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2020/21 Highland League Fixtures


welshbairn

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I am finding it difficult to see a situation where, after the show of unity re refusing to play without crowds and generally taking a more relaxed approach to playing the season in general, the clubs decides to invent an artificial split which sees some games attended and other grounds empty for the sake of battling through a fraud of a shortened season, at a time when the overall situation remains pretty fragile. 

Edited by Jimmy Shaker
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See your point, but you could also argue that it would be beneficial to the majority of clubs to be able to start games with fans in the ground & some income, rather than all just remaining hamstrung financially. Other businesses in areas with lesser restrictions won't choose not to operate, or operate in a lesser way, just for solidarity with businesses that still suffer great restrictions. Not an easy situation, but surely better to get whatever financial benefit that is available, rather than none at all. Perhaps clubs could discuss sharing gate revenues as a way to help the 'Shire clubs in the short term?

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Hard to say what the tipping point will be for a lot of clubs in terms of the costs of not playing at all, against the cost of playing in front of reduced numbers or without any hospitality, because it's the latter a few clubs are worried about. 

I would imagine the idea of gate sharing would not be received warmly. The likes of Fort and Wick having to subsidise Formartine and Locos is hilarious, tho. 

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Could well be that the Shire will be in tier 1 by November 28th. The HL's having a meeting about it all a week on Monday anyway. The rules should allow hospitality with standard restaurant/pub rules for social distancing I'd have thought.

Edited by welshbairn
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HL clubs meeting apparently tonight to consider restart on November 28th or maybe earlier. Crowds allowed – without away fans – in Highlands and Moray, but not Aberdeenshire, although it is line to drop into tier 1.

https://www.grampianonline.co.uk/sport/brora-rangers-can-allow-supporters-back-into-dudgeon-park-216804/

https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/sport/national-clinical-director-says-fans-can-return-to-some-highland-league-grounds-as-long-as-prevalence-stays-low-217036/

 

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The meeting was planned some time ago and isn’t directly in response to what’s occurred in the past week, although I dare say it’ll come up. 

The idea that some teams in the league will be able to let crowds in while others don’t - considering the proximity of, say, Keith and Huntly, one in Moray and the other in Aberdeenshire - is ridiculous. 

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2 hours ago, HibeeJibee said:

HL clubs meeting apparently tonight to consider restart on November 28th or maybe earlier. Crowds allowed – without away fans – in Highlands and Moray, but not Aberdeenshire, although it is line to drop into tier 1.

 

https://www.grampianonline.co.uk/sport/brora-rangers-can-allow-supporters-back-into-dudgeon-park-216804/

https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/sport/national-clinical-director-says-fans-can-return-to-some-highland-league-grounds-as-long-as-prevalence-stays-low-217036/

 

Welcome back HibbeeJIbee , been on sabbatical? Hope you're fired up again after a decent time out, you've been missed.

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2 minutes ago, Jimmy Shaker said:

The meeting was planned some time ago and isn’t directly in response to what’s occurred in the past week, although I dare say it’ll come up. 

The idea that some teams in the league will be able to let crowds in while others don’t - considering the proximity of, say, Keith and Huntly, one in Moray and the other in Aberdeenshire - is ridiculous. 

We might all be on full lockdown anyway. If not there's a fair hope that the Shire could be dropped to level 1 before it starts,  Or they could adjust the schedule a bit so early home games are played out of level 2 plague hot spots. Everything's ridiculous these days, we just have to find a way to work around it.

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We don’t HAVE to find a way to work around a global pandemic to get semi-pro football played in front of no-one in the pissing rain. 

The SHFL wouldn’t even rig the fixture list to give Fort William home games outside of the rainy season and you think we’re going to find a workaround for a pandemic? 

Going top-heavy on games in one side of the league in the hope we can play homers elsewhere later is nuts when it’s activities like this that’ll only help spread the problem about. 

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7 hours ago, Jimmy Shaker said:

We don’t HAVE to find a way to work around a global pandemic to get semi-pro football played in front of no-one in the pissing rain. 

The SHFL wouldn’t even rig the fixture list to give Fort William home games outside of the rainy season and you think we’re going to find a workaround for a pandemic? 

Going top-heavy on games in one side of the league in the hope we can play homers elsewhere later is nuts when it’s activities like this that’ll only help spread the problem about. 

You're probably right, I'd like to know what the players think about it though before writing off the season completely. They could always split the league into 2 like the NCL did if the Shire stays in level 2. Nobody knows where we'll be next week though, far less the end of the month. I doubt they'll postpone the start again, maybe a cup competition in the Spring. If it does start it will likely be season ticket holders only which would put some unexpected cash into club biscuit tins.

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Splitting the league in two just gives one side of the league a procession of inconvenient friendlies. You couldn't have whoever wins a SHFL North claiming to be overall champions for the season if Fraserburgh and Charlie Bangers Circus haven't kicked a ball in anger. The league made its situation pretty plain when it was announced that no fans means no league games - we're doing this properly, or not at all.  

See youse in March for the regional cups and Highland League Cup, TBH. 

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3 hours ago, Jimmy Shaker said:

Splitting the league in two just gives one side of the league a procession of inconvenient friendlies. You couldn't have whoever wins a SHFL North claiming to be overall champions for the season if Fraserburgh and Charlie Bangers Circus haven't kicked a ball in anger. The league made its situation pretty plain when it was announced that no fans means no league games - we're doing this properly, or not at all.  

See youse in March for the regional cups and Highland League Cup, TBH. 

Can’t disagree with this sadly, honestly don’t see the Highland League starting at all this season. It’ll be NCL games for me if that’s the case.

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Correct me if I'm missing something obvious here but how on earth do they plan on actually completing all/vast majority (title race) fixtures between the end of November and the SPFL playoff dates: in winter in the Highlands; with Covid potentially doing the rounds as well? Is it just going to be Saturday-Monday-Wednesday all the way through spring?

 

Edited by vikingTON
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4 minutes ago, gogsy said:

I could be wrong here ( nothing new there ) but I think  it wasn't going to be straight home and away against all every other team. 

Sheriiff John Bunnel'ls post on page three of the thread suggested it was one round of fixtures eight home/eight away for a total of 16 games. 

Correct. Dates have obviously changed.

Quote

Highland League - Season 2020-2021
 The SHFL League Management Committee met earlier today and decided the following structure for season 2020-2021:
the League Championship will be based on a single fixture between each club so that each club has 8 home and 8 away fixtures.
the League Championship will start, subject to government approval, on Saturday 17th October 2020
the 2019-2020 Utilita Highland League Cup will be completed by late November 2020
the Highland League Cup format will change to one using group stages and will take place during early 2020-2021.

http://www.highlandfootballleague.com/News/Item/1981_Highland_League_-_Season_2020-2021.aspx

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9 minutes ago, virginton said:

Correct me if I'm missing something obvious here but how on earth do they plan on actually completing all/vast majority (title race) fixtures between the end of November and the SPFL playoff dates: in winter in the Highlands; with Covid potentially doing the rounds as well? Is it just going to be Saturday-Monday-Wednesday all the way through spring?

 

They're only playing each other once for a 16 game season. They've re-arranged the Highland League Cup into a group stage format for the potential of extra games but the league is meant to be the priority.

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