Berwick Rangers 2018/2019 Thread

[marty_j]

I couldn’t give a monkeys if they’ve got Mystic Meg or Mitch Megg. This is about us performing over two legs, giving it our all, having the belief we can win this tie and retain our league status. 
The league season is over, needs to be erased and concentrate on a cup final played over two legs. 
Come on Berwick, you can do this. 

This! 100%

Come on The Dream Team

[mo83]

I don’t get the love in between Montrose and Cove. Seem a few of you like them to come up.  The only thing they will bring to the league is money. Soul less stadium, no fans just like Edinburgh city. Will just spunk money to get players from other  Clubs. Where is the improvement over a spfl team who at least have a history and have a fan base that genuinely cares about their team and town. 
To be replaced by yet another team from a city that doesn’t need another  senior team. Would be wasted on here but there is a social impact on provincial towns if teams are to drop out of the senior leagues to be replaced by yet more city teams.

Your missing the point big time."seriously do him" what's the point In doing that was the point I was trying to get over?.You have seen yourself this year with the refs their hopeless,what's the point of going down to 10 men in a huge game for Berwick.Not a clue where you have got the Montrose- Cove "love" far from it .

[Aberdeen Cowden]

42 minutes ago, marello said:

are you sure about Fyvie to Cove?  The position of the Cowden fan base ref Cove is due in no small part to their knowing that the ref kept them in the game/league with absolutely shocking performance in the second leg, they can go on about it being 0-0 in 1st leg but that was just one of those days when the best team can't buy a goal.

on this forum there's some who would like to see Cove (and EK beforehand) promoted as they were less likely to wait around in lower divisions happy to survive on handouts etc and there are others (above) who are perhaps a little jealous of the sound financial position of other teams who they know will challenge hard when and if they enter the league.  City of Aberdeen won't actually have a senior team when the Dons move to Westhill, Aberdeenshire and not sure how you can state that the city doesn't need another senior team - Dundee with smaller population and less wealth has had 2 for decades!!  Cove fans (and those of future teams trying to enter via pyramid) will have as much affection and loyalty to their teams as those who (oftentimes due to the lack of relegation from leagues) have bounced around in the lower leagues so get rid of the history snobbery please....

and cowden fans, the refs won't always be on your side...

You can't have been at the Cowden/Cove game when Cove players lost the plot after one of the worst tackles you'll ever see. However, the Dons move to Westhill will surely be a disaster for the club so maybe that would be a benefit for Cove.

No senior team in Aberdeen, transportation to and parking at the new stadium a major problem, you couldn't make it up. All done to line one man's pockets.

[Aberdeen Cowden]

3 minutes ago, mo83 said:

1 hour ago, Brazilianlex said:

I don’t get the love in between Montrose and Cove. Seem a few of you like them to come up.  The only thing they will bring to the league is money. Soul less stadium, no fans just like Edinburgh city. Will just spunk money to get players from other  Clubs. Where is the improvement over a spfl team who at least have a history and have a fan base that genuinely cares about their team and town. 
To be replaced by yet another team from a city that doesn’t need another  senior team. Would be wasted on here but there is a social impact on provincial towns if teams are to drop out of the senior leagues to be replaced by yet more city teams.

Your missing the point big time."seriously do him" what's the point In doing that was the point I was trying to get over?.You have seen yourself this year with the refs their hopeless,what's the point of going down to 10 men in a huge game for Berwick.Not a clue where you have got the Montrose- Cove "love" far from it .

I think it was "tongue in cheek" but Cove certainly aren't the same team when Megginson is missing.

Berwick know all about getting players sent off, three in one game earlier this season. Don't think they'll go down that route.

[Marten]

Let's not forget Cove are already a senior team and Berwick will still be one if they drop down...

Call me pedantic for all you like, but the term "senior" is not just for teams in the SPFL and shouldn't be used as such, that's disrespectful to senior non-league sides imo. HL & LL are also senior leagues, just like the EOS, SOS and NCL.

[Mon_The_Fife]

I don’t get the love in between Montrose and Cove. Seem a few of you like them to come up.  The only thing they will bring to the league is money. Soul less stadium, no fans just like Edinburgh city. Will just spunk money to get players from other  Clubs. Where is the improvement over a spfl team who at least have a history and have a fan base that genuinely cares about their team and town. 
To be replaced by yet another team from a city that doesn’t need another  senior team. Would be wasted on here but there is a social impact on provincial towns if teams are to drop out of the senior leagues to be replaced by yet more city teams.

What a load of rubbish. So, because Berwick have history that means that they shouldn’t be relegated? For too long, club 42 had no fear of dropping out of the league, I’m all for automatic relegation (albeit hopefully it never happens to East Fife). I get that Cowden supporters have a massive chip on their shoulders when it comes to Cove but saying that they have a soulless ground with no fans just reeks of irony.

I’m sure Aberdeen can sustain another professional club, and I doubt the crowds will be that bad compared to other clubs in the bottom leagues. Cove have earned the right to have the opportunity to enter League 2 so best of luck to them.

[my left boot]

Morning everybody. first post but this season might call for it.

I'll start of with telling you my real name, no point in hiding. I'm David Letham, I live just outside St Andrews in Fife and travel to Berwick for nearly every home game. I've missed a couple of mid week gamed but so far I've covered over 5500 miles this season. I have had my dad with me for the majority of these games and it's been an awful season. my back went in July and my dad despite his age (81) and various ailments drove us both around for the first 8+ games of the season.

It is a mess of a season and I can only hope that we manage league survival. I'll be there on Saturday with my dad and will be down for the home game too.

I'm on the board of the Supporters Trust (of which there are still spaces available) and have recently been getting abuse on twitter because I live in St Andrews and not Berwick. I write a blog about the games I attend, although its been getting shorter every week.  I have "no connection to the town".  (Apart from my wife coming from the town of course and her family still living there.) Abuse has now been deleted but it's pretty sad as somebody trying to help  that 2 people decide that I wasn't good enough. Turns out nether of them live in the town and have season tickets at other clubs!

I have a season ticket as does my dad but I've never used mine this season as I've always been helping out. cameraman, 50/50 ticket sales. turnstiles etc.

I also started a supporters club 3+ years ago and paid for a banner in the stadium, advert in the programme, player kit sponsor, dressed up as a bear and gave out sweets at the last home game a few years ago...… I feel I've done my "bit".

(also sponsored the colts and Tweedmouth Rangers).

some of what my supporters club have done can bee seen here. 

https://www.berwickranger.com/charitysupport.html

 

This is not the time to be picking on each other, this is a time we desperately need to band together.

I very much enjoy following Berwick Rangers but I'm dreading these playoffs. If we are in the Lowland League next season I doubt my commitment will be as high.

It looks like the Lowland League have a fair few midweek fixtures. Midweek fixtures are difficult enough to attend normally, but the prospect of travelling down the Edinburgh bypass in November in the rain to see a game against Edusport or Edinburgh University doesn't appeal. Away games will be few and far between, again I simply can't face travelling to see some of the teams. 

We really need to remain in the league, it will be extremely difficult to get back up. I don't think the club will collapse and crumble but we could be a lowland league team for many many years.

Anyway, a bit of a grumble but there it is. 

[Ginaro]

16 minutes ago, my left boot said:

It looks like the Lowland League have a fair few midweek fixtures. Midweek fixtures are difficult enough to attend normally, but the prospect of travelling down the Edinburgh bypass in November in the rain to see a game against Edusport or Edinburgh University doesn't appeal. Away games will be few and far between, again I simply can't face travelling to see some of the teams. 

There's three scheduled rounds of midweek matches, beginning/end of August and one in October, plus 8 rescheduled matches were played midweek this season.

In League Two there's no scheduled midweek games, but 14 matches were played midweek plus the Challenge Cup first round. Berwick actually played four midweek League/Cup games so no different to than you would do next season in the Lowland League (except with lesser teams and shorter travel distances).

[1320Lichtie]

He is all they have 
someone has to take one for the team and seriously do him early doors. Cynical but there is a lot at stake for Berwick.

McKenzie would be a decent L2 keeper

Strachan a good League 1/2 defender

Park is a good player who I'm surprised hasn't played in the leagues before. I'd still have Blair Yule in our squad going into the Championship. Paul McManus would get a game for Berwick and Jimmy Scott could still be good in L2

That's the players I know of, but I've seen Cove a few times and I'm always impressed. If they get promoted they'll finish in the promotion play offs I would guess

[Muzza81]

1 hour ago, gogsy said:

Load of melodramatic ****e

Correct. One club has to finish bottom and face the music - no reason why it shouldn’t be Berwick (who have been murder for years).

[Muzza81]

12 minutes ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Strachan a good League 1/2 defender

 

Not having that. 

[Ducket Lodger]

4 hours ago, Ducket Lodger said:

9 days until the end - 138 years of Berwick Rangers down the pan - Take a bow all you Directors (even the ones who have recently resigned and the members of the failed coup)

You have done a great job - what a legacy you have left,  no-one else can be blamed but you, you can blame JH but you appointed him, the buck stops with you!!!

Are you concerned? no!

All we have is a faint hope that we will overcome a competent highland league side, who, unlike us can score goals, I want to be proved wrong and I will back the team until the end, but the reality is we've got little chance, its too late, something should have been done much sooner to avoid this situation.

How can a team that's lost so many and failed to score, have the confidence to beat a team on the up, they may be a league below, but I think they will be too much for us, in our current state.

I really want to be wrong, but...…………….

ITS LOOKING LIKE - LIGHT OUT, ALL OUT...…...GOODNIGHT!!!!

Load of melodramatic ****e

 

Sorry Walla, you just can't take criticism,  but you've fucked it big time!

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

43 minutes ago, my left boot said:

Morning everybody. first post but this season might call for it.

I'll start of with telling you my real name, no point in hiding. I'm David Letham, I live just outside St Andrews in Fife and travel to Berwick for nearly every home game. I've missed a couple of mid week gamed but so far I've covered over 5500 miles this season. I have had my dad with me for the majority of these games and it's been an awful season. my back went in July and my dad despite his age (81) and various ailments drove us both around for the first 8+ games of the season.

Don't believe I've met you but all credit to you for putting as much in as you have - it's been noticeable and I wish it felt less as though it was going down straight the pan. Without wanting to continue dragging the same patter up with the games now so close, a large frustration of mine has been the club's naivety regarding the loyalty of the support. If people like yourself are even admitting you'd cut back, it has to be a concern. We will all still support Berwick Rangers if we go down, but with the manner in which this situation has came about I think most will do so in a different way. There has to be a point where fans stand up and demand the club show some ambition and effort. It's almost as if we've seen a growth of the opposite.

Anyway, on to Saturday. Up the fuckin Gers.

[dougster]

17 minutes ago, Muzza81 said:

Correct. One club has to finish bottom and face the music - no reason why it shouldn’t be Berwick (who, Like Us have been murder for years).

sorted it for you

[DutchBorderer]

I suppose I should rattle out a final post before the game at Balmoral; perhaps on the off-chance that the players read it, or to try and unify the fans on here (again, welcome to all the new BRFC-supporting members).

The position the club are in right now has been coming for years, albeit at a rather excellerated pace this season compared to the downward trend that was evident in 16/17 and 17/18 - previously it seemed unthinkable to finish so far behind the other 9 teams, with part of that coming down to the presence of a poor Cowden side (who have improved tremendously) and East Stirlingshire. The boardroom troubles and appointment of Johnny Harvey are the leading causes of our complete self-destruction this season, and with Albion Rovers getting their shit together and deciding not to function as a safety net, it is only natural that we are where we are now - just like how Cove Rangers, no matter what people may think of that club (oil money, blabla), have reached the play-off final on merit.

Nowhere in the above have I mentioned the players, because none of them (none of you, if you read this) are at fault. A fair few stuck by the club through the off-season after another disappointing campaign, a fair few were brought in by Robbie Horn at the start of the season, and then a fair few were recruited by Johnny Harvey; despite these varying backgrounds, I strongly feel that every player has given everything he had in him, in often very trying conditions. We were well short of a competitive budget in the summer, got battered in the cup group stage and some of the early matches despite promising results v. both Albions in the division, and then had Horn leave us. Johnny Harvey was brought in, got the budget Horn should have gotten in the first place, but for one reason or another, it was not meant to be - exactly why it didn't work is irrelevant now.

What is relevant is that the players, our players, showed fight every match, even if they ended up well-beaten by superior opponents and/or streaks of misfortune. Despite this, all of us on P&B and a fair few on other social media have been rather negative throughout proceedings (for which I certainly can't blame anyone), which is not what our players deserve; rather, they should have received nothing but appreciation and encouragement for the shifts they have put in on the pitch. What I hope to articulate and espouse now, then, is that we, as fans have and will back our team, our players, unconditionally. I've no doubt the black and gold faithful will be out in full force at Balmoral, and especially at Shielfied to the point of drowning out the Cove fans in terms of both number and sound.

Sean B., Kyle, and Ryan, Adrian, Jack C., Andrew, Craig, Jordan, Boab, and Dougie, Lewis, Cameron, Ross, Declan, Sean M., and Jack O, Calum, Ahmed, Grant, Daryl, and Ousman.

I know you can do this, together with John and Yano and everyone else at the club, as a team - as proud and fearless Berwick Rangers. We have failed eachother at some points during the year, but we've now 180 minutes to save the season, to save the club from what will be years of Lowland League football. All of us will shout and scream our hearts out for you, as you take to the pitch to fight 'til the final whistle. You are all troopers for having gone through our shite season, now go on and take this chance to become heroes. No one will blame you if we go down, but no one will ever forget you if we beat Cove.

Edited May 9, 2019 by DutchBorderer

[DutchBorderer]

2 minutes ago, gogsy said:

Berwick spent the first half of their history outside of the what is currently the SPFL system, seemed to survive ok.

And none of the 'big' clubs played Champions League football for the first 50, 60, 70 years of their existence (or got millions in tv money), yet now rely on the annual continental windfall to survive.

It's almost like, I dunno, times change and clubs along with it based partially on what level they play at? BRFC will have to tighten their belt massively in the event of relegation and it remains to be seen whether casual fans, who are used to and spoiled by league football, will come back for consecutive years of Lowland League football.

[Aberdeen Cowden]

4 hours ago, Marten said:

Let's not forget Cove are already a senior team and Berwick will still be one if they drop down...

Call me pedantic for all you like, but the term "senior" is not just for teams in the SPFL and shouldn't be used as such, that's disrespectful to senior non-league sides imo. HL & LL are also senior leagues, just like the EOS, SOS and NCL.

You are being pedantic.

[A Believer]

I suppose I should rattle out a final post before the game at Balmoral; perhaps on the off-chance that the players read it, or to try and unify the fans on here (again, welcome to all the new BRFC-supporting members).
The position the club are in right now has been coming for years, albeit at a rather excellerated pace this season compared to the downward trend that was evident in 16/17 and 17/18 - previously it seemed unthinkable to finish so far behind the other 9 teams, with part of that coming down to the presence of a poor Cowden side (who have improved tremendously) and East Stirlingshire. The boardroom troubles and appointment of Johnny Harvey are the leading causes of our complete self-destruction this season, and with Albion Rovers getting their shit together and deciding not to function as a safety net, it is only natural that we are where we are now - just like how Cove Rangers, no matter what people may think of that club (oil money, blabla), have reached the play-off final on merit.
Nowhere in the above have I mentioned the players, because none of them (none of you, if you read this) are at fault. A fair few stuck by the club through the off-season after another disappointing campaign, a fair few were brought in by Robbie Horn at the start of the season, and then a fair few were recruited by Johnny Harvey; despite these varying backgrounds, I strongly feel that every player has given everything he had in them, in often very trying conditions. We were well short of a competitive budget in the summer, got battered in the cup group stage and some of the early matches despite promising results v. both Albions in the division, and then had Horn leave us. Johnny Harvey was brought in, got the budget Horn should have gotten in the first place, but for one reason or another, it was not meant to be - exactly why it didn't work is irrelevant now.
What is relevant is that the players, our players, showed fight every match, even if they ended up well-beaten by superior opponents and/or streaks of misfortune. Despite this, all of us on P&B and a fair few on other social media have been rather negative throughout proceedings (for which I certainly can't blame anyone), which is not what our players deserve; rather, they should have received nothing but appreciation and encouragement for the shifts they have put in on the pitch. What I hope to articulate and espouse now, then, is that we, as fans have and will back our team, our players, unconditionally. I've no doubt the black and gold faithful will be out in full force at Balmoral, and especially at Shielfied to the point of drowning out the Cove fans in terms of both number and sound.
Sean B., Kyle, and Ryan, Adrian, Jack C., Andrew, Craig, Jordan, Boab, and Dougie, Lewis, Cameron, Ross, Declan, Sean M., and Jack O, Calum, Ahmed, Grant, Daryl, and Ousman.
I know you can do this, together with John and Yano and everyone else at the club, as a team - as proud and fearless Berwick Rangers. We have failed eachother at some points during the year, but we've now 180 minutes to save the season, to save the club from what will be years of Lowland League football. All of us will shout and scream our hearts out for you, as you take to the pitch to fight 'til the final whistle. You are all troopers for having gone through our shite season, now go on and take this chance to become heroes. No one will blame you if we go down, but no one will ever forget you if we beat Cove.

Another top post DB, well said and I agree with all your sentiments. 'mon The Borderers!!

[Clyde01]

BRFC will have to tighten their belt massively in the event of relegation and it remains to be seen whether casual fans, who are used to and spoiled by league football, will come back for consecutive years of Lowland League football.

Spoiled by League 2 football [emoji23] surely not!

Of course the financial aspect will be challenging but from a purely fans point of view: a new league with lots of new away days, only having to play each team twice, the expectation you will win more games than not. Might be quite a refreshing experience rather than playing the same old teams over and over again.

[DutchBorderer]

31 minutes ago, Clyde01 said:

Spoiled by League 2 football surely not!

Of course the financial aspect will be challenging but from a purely fans point of view: a new league with lots of new away days, only having to play each team twice, the expectation you will win more games than not. Might be quite a refreshing experience rather than playing the same old teams over and over again.

Fair points, all of which I find sensible. Nonetheless, the only  point of reference we have is East Stirlingshire and, for one reason or another, their attendance figures are down.

Speaking on purely personal terms, I will always prefer squeaky bum seasons in L2 with the odd 7-1 over solid top of the table football in the LL, purely because Berwick Rangers (and any club other club for that matter) should always strive to play at the highest possible level.