MrMartinBlack9 Posted October 29, 2020 Share Posted October 29, 2020 Guessing the Aberdeenshire clubs will have to play their games behind closed doors? Hopefully the HL season gets to start though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) 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 October 30, 2020 by Jimmy Shaker 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland ITFC Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 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? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted October 30, 2020 Author Share Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) 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 October 30, 2020 by welshbairn 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 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/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted November 2, 2020 Share Posted November 2, 2020 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share Posted November 2, 2020 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share Posted November 3, 2020 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Shaker Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMartinBlack9 Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginaro Posted November 3, 2020 Share Posted November 3, 2020 I notice Aberdeenshire has the same number of cases in the past 7 days per 100k as Highland (21 v 22) so maybe they won't be far behind in moving to tier 1? Only thing stopping that might be Aberdeen which has 44. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH33 Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 There won’t be a split, that’s already been said. The meeting is from adjournment of last weeks LCM. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherrif John Bunnell Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 (edited) 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 November 4, 2020 by vikingTON -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted November 4, 2020 Author Share Posted November 4, 2020 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 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 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. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 Makes sense then! -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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