welshbairn Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 35 minutes ago, Stag Nation said: Two questions about relegation. 1. So long as there are 17 clubs, is there any need for relegation? One team promoted would make a more sensible 18-team league. 2. If say Fort William or Wick were relegated, the NCL would suit them geographically. But what about Fraserburgh, Turriff etc? There's nowhere sensible for them to go until (or unless) the Juniors come on board. 1. There's no need currently for relegation, or the pyramid really, all ambitious clubs need to do is apply. Banks o' Dee were basically given an open invite last year, no interest. 2. There's zero chance of Fraserburgh getting relegated any time soon. Turriff weren't too far off bottom spot last year, but with the new rules coming in banning becoming the Caley Colts again with 9 loan players, Fort William are near dead certs for the bottom spot again. I think they're better suited to the NCL anyway, unless their efforts to sort their drainage works out and they can actually play home games between October and April. The likelihood is that if it's not Fort it would be Strathspey Thistle, or in recent years Lossie or even Clach who would be in danger of regulation, so not a problem. If an Eastern team was bottom before the North Juniors were integrated they'd probably just cancel relegation for that season, it's been said before that the Highland League could go to 20 before having to do something about it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranaldo Bairn Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 No need for relegation, maybe, but are the SFA still keen on Tier 5 leagues having a maximum 16 clubs? I never saw the need to specify really, but there you go. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 1 hour ago, Stag Nation said: Two questions about relegation. 1. So long as there are 17 clubs, is there any need for relegation? One team promoted would make a more sensible 18-team league. 2. If say Fort William or Wick were relegated, the NCL would suit them geographically. But what about Fraserburgh, Turriff etc? There's nowhere sensible for them to go until (or unless) the Juniors come on board. Relegation isn't exactly a pressing concern. Golspie Sutherland are the only licenced club. No guarantee of winning the championship and some of the other clubs are scrambling for grounds, let alone got round to worry about licencing. Alness spent the year out and moving to a high school when it opens, Inverness Athletic just moved back to Muir of Ord, Loch Ness are basically wherever they can get in Inverness. Chances are the Highland League will set 18 clubs in the same way the Lowland League has 16. Gives space for the North Juniors to get their act together and have it be more balanced. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 34 minutes ago, welshbairn said: the Caley Colts Speaking of which. Its not looking great for their academy https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/sport/crunch-time-for-caley-thistle-youth-academy-207194/ Complaining about the travel further South you can understand why they tried to get into the Highland League. Maybe they'll try again or try for a team in the NCL in 2021. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, welshbairn said: From Fitbanorth's Man in the know. Niall's got a book out btw, including "A detailed insight into what a Tier 6 could mean for football in the North.". http://www.tainpost.co.uk/review/ Edited July 28, 2020 by welshbairn 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy groundhopper Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Is there enough interest in the North over expansion, feeder league's etc ? what with the travelling and the costs involved. Can't see there being enough fans, players to back up any restructure plans, everyone happy with the current set up.With both HL and LL 16/18 clubs, the battle royal will always be in the south. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 5 minutes ago, Andy groundhopper said: everyone happy with the current set up. If that was true the NCL wouldn't have been working on this since they had their vote for the pyramid at their 2018 AGM. And the Highland League wouldn't have been entertaining it. Its about access more than anything. Very little changes for the majority of clubs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitburn Vale Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 12 hours ago, Andy groundhopper said: Is there enough interest in the North over expansion, feeder league's etc ? what with the travelling and the costs involved. Can't see there being enough fans, players to back up any restructure plans, everyone happy with the current set up.With both HL and LL 16/18 clubs, the battle royal will always be in the south. The north caledonian league are mad keen on entering the pyramid. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 14 hours ago, Ranaldo Bairn said: No need for relegation, maybe, but are the SFA still keen on Tier 5 leagues having a maximum 16 clubs? I never saw the need to specify really, but there you go. Haven't heard of any pressure on the HL, and I don't understand the reasoning either. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 32 minutes ago, welshbairn said: Haven't heard of any pressure on the HL, and I don't understand the reasoning either. The reasoning has always been about getting the league completed in time for the playoff. More was made of the need of a 16 team set up in the Lowland League was due to the lack of floodlights. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 (edited) There's been zero pressure on the SHFL about getting down to 16 as far as anyone knows. IIRC the league was adamant it wouldn't be reducing in numbers to fit the pyramid during the negotiations prior to it starting. Given the noise about how no one wants to restart without fans in the ground - ie, corporate fans, you scum paying at the gate don't count - I'd guess a reduction in league fixtures wouldn't go down well. Lowland League sides seems to play an insane amount of cup competitions compared to the SHFL, so it probably works out about square in terms of games played per season. Edited July 29, 2020 by Jimmy Shaker 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 12 minutes ago, Jimmy Shaker said: Lowland League sides seems to play an insane amount of cup competitions compared to the SHFL, so it probably works out about square in terms of games played per season. Discounting the Scottish Cup and SPFL Challenge Cup invites: Highland League Highland League Cup Aberdeenshire Cup Aberdeenshire Shield North of Scotland Cup Lowland League Lowland League Cup South Region Challenge Cup EoS Qualifying Cup (winner/qualifiers contest the EoS Cup) Southern Counties Challenge Cup Fife Cup Don't know if you have to be a member of the Aberdeenshire & District FA or North of Scotland FA to be in the Highland League, so as far as i'm aware there's just the one cup commitment. The Lowland League area only has two commitments. Everything else is extra. A member of the Aberdeenshire & District FA has the potential of playing more cups than a Lowland League side. As there are clubs like East Stirlingshire, BSC Glasgow, and Cumbernauld Colts that don't compete in the local FA cup competitions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Is that all? Always seemed like more. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 1 minute ago, Jimmy Shaker said: Is that all? Always seemed like more. Its probably the hangover idea from when the Lowland League first started. I believe in the first few years some of the old EoS and SoS sides played in the other cup competitions ran by those leagues to bump up their fixture list. Its become more streamlined with the increase in league fixtures. Now there's just the League Cup, SCC and a local FA Cup if you are in an association. Kelty are the one extreme in that they compete in both the Fife Cup and EoS Qualifying Cup giving them 4 non-league cup competitions. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Yeah, that sounds about right. I think I've a fixture brochure from a few years back set out by the League and it seemed like every club was playing in at least half a dozen cups. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 1 hour ago, Jimmy Shaker said: Yeah, that sounds about right. I think I've a fixture brochure from a few years back set out by the League and it seemed like every club was playing in at least half a dozen cups. Is the Shire Shield not usually played by U21 HL teams? Could well be wrong about that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 18 hours ago, welshbairn said: ...it's been said before that the Highland League could go to 20 before having to do something about it. That was voted on so it became official league policy. If that's still in place, it would explain why the HL can implement tier six feeders with no apparent backlash from clubs fearing relegation. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclizine Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, welshbairn said: Is the Shire Shield not usually played by U21 HL teams? Could well be wrong about that. It's first teams. IIRC it was originally just for Shire teams in the HFL, unlike the Shire Cup which included Aberdeen and the University, then eventually Peterhead and Banks o' Dee. It's now essentially an identical competition to the Cup. The Aberdeenshire League is U20s. Edited July 29, 2020 by Cyclizine 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 On 28/07/2020 at 19:15, welshbairn said: Niall's got a book out btw, including "A detailed insight into what a Tier 6 could mean for football in the North.". http://www.tainpost.co.uk/review/ Book arrived today, quite a lengthy piece about the pyramid, including this, looks like the NRJFA will have to be involved to get Tier 6 up and running. Things could have moved on since he wrote this though. Quote There is still discussion to be had about what a Tier 6 structure would look like, with all three associations, the Highland League, the North Caledonian League and the North Region Superleague, required to agree on the terms. Whether that will happen before the start of the delayed 2020-21 season remains to be seen. At the time of writing, the North Caledonian FA management committee have expressed their agreement with the proposal made by the office bearers of the Highland League, but the view of the North Region Junior management committee is still to be heard. We can but wait and see what the future holds. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 ...and as usual no mention whatsoever of Tayside. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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