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2019/20 Challenge Cup


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10 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Probably been mentioned but maybe noteworthy if not that they've chosen an English club to represent Wales (TNS) and a Welsh club to represent England (Wrexham). Surprised that the Bohemians have been offered another go.

Hardly Boh's fault tho was it? Was under the impression that they did say it'd be a problem beforehand and the SPFL told them they'd sort it out should it come to that.

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Some clubs it would probably be more beneficial just to pay a fine than the loss they will experience from these matches!

I can bet you it wouldn't - it would be a very substantial fine indeed given breach of SPFL rules and the major damage it would cause as regards the SPFL clubs' treatment of its sponsors. In fact I am pretty certain a club will be made to participate.
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2 minutes ago, Cowden Cowboy said:


I can bet you it wouldn't - it would be a very substantial fine indeed given breach of SPFL rules and the major damage it would cause as regards the SPFL clubs' treatment of its sponsors. In fact I am pretty certain a club will be made to participate.

While an Irish club can get invited, withdraw at it's own convenience & influence the round dates, what a farce!

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1 hour ago, peternapper said:

If in round 1 HFL & LL supporters showed  the same disdain for the Colts inclusion by staying away from games involving them there could be even more embarrassment  with crowds  in two figures, while maybe 2 men & their dog would not be recorded as a official attendance anything under 100 at  a game would be funny. Our man from Berwick would probably be able to come up with the  least attended game since the Colts introduction. 

Since the tournament was reorganised there have been many crowds under 200:

191     Dundee 'B' v Hibs 'B'
190     Cove v Dundee 'B'
182     Edinburgh City v Albion Rovers
180     Turriff v Montrose
169     Stenhousemuir v Cove
168     Motherwell 'B' v Queen's Park
155     Aberdeen 'B' v St Johnstone 'B'
155     Albion Rovers v Spartans
153     Hamilton 'B' v Edinburgh City
150     East Stirlingshire v Motherwell 'B'
149     East Stirlingshire v Montrose
147     BSCG v East Stirlingshire
119     Cumbernauld v Hamilton 'B'
114     Albion Rovers v Hamilton 'B'
110     Dundee 'B' v Alloa

However crowds for various games seem to have gone unreported e.g. Ross County 'B' v Forfar, Kilmarnock 'B' v Berwick and Partick 'B' v Stirling University.

Certainly the conditions seem present for some similarly low crowds, and potentially even dipping under 100, assuming they are officially published.

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1 minute ago, HibeeJibee said:

Since the tournament was reorganised there have been many crowds under 200:

191     Dundee 'B' v Hibs 'B'
190     Cove v Dundee 'B'
182     Edinburgh City v Albion Rovers
180     Turriff v Montrose
169     Stenhousemuir v Cove
168     Motherwell 'B' v Queen's Park
155     Aberdeen 'B' v St Johnstone 'B'
155     Albion Rovers v Spartans
153     Hamilton 'B' v Edinburgh City
150     East Stirlingshire v Motherwell 'B'
149     East Stirlingshire v Montrose
147     BSCG v East Stirlingshire
119     Cumbernauld v Hamilton 'B'
114     Albion Rovers v Hamilton 'B'
110     Dundee 'B' v Alloa

However crowds for various games seem to have gone unreported e.g. Ross County 'B' v Forfar, Kilmarnock 'B' v Berwick and Partick 'B' v Stirling University.

Certainly the conditions seem present for some similarly low crowds, and potentially even dipping under 100, assuming they are officially published.

Cheers for that Hibee.Jbee you were the oracle I meant, agree could be a good chance of sub 100 crowds this season in round one at least if they admit it.

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Just now, peternapper said:

Cheers for that Hibee.Jbee you were the oracle I meant, agree could be a good chance of sub 100 crowds this season in round one at least if they admit it.

It will depend on various factors: including how strictly or liberally the clubs count "attendees", how many freebies are distributed, plus whether non-league fans feel playing in the cup is a novelty or like many SPFL fans consider it demeaning/unattractive. There are comparatively few HL/LL clubs on that sub-200 list versus SPFL1 & SPFL2 sides.

No average attendances are collected in HL so hard to set any context. They were collected in LL for the first time last season and of the qualified clubs Berwick (478), Kelty (384), EK (215) and Spartans (188) would need big drops. BSCG (80) are away to Hamilton 'B' which is certainly an interesting one - also St Johnstone 'B' v Cove, Livingston 'B' v Formartine, Albion Rovers v Hearts 'B', St Mirren 'B' v EK, etc.

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Just now, bendan said:

I can't believe the word 'colts' is used as part of the official name in the draw. Get that word to ****!

It's no doubt seen as more 'marketable' than Reserves, Youths, B or XI. That said... given some of these clubs have withdrawn from the Reserve League, and given the age-limit of the cup has been raised (but not again presumably - still U21?) plus over-age players permitted, quite what the definition of a colt is seems more woolly than ever.

It was also confusing in previous seasons as Cumbernauld Colts are an actual club, replete with an equine on their badge and rather garish looking horse mascot.

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1 minute ago, HibeeJibee said:

It's no doubt seen as more 'marketable' than Reserves, Youths, B or XI. That said... given some of these clubs have withdrawn from the Reserve League, and given the age-limit of the cup has been raised (but not again presumably - still U21?) plus over-age players permitted, quite what the definition of a colt is seems more woolly than ever.

It was also confusing in previous seasons as Cumbernauld Colts are an actual club, replete with an equine on their badge and rather garish looking horse mascot.

In a way feel slightly sorry for the players involved in most of these Colt teams who really have been pawns all along in the original plot to get Celtic & Rangers  B teams into the league system. That was the original goal & others as usual have just been used along the way.

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Incidentally will Tunnocks have a big media budget or is this likelier a reduction on Irn-Bru?

More importantly - that deal saw a sort of payment-in-kind element in the form of crates of Strathmore mineral water, IIRC. Will clubs be receiving boxes of Teacakes? We should be told.

Edited by HibeeJibee
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Just now, HibeeJibee said:

Incidentally will Tunnocks have a bit media budget or is this likelier a reduction on Irn-Bru?

More importantly - that deal saw a sort of payment-in-kind element in the form of crates of Strathmore mineral water, IIRC. Will clubs be receiving boxes of Teacakes? We should be told.

Caramel Wafers, surely?

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1 hour ago, HibeeJibee said:

Incidentally will Tunnocks have a big media budget or is this likelier a reduction on Irn-Bru?

More importantly - that deal saw a sort of payment-in-kind element in the form of crates of Strathmore mineral water, IIRC. Will clubs be receiving boxes of Teacakes? We should be told.

A box of Tunnocks tea cakes maybe Berwick's best prize of the season:lol: would they get such a big reward if the done the unlikely and won the Lowland League?

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I have doubts about this competition, but it's a good laugh and games can be a good day out. (Unless Q.o.S., Raith or Alloa are the opposition, obviously😠) There's also a trophy to be won at the end of it, maybe at a fair sized ground, against a biggish club.

Clearly it can be frustrating for fans who don't have the disposable income to trek to Ireland or the south of England, but it's something to look forward to for those who can afford a Jolly Boys' Outing. 

The "English" entrants are more managable this time than the two London clubs in last year's event. Solihull isn't exactly northern but it's a straightforward trip. Wrexham isn't exactly English, but there are worse places for a weekend away than North Wales and they are a big club for their level - maybe even for this level. It might stretch things to say that only the two Dundee clubs are bigger, but they pulled 5,000 fans on average last term. Should bring a few coaches up for a game in the central belt or south. In the days Welsh Cup winners got into Europe, they KO'd Porto just a couple of years before Porto won the European Cup. Dublin's a great day out - though maybe not for a Bohemians v. Rangers game😨 - and Waterford's fairly civilised, though I think the airport's gone. Linfield back in from Ulster, presumably with Ballymena.

I might well go to the Berwick game. Great day out.         

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23 hours ago, craigkillie said:

It's going to be hard for them to find an alternative sponsor that is quite as uniquely Scottish as IRN-BRU, but aye fingers crossed it's not a bookie at the very least.

Was this post the catalyst for a “hold my beer” moment from the SPFL?

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