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South Challenge Cup 2018-19


HibeeJibee

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Bonnyrigg 0-0 Stirling Uni (aet, 4-2p)
Hill of Beath 2-3 East Kilbride


Bonnyrigg played extra-time with 10 men after Dean Hoskins saw red so will be relieved to have won through on penalties.

EK raced into an early 3-0 lead but HoB gave them a big fright late-on.


So champion of LL faces champion of EOSL Conference B (who might yet be overall EOSL champion).

I think this is the most attractive Final in the competition's history and so one befitting its 10th anniversary.

Granted that in 2012-13 you had EOSL champion v SOSL champion in the shape of Whitehill v Dalbeattie at Annan. However, that was last season before LL started, so the Final was still held in April at that time and neither side had been crowned (IIRC).


Should be potential for a good crowd too. East Kilbride have built up a good support and Bonnyrigg are amongst the best-supported sides in non-league football. EK are looking to pair-up this cup with LL title (indeed like Edinburgh City a few years ago they could go into the final as promotion playoff winners). Bonnyrigg are unbeaten since the autumn and are still fighting on every cup front as well as pursuing overall EOSL title.

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18 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Bonnyrigg 0-0 Stirling Uni (aet, 4-2p)
Hill of Beath 2-3 East Kilbride


Bonnyrigg played extra-time with 10 men after Dean Hoskins saw red so will be relieved to have won through on penalties.

EK raced into an early 3-0 lead but HoB gave them a big fright late-on.


So champion of LL faces champion of EOSL Conference B (who might yet be overall EOSL champion).

I think this is the most attractive Final in the competition's history and so one befitting its 10th anniversary.

Granted that in 2012-13 you had EOSL champion v SOSL champion in the shape of Whitehill v Dalbeattie at Annan. However, that was last season before LL started, so the Final was still held in April at that time and neither side had been crowned (IIRC).


Should be potential for a good crowd too. East Kilbride have built up a good support and Bonnyrigg are amongst the best-supported sides in non-league football. EK are looking to pair-up this cup with LL title (indeed like Edinburgh City a few years ago they could go into the final as promotion playoff winners). Bonnyrigg are unbeaten since the autumn and are still fighting on every cup front as well as pursuing overall EOSL title.

As prestigious as the competition is I think it deserves a place well before the importance of the LL SPFL play offs  ?

 

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27 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Bonnyrigg 0-0 Stirling Uni (aet, 4-2p)
Hill of Beath 2-3 East Kilbride


Bonnyrigg played extra-time with 10 men after Dean Hoskins saw red so will be relieved to have won through on penalties.

EK raced into an early 3-0 lead but HoB gave them a big fright late-on.


So champion of LL faces champion of EOSL Conference B (who might yet be overall EOSL champion).

I think this is the most attractive Final in the competition's history and so one befitting its 10th anniversary.

Granted that in 2012-13 you had EOSL champion v SOSL champion in the shape of Whitehill v Dalbeattie at Annan. However, that was last season before LL started, so the Final was still held in April at that time and neither side had been crowned (IIRC).


Should be potential for a good crowd too. East Kilbride have built up a good support and Bonnyrigg are amongst the best-supported sides in non-league football. EK are looking to pair-up this cup with LL title (indeed like Edinburgh City a few years ago they could go into the final as promotion playoff winners). Bonnyrigg are unbeaten since the autumn and are still fighting on every cup front as well as pursuing overall EOSL title.

Good write up Hibee. Great pairing for the final and venue.  

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8 minutes ago, newcastle broon said:

As prestigious as the competition is I think it deserves a place well before the importance of the LL SPFL play offs  ?

Do you mean the timing, or whether winning it is seen as "bigger" than gaining promotion?

If you mean the timing - if you didn't play it on the last Sunday of the season, as it has been since pyramid started, it would have to be this weekend or in March: but QFs were at start of March and SFs were today.

In any case - since it moved to the end of the season it has unquestionably gained in coverage, attendances and prestige, IMO. Whitehill's win over Edinburgh City was an example.

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2 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Do you mean the timing, or whether winning it is seen as "bigger" than gaining promotion?

If you mean the timing - if you didn't play it on the last Sunday of the season, as it has been since pyramid started, it would have to be this weekend or in March: but QFs were at start of March and SFs were today.

In any case - since it moved to the end of the season it has unquestionably gained in coverage, attendances and prestige, IMO. Whitehill's win over Edinburgh City was an example.

Mostly timing when ww played City after their promotion it was kinda like City were playing wi a "hangover" from their play off success  ? I appreciate the calender has very limited spaces though.

 

 

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Down the line is it possible the Challenge Cup final gets hosted at an SPFL ground due to the influx of clubs with good supports & also add prestige?

Have the EOS ever held finals for any of their comps at league grounds in the area?

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3 minutes ago, newcastle broon said:

Mostly timing when ww played City after their promotion it was kinda like City were playing wi a "hangover" from their play off success  ? I appreciate the calender has very limited spaces though.

It's the first Sunday after the four weekend block for the play-offs, and the day after the Scottish Cup final. Don't think you can interrupt the end of the league season, and if the LL champions get to the final you've just got to wait until the end of May.

5 minutes ago, AlanCamelonfan said:

Has the finals got pretty decided venues if so where are they. League cup football nation and kings cup

Think it will depend on who is playing who, in terms of location and expected crowd size.

1 hour ago, HibeeJibee said:

I think this is the most attractive Final in the competition's history and so one befitting its 10th anniversary.

Would agree with that, but isn't it the 12th edition of the cup? :)

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20 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

Down the line is it possible the Challenge Cup final gets hosted at an SPFL ground due to the influx of clubs with good supports & also add prestige?

Have the EOS ever held finals for any of their comps at league grounds in the area?

The final has been played at 4 League grounds in the last 11 years ... Tynecastle (Twice), Falkirk, Annan and Palmerston. 

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1 hour ago, newcastle broon said:

Mostly timing when ww played City after their promotion it was kinda like City were playing wi a "hangover" from their play off success  ? I appreciate the calender has very limited spaces though.

Aye, basically after this weekend you've got the closing 2 weeks of the league campaign (everyone with 1 home & 1 away game), then 4 weekends of playoffs and Lowland League Cup. So you would have to finish the competition much earlier, and thus play preceding rounds earlier too.
 

43 minutes ago, GNU_Linux said:

Down the line is it possible the Challenge Cup final gets hosted at an SPFL ground due to the influx of clubs with good supports & also add prestige?

Have the EOS ever held finals for any of their comps at league grounds in the area?

Usually the guiding principle has been the South Challenge Cup should be at a stadium with a grandstand (it wasn't last season at Musselburgh for the first time but every final actually went to a Junior ground), but this hasn't always meant an SPFL ground. As noted it's been at Hearts twice and Annan, QotS, Falkirk once each; but also at Gala twice, Meadowbank, Whitehill and Edinburgh Uni.

Other EOS finals have occasionally been at Hearts and Falkirk but it must be at least 15 years since Hibs. Nowadays with all the playoffs and Premiership split it'll be harder to know if grounds will be unavailable or closed.
 

41 minutes ago, Ginaro said:

Would agree with that, but isn't it the 12th edition of the cup? :)

Evidently my maths went awry... 12th edition = 11th anniversary.

Edited by HibeeJibee
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Meggetland is a superb venue for a crowd of the size you could expect for this, the only thing it lacks it any covered standing. Hopefully won't be needed.

I know of a venue with covered standing, a nice stand, more equidistant between the participants, on the Glasgow-Edinburgh main line, just off the M9...

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1 hour ago, GordonS said:

Meggetland is a superb venue for a crowd of the size you could expect for this, the only thing it lacks it any covered standing. Hopefully won't be needed.

I know of a venue with covered standing, a nice stand, more equidistant between the participants, on the Glasgow-Edinburgh main line, just off the M9...

I was thinking that as well, but given how quickly the venue was announced presumably it had been sorted well in advance?

Still three more finals to come so you never know...

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11 hours ago, GordonS said:

Meggetland is a superb venue for a crowd of the size you could expect for this, the only thing it lacks it any covered standing. Hopefully won't be needed.

I know of a venue with covered standing, a nice stand, more equidistant between the participants, on the Glasgow-Edinburgh main line, just off the M9...

Sauchie loljk

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16 hours ago, Ginaro said:

I was thinking that as well, but given how quickly the venue was announced presumably it had been sorted well in advance?

Still three more finals to come so you never know...

I suspect so. Some great new venues to use for the other finals. 

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  • 1 month later...

Annoyingly I completely forgot this was on until about 1.55pm, having planned earlier in the week to go. Meggetland looks a decent ground.

Anyway, East Kilbride 2-1 winners. Bonnyrigg had two players sent off late on for bumping gums at the referee 

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