the facilities at gartcairn much different from at Leith? I think juniors entry standards are pretty low despite what's documented on the website

[Burnie_man]

Are the facilities at gartcairn much different from at Leith? I think juniors entry standards are pretty low despite what's documented on the website

 

Not sure as I have never been to Gartcairn.

 

I think regulations state that the changing facilities must be within the confines of the ground, but then that appears to be flexible given Craigroyston's admission.

 

In addition, grounds must be fully enclosed, that may hamper Peebles Rovers and maybe Eyemouth? not been to either.

[heedthebaa]

In addition, grounds must be fully enclosed, that may hamper Peebles Rovers and maybe Eyemouth? not been to either.

eyemouth is enclosed

[heedthebaa]

Can't attract the players to play for the club. We cant compete with other border clubs that have lowland league status and Scottish cup entry and we don't pay players so its very hard to bring in guys. The main statement is on the Duns website.

that's twice you've mentioned money, which I would say has nowt te dae wee it

[Duns Fan]

that's twice you've mentioned money, which I would say has nowt te dae wee it

Think it does IMO. A would imagine Hawick and Gala pay money now they are lowland league and Scottish cup. Not sure about the streamers.

[HibeeJibee]

I was profoundly shocked to hear about this earlier.

 

Whatever the circumstances I hope that it isn't something the club or town comes to regret in years to come. Tens of thousands of pounds haven't been invested in building a stadium out of nothing - including grandstand, shed, enclosing fence and all the rest - to play in C Division of the Border Amateur League. Granted they'd clearly been struggling for players and had fallen to the foot of the EOSL.

 

I appreciate the point about SFA membership and paying players. On the other hand the like of Eyemouth and Peebles do not have that money either.

 

Strange to think that they only left the BAL 5yrs ago... Reached the South Challenge Cup Final in their first season, moved into their new ground come the end of the next, then only missed promotion into the EOS Premier Division (as was) by 1pt just over 12 months ago. It wasn't meant to be like this.

 

All in all, an even stranger demise than Kelso United not quite a year ago. Also leaves the EOS League in a position of even more acute perilousness.

[NE63 exile]

Really sad to hear this news.

I spent a pleasant evening down there at the end of last season for a midweek fixture with Spartans Reserves.

And the more disappointing thing is all the work that has gone into that set up is far too good to be playing amateur football.

I don't know a lot about the EoSL but coming from a few miles south of the Tweed I've always kept an eye on how Eyemouth and Coldstream have done over the years and I wondered how having another team in that area would impact on the amount of players good enough or willing to step up into that league.

I know the the two Berwick clubs always tended to struggle to attract players when they played in the Northern Alliance League over the border. It's not a over populated area to start with especially with the location and the geography.

[HibeeJibee]

That said there are numerous amateur clubs, in Coldstream Ams, Chirnside United (they used to have reserves too), Duns Reserves who will continue as Duns, Earlston Rhymers, Eyemouth Ams, Gordon, Greenlaw and Lauder. Until not that long ago Ayton and Cockburnspath had teams too.

 

There are also Tweedmouth Ams and a new Berwick Rangers Ams playing alongside the above in the BAL.

 

There is also a new Spittal Rovers in the Northern Alliance, on top of Harrow, Highfields, Springhill etc. in the North Northumberland League, and Tweedmouth Rangers have entered the EOSL alongside Coldstream and Eyemouth Utd.

 

So on the one hand Berwick and Berwickshire already has many teams, perhaps too many... on the other, what is 1 more among a dozen-and-a-half? It's a perplexing one. Borders football often is.

[Sergeant Wilson]

That said there are numerous amateur clubs, in Coldstream Ams, Chirnside United (they used to have reserves too), Duns Reserves who will continue as Duns, Earlston Rhymers, Eyemouth Ams, Gordon, Greenlaw and Lauder. Until not that long ago Ayton and Cockburnspath had teams too.

There are also Tweedmouth Amateurs and a new Berwick Rangers Amateurs playing alongside the above in the BAL.

There is also a new Spittal Rovers in the Northern Alliance, on top of Harrow, Highfields, Springhill etc. in the North Northumberland League, and Tweedmouth Rangers have come into the EOS alongside Coldstream and Eyemouth Utd.

So on the one hand Berwick and Berwickshire already has many teams, perhaps too many... on the other, what is 1 more among a dozen-and-a-half?

You made Earlston Rhymers up didn't you?

[HibeeJibee]

Certainly not .

 

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Rhymer

 

https://rhymerstower.wordpress.com/

[Sergeant Wilson]

Aye. They'll be playing Portobello Jube Jubes next.