Stevo Fife Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 19 hours ago, Only coo in the village said: East Fife will definitely be hoping to never see us again. You will always look good on our mantelpiece though From memory, we definitely had the upper hand in recent meetings but yes, you were always the bogey team. Yer a good lad Coo. One of the good guys. Sincerely, all the very best in the lowland league and keep enjoying the football. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 1 hour ago, PELE said: Yeah. Tough now to get up without lumping money at it and still not guaranteed. Brechin probably have the best chance, as the top teams in the Lowland League are better than in the Highland League and only likely to get better, as the west teams enter the Lowland League. I think it is more likely that one of the promoted teams end up back in the Lowland League before one of the relegated teams come back up, unless of course, as you say, it becomes easier to get promoted. Was going to post the same thing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only coo in the village Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 3 hours ago, Stevo Fife said: From memory, we definitely had the upper hand in recent meetings but yes, you were always the bogey team. Yer a good lad Coo. One of the good guys. Sincerely, all the very best in the lowland league and keep enjoying the football. Cheers Stevo. You aren’t so bad yourself. The dark side awaits me in the ultra exciting Lowland League forum. An abyss from which nobody ever returns ( SHUDDERS!! ). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 Is it cheating to suggest Clydebank? I know they're sort of reformed but us reformed clubs have to stick together... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy groundhopper Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Everything depends on how the clubs adapt, and whether their budgets get hit by being relegated. You probably have a strong 6+ clubs in the West, several in the East too - so maybe the spfl clubs have to swallow the pill and enjoy the non league ride for a few seasons, to hopefully come back stronger. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Wolf Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 (edited) On 15/05/2022 at 23:27, 1320Lichtie said: Think they’re two clubs who wouldn’t come back either. But the rest of the clubs in League 2 right now are just as good if not better than most clubs below. Even Darvel etc. There’s only so long they can get that backing they’re a village club What other clubs do you think like? Auchinleck, Pollok etc get good crowds. Other than that though off top of my head who is a better run or bigger club than clubs like Stirling, Forfar, Elgin etc? What sort of crowds do Arbroath Vics get? My guess would be around 20-30, with 100+ for promotion or relegation end of season games, or big cup ties. The same size of crowds as the vast majority of Junior/ex-Junior/non-league clubs in other words. I'm mathematically illiterate, and had to google it, but mode is a more accurate reflection of attendances than mean. The "big" WOSL clubs get the occasional big gate for big games, just like every other football club in the known universe, but don't get them regularly. Yes, there are clubs at Tier 6 who could compete at Tiers 5 or even 4, in terms of gate money - but village clubs won't attract the sponsorship opportunities available in sizeable towns like Stirling, or Elgin, so their ceiling is surely considerably lower. Pollok are the one club I could see established in L1 at a push, as a city club with consistent gates in the high hundreds. The Gretna "fairytale" still stands as a salutary reminder of the village club with sugar daddy model. At least I hope it does! Edited June 11, 2022 by Bad Wolf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Wolf Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 Anyway, to answer the question, I think Brechin will make it back, but it will probably have to be sooner rather than later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1320Lichtie Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 29 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said: What sort of crowds do Arbroath Vics get? My guess would be around 20-30, with 100+ for promotion or relegation end of season games, or big cup ties. The same size of crowds as the vast majority of Junior/ex-Junior/non-league clubs in other words. I'm mathematically illiterate, and had to google it, but mode is a more accurate reflection of attendances than mean. The "big" WOSL clubs get the occasional big gate for big games, just like every other football club in the known universe, but don't get them regularly. Yes, there are clubs at Tier 6 who could compete at Tiers 5 or even 4, in terms of gate money - but village clubs won't attract the sponsorship opportunities available in sizeable towns like Stirling, or Elgin, so their ceiling is surely considerably lower. Pollok are the one club I could see established in L1 at a push, as a city club with consistent gates in the high hundreds. The Gretna "fairytale" still stands as a salutary reminder of the village club with sugar daddy model. At least I hope it does! Arbroath Vics are basically an amateur team. The standard of the juniors up here has fallen off a cliff the last 5 year 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offsideflag Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Based on what we've seen from the 4 relegated sides in recent seasons, the only one close to coming back is Brechin City. Bonnyrigg only beat Fraserburgh by 1 goal on aggregate and Brechin weren't so far off the pace in the Highland league last season. I think they're nearer a return than the 3 Lowland sides. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenon Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 If Brechin go back up then go back down to non-league and have their wish of moving to the LL granted then I don't think they would come back up. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilly Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 51 minutes ago, zenon said: If Brechin go back up then go back down to non-league and have their wish of moving to the LL granted then I don't think they would come back up. Not quite as catchy as The Grand Old Duke of York. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grazza Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Brechin most likely though make a couple of shots at the play offs. I do wonder though how many more clubs go down without returning for those left in league 2 to consider opening things up a bit more. Likes of Albion, Elgin, Stranraer and Stirling realistically must think it is highly likely the will be in this play off at some point in the next 5 years especially with some of the clubs that are coming up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 1) The same thing would have been said about Arbroath and Montrose (but not Cowdenbeath or Dumbarton) barely a decade ago. There is no permanently set hierarchy outside the top flight of Scottish football. 2) 'Opening up' simply puts more teams at risk of being replaced, with the majority of them likely to end up in the complete and utter nick that is the 'Lowland League'. Until the latter is emptied of 'Colt' teams, fucking podcast teams and all the other joke outfits, I'd fully support the refusal of the SPFL to increase movement between the leagues. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 (edited) On 11/06/2022 at 13:29, Bad Wolf said: Anyway, to answer the question, I think Brechin will make it back, but it will probably have to be sooner rather than later. I think they have to get back this season, or they won't be back. Cowdenbeath are in the same boat, imo, this season or never. I don't think the other 2 will ever get back, unless there is reconstruction and increased relegation/promotion spots from/to DPFL 2* * Or even SPFL2. Edited June 15, 2022 by Jacksgranda 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AberhillEnd Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 3 hours ago, Jacksgranda said: I think they have to get back this season, or they won't be back. Cowdenbeath are in the same boat, imo, this season or never. I don't think the other 2 will ever get back, unless there is reconstruction and increased relegation/promotion spots from/to DPFL 2* * Or even SPFL2. Why ? Berwick are a reasonably supported team have a large catchment area and have been up and down the Scottish Leagues for decades. I see no reason why they can't achieve promotion in the future. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 1 minute ago, AberhillEnd said: Why ? Berwick are a reasonably supported team have a large catchment area and have been up and down the Scottish Leagues for decades. I see no reason why they can't achieve promotion in the future. We'll just disagree on that then, won't we? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 26 minutes ago, AberhillEnd said: Why ? Berwick are a reasonably supported team have a large catchment area and have been up and down the Scottish Leagues for decades. I see no reason why they can't achieve promotion in the future. A) Their team is shite and has been for years. B) Berwick's former niche for Edinburgh and eastward seaside league players has already been usurped by Edinburgh City, with Bonnyrigg and (soon enough) Tranent competing in the similar market. There's no chance of them competing with Northern League sides. This reality explains why A) above is not likely to change. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivo den Bieman Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 Brechin look the likeliest of 'the relegated' but I don't agree that this is shit or bust for them this season. The running of the club has been transformed and I think they'll be back, even if it's not in 2023. Hard to say for the other clubs. Berwick are potentially a good team with a big hinterland but they have been appallingly run for as long as I can remember- although I must admit I have lost sight of them a bit since their relegation. Shire look like they've settled in the LL- a bit like Spartans, good enough to be in the top six but never good enough to challenge seriously for the title. Much will depend on how Cowdenbeath re-build and the resources available to the manager, and it is too early to say how they will fare. People have been predicting the demise of Albion Rovers for years but they are stubborn and a real community club. Maybe, maybe not. The reality is every part time team in Scotland is two bad seasons away from a relegation play-off and it really has galvanised the leagues, albeit maybe not in the most pleasant way. I'm old enough to remember a fair few pointless seasons at Links Park when the club's campaign was finished in early January- out the cups, no chance of promotion, nothing much left to play for. This had an effect on crowds, the player's interest and motivation. I have a funny feeling the wee Rovers will be around for a good while yet. Stirling's protracted and hilarious off-field civil war, and the weird ownership issues at Dumbarton make them appear more vulnerable next season to me. East Fife may come into the equation too if they have a poor summer recruitment. Not sure why Stranraer are picked out as candidates either- a pretty well run club recently who have always punched above their weight. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdinburghBlue Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, virginton said: B) Berwick's former niche for Edinburgh and eastward seaside league players has already been usurped by Edinburgh City, with Bonnyrigg and (soon enough) Tranent competing in the similar market. There's no chance of them competing with Northern League sides. This reality explains why A) above is not likely to change. I think this applies to all ‘remote’ clubs who have to recruit in and around the central belt because of their locally low population density and the impact this has on player availability. Take my own team. At the moment we can (usually) attract players in competition with the Lowland and West leagues because players want to play at a higher standard. And the fact that wages are not any higher - and lower (in some cases, much) than some Ayrshire clubs are offering - doesn’t make much difference, since for most the wage is pocket money for their hobby. But if we find ourselves in the Lowland or the West, why would players want to play for us when there would be alternatives much closer to where they live/work, which wouldn’t require a bus journey every couple of weeks to a home game? Some locals don’t like this model, and argue for more or even a majority of local players in the squad. In a good year, this would be very competitive in the South, and competitive for the promotion playoffs. But an entirely local side would struggle to get out of the Lowland. And would of course be vulnerable to predation by teams at higher levels. So the only viable strategy is to continue to recruit in the central belt, but I agree with @virginton that this will be against much more competition in future. Edited June 15, 2022 by EdinburghBlue 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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