Next to go?

[Scotty Tunbridge]

Cowdenbeath. I’d have to get some dancing shoes for their grave when it happens though.

[tamthebam]

Edinburgh City.

This Scottish League stuff is shite. Back to derbies with the Spartans and cheap pies..

Albion Rovers could actually be a no bad wee club with a bit of investment but I think they're handicapped by a share holding legacy. I'll put it no higher than that.

[Dundee Hibernian]

I'm always sad to see a team fall through the trapdoor, and have fine memories of each of the teams who have done so to date. The teams replacing them, as yet, don't appear to have any character or great attraction, while I recall the 'Shire being in the top league, then surviving the hijack to Clydebank, Berwick beating their Ibrox namesakes, Brechin with their hedge and outsized stand. 

 

Cowdenbeath used to carry a fair support, even utilising special trains as they climbed into the First Division in 1970, and although the town may have looked drab to the less imaginative, it was always a good day out. Albion Rovers too had the faded grandeur about Cliftonhill which was reminiscent of a visit to Blackpool, and I used to visit the stock car racing there, and at Central Park. I would be downcast if either went down, but realise that is the way of the pyramid, which was gradually getting the best of the non SPFL settled into the flawed system. 

 

Thus I was beginning to get with the pyramid programme, and accept the natural progression of the game. Unfortunate that the Lowland League has now debased itself by becoming the Old Firm's Trojan Horse, which makes me more despondent about the future of Scottish football.

[GordonS]

31 minutes ago, BFTD said:

None of the part-timers are safe; any of us could be toast in two years' time (except Arbroath, the c***s). Hopefully that fact will help to focus minds on expanding the promotion/relegation to/from the SPFL in order to increase the chance that relegated clubs can clamber back. Alas, I wouldn't trust our clubs not to focus on the "more relegation spots = more chance of relegation" aspect and stick their heads in the sand.

Ideally, I think it'd be healthy to end up with a similar situation to England, where there ended up being so much traffic between the old Conference and the Football League that relegation isn't the disaster that it is here. I think now about half of the National League sides have been Football League clubs during my lifetime.

So much this.

How bad would it really be to drop into a league with, for example, Auchinleck Talbot, Pollok, Cumnock, Clydebank, Kilwinning Rangers, Bonnyrigg, Bo'ness, Broxburn, Albion Rovers, Cowdenbeath, Berwick, Spartans, East Kilbride, East Stirling and, if I may, Linlithgow Rose?

Or the Highland League with Brechin, Montrose, Lochee, Broughty, Carnoustie and Banks O'Dee instead of some of their lower clubs?

[Tutankhamen]

33 minutes ago, Dundee Hibernian said:

I'm always sad to see a team fall through the trapdoor, and have fine memories of each of the teams who have done so to date. The teams replacing them, as yet, don't appear to have any character or great attraction, while I recall the 'Shire being in the top league, then surviving the hijack to Clydebank, Berwick beating their Ibrox namesakes, Brechin with their hedge and outsized stand. 

 

Cowdenbeath used to carry a fair support, even utilising special trains as they climbed into the First Division in 1970, and although the town may have looked drab to the less imaginative, it was always a good day out. Albion Rovers too had the faded grandeur about Cliftonhill which was reminiscent of a visit to Blackpool, and I used to visit the stock car racing there, and at Central Park. I would be downcast if either went down, but realise that is the way of the pyramid, which was gradually getting the best of the non SPFL settled into the flawed system. 

 

Thus I was beginning to get with the pyramid programme, and accept the natural progression of the game. Unfortunate that the Lowland League has now debased itself by becoming the Old Firm's Trojan Horse, which makes me more despondent about the future of Scottish football.

I thought you were young.

Never realised you were two generations away from Dundee Hibs.

[Gordon EF]

22 minutes ago, GordonS said:

So much this.

How bad would it really be to drop into a league with, for example, Auchinleck Talbot, Pollok, Cumnock, Clydebank, Kilwinning Rangers, Bonnyrigg, Bo'ness, Broxburn, Albion Rovers, Cowdenbeath, Berwick, Spartans, East Kilbride, East Stirling and, if I may, Linlithgow Rose?

Or the Highland League with Brechin, Montrose, Lochee, Broughty, Carnoustie and Banks O'Dee instead of some of their lower clubs?

This is it. That league looks fantastic. Competitive, lots of decent grounds to visit and plenty of clubs with healthy following.

The LL looks pretty shite at the moment (many times shittier with colts) but it'll be a cracking league in 5-10 years.

[Jack Burton]

So much this.
How bad would it really be to drop into a league with, for example, Auchinleck Talbot, Pollok, Cumnock, Clydebank, Kilwinning Rangers, Bonnyrigg, Bo'ness, Broxburn, Albion Rovers, Cowdenbeath, Berwick, Spartans, East Kilbride, East Stirling and, if I may, Linlithgow Rose?
Or the Highland League with Brechin, Montrose, Lochee, Broughty, Carnoustie and Banks O'Dee instead of some of their lower clubs?

I don't think SPFL2 clubs would fear relegation as much if that was the make up of the LL but you are at least 10/15 years away from that with the current 1 relegation spot from the LL.

The current LL would be a horrible league to play in with the Old Firm Colts, Uni sides and the likes of BSC Glasgow and Caledonia Braves who have no support.

[Tutankhamen]

6 hours ago, Jack Burton said:

I don't think SPFL2 clubs would fear relegation as much if that was the make up of the LL but you are at least 10/15 years away from that with the current 1 relegation spot from the LL.

The current LL would be a horrible league to play in with the Old Firm Colts, Uni sides and the likes of BSC Glasgow and Caledonia Braves who have no support.

I'll give a few years and the likes of Albion Rovers will have a hard time not being relegated out of the LL and into the WoSFL.

[TheScarf]

8 hours ago, GordonS said:

So much this.

How bad would it really be to drop into a league with, for example, Auchinleck Talbot, Pollok, Cumnock, Clydebank, Kilwinning Rangers, Bonnyrigg, Bo'ness, Broxburn, Albion Rovers, Cowdenbeath, Berwick, Spartans, East Kilbride, East Stirling and, if I may, Linlithgow Rose?

Or the Highland League with Brechin, Montrose, Lochee, Broughty, Carnoustie and Banks O'Dee instead of some of their lower clubs?

Yep, that's what the LL needs to look like and hopefully will in 10 or so years time.

[The Minertaur]

While it's important to look at the teams who could go down I think it's more interesting to look at which teams might come up.  Brora and Fraserburgh are the top 2 in the Highland League usually while I presume Bonnyrigg Rose and East Kilbride will fancy their chances in the Lowland League this season.  BSC Glasgow have lost their manager and players to Stenny so doubt they'll be up there.

People will obviously look at ourselves and Albion Rovers as the next clubs to be battling the drop but Annan could easily be down the bottom next season. 

[Marten]

13 hours ago, GordonS said:

Hardly "vaporised", both the clubs that have gone down are carrying on just fine.

One bad-enough season should always be enough to get relegated. Isn't that how football is supposed to work?

Maybe it would feel like less of a trap-door if there were more relegation and promotion places, so more opportunity to get back up. 

I can see it going the same way as in England. When relegation from the Football League started, it looked like a death sentence. Now the National League is a lot stronger and not too bad of a league to drop into. Also, you now regularly see previously relegated clubs going back up to the EFL. The likes of Barnet, Torquay and others have actually bounced back and forward between the 2 quite a few times this century.

[GordonS]

9 hours ago, Jack Burton said:

I don't think SPFL2 clubs would fear relegation as much if that was the make up of the LL but you are at least 10/15 years away from that with the current 1 relegation spot from the LL.

The current LL would be a horrible league to play in with the Old Firm Colts, Uni sides and the likes of BSC Glasgow and Caledonia Braves who have no support.

 

9 hours ago, Gordon EF said:

The LL looks pretty shite at the moment (many times shittier with colts) but it'll be a cracking league in 5-10 years.

That's why fans of all clubs need to keep up the pressure on two things - more relegation and promotion, and making sure this OF colts bollocks is no more than a failed one-year experiment. 

Though FWIW, Edinburgh Uni is a good away trip; arrive early and enjoy the social club. And Stirling Uni had a reasonable support when Linlithgow Rose played them in the Scottish Cup a couple of years ago. 

[BB_Bino]

I can see it going the same way as in England. When relegation from the Football League started, it looked like a death sentence. Now the National League is a lot stronger and not too bad of a league to drop into. Also, you now regularly see previously relegated clubs going back up to the EFL. The likes of Barnet, Torquay and others have actually bounced back and forward between the 2 quite a few times this century.

Would have to agree with this and ultimately, clubs will find their level and it will all be relative. It’ll just take a good few years to get to this and there will be a bit of pain along the way but it will happen.

[Hedgecutter]

12 hours ago, Eric's Cantina said:

Albion Rovers as it is one of the few grounds in the spfl i haven't been to

You say this as is if it were a bad thing.

[HenryHill]

4 minutes ago, Hedgecutter said:

You say this as is if it were a bad thing.

Albion Rovers is great. Can park right outside the ground. Train station nearby. Pub two minutes away (granted it's not the same since they cleaned it and removed the sawdust) Wee bit terracing. Handy pie stall. Bogs a bit of a trek so have to plan ahead. Much prefer that to some of the huge all seater stadiums.

[Hedgecutter]

5 minutes ago, HenryHill said:

Much prefer that to some of the huge all seater stadiums.

Very true, particularly neighbours Airdrie.

[Gordon EF]

2 hours ago, The Minertaur said:

While it's important to look at the teams who could go down I think it's more interesting to look at which teams might come up.  Brora and Fraserburgh are the top 2 in the Highland League usually while I presume Bonnyrigg Rose and East Kilbride will fancy their chances in the Lowland League this season.  BSC Glasgow have lost their manager and players to Stenny so doubt they'll be up there.

People will obviously look at ourselves and Albion Rovers as the next clubs to be battling the drop but Annan could easily be down the bottom next season. 

Yourselves, Albion Rovers and Annan have to be the top candidates for the drop over the next few seasons. Partly because these three clubs were 7th-9th last season and partly because they all had sub 400 average crowds in the completed part of 19/20 so are less likely to have the resources to drag themselves away from the bottom. I genuinely don't think many part time teams can say with 100% confidence that they definitely won't be in danger at any point over the next few years though.

Brora will probably keep winning the HL until the money runs out, whether they can win the play-offs at any point is another question. Bonnyrigg and East Kilbride should be favourites for the LL with Bo'ness as potential outsiders. Over the next 2/3 seasons clubs like Auchinleck, Darvel, Clydebank, Pollock should start making their way into the LL and would presumably be competitive straight away.

And of course any club that acquires a benefactor at any point.

[Gordon EF]

11 hours ago, GordonS said:

How bad would it really be to drop into a league with, for example, Auchinleck Talbot, Pollok, Cumnock, Clydebank, Kilwinning Rangers, Bonnyrigg, Bo'ness, Broxburn, Albion Rovers, Cowdenbeath, Berwick, Spartans, East Kilbride, East Stirling and, if I may, Linlithgow Rose?

The more I think about this, the more I'm realising if that was the make-up of the LL, I'd actually be a little bit jealous of the clubs that were there. For away days it would shit all over a potential League One of Alloa, Airdrie, Cove, Falkirk, Peterhead, Dumbarton, Clyde, Edinburgh City, Stirling Albion and East Fife.

We absolutely need to get automatic promotion for the LL/HL champions though (once the colts are flushed away). As fun as all this looks for a few seasons, clubs in there need a real shot at getting into the SPFL and the champions effectively earning a 25% chance of promotion just isn't good enough.

[Ginaro]

10 hours ago, Jack Burton said:

I don't think SPFL2 clubs would fear relegation as much if that was the make up of the LL but you are at least 10/15 years away from that with the current 1 relegation spot from the LL.

The current LL would be a horrible league to play in with the Old Firm Colts, Uni sides and the likes of BSC Glasgow and Caledonia Braves who have no support.

Six of the clubs on that list already play in the LL. Two are from the SPFL. Seven are from tier 6 (though one is not licensed yet) so it'll hardly take 10-15 years to get them up at a rate of 1 per year, even without changes to the relegation rules.  

The bottom five of League Two have all lost to non-league clubs in the Scottish Cup in the last couple of seasons so they know the dangers of being club 42.

Edited May 26, 2021 by Ginaro

[TheScarf]

It's literally one level down from where you were the season previous.  Folk on here and in the media are reacting as if Brechin have been relegated to the Saturday fucking Welfare League.  See off Brora and you're 2 ties away from being in League Two again.