HibeeJibee

Still, at least Jenny Gilruth gives a clean break from Sturgeon-Yousaf continuity and Green beholdenness, a high public profile, and successful record in her 1yr at transport + 1yr at education...

Sunday 15th February 1981 - St Mirren 2-3 Arsenal (9,389)... for the Provan Jewellers Challenge Cup ! EDIT: interestingly moved back 24hrs from Saturday over SFA objections it might suppress attendance at Morton v Aberdeen (which drew 8,350).

If anybody is wondering how both clubs had a free Saturday in February - they'd each exited the FA and Scottish cups at the first hurdle: Liverpool at Bolton; St Mirren at home to Motherwell. It was quite common from 1950s to 1970s for such clubs, if lacking a scheduled league game or an outstanding game wanting rescheduled, to arrange "Anglo Scottish friendlies" - often on Friday night once floodlights became widespread (perhaps as many fans headed for a cup-tie somewhere else on Saturday?). Sometimes these became mini-tours. On this occasion Scottish Cup R2 was actually the week before... St Mirren and East Fife advanced their league game to free themselves for a jaunt. St Mirren went on to lose 3-2 at Leeds on the Monday: Third Lanark lost 1-0 at Accrington on the Saturday... but East Fife jammed in 3 games, losing 4-1 at Accrington on preceding Monday, then winning 4-1 at Carlisle on Tuesday, before losing narrowly 2-1 at Manchester City on the Saturday. There are probably more. Saints headed back down on QF day losing 2-1 at Portsmouth: It was rare for English sides to come here.

54yrs ago: Celtic prepped for European Cup Final v Feyenoord, at... Fraserburgh. All bar 1 crew of lifeboat Duchess of Kent drowned when it capsized responding to a callout in a January storm. Fraserburgh Lifeboat Disaster Match Tuesday 28th April 1970 Fraserburgh 0-7 Celtic Milne (own goal), Wallace, Craig, Hughes x2, Auld, Hood 6,500

Could be some clubs (e.g. out West) who applied before licence application moratorium and happen to reach approval in May or June? Otherwise as you say looking at 5-7 qualifiers for 1-3 ties in PR1.

They currently have league fixtures upto and including Saturday 8th June. Also in SFs of North Junior Cup. Lost in North & Tayside Junior Cup SFs yesterday. I hadn't noticed there now were playoffs in North Juniors. What's the format... 2x SFs > Final? 2 legs or neutral venue? Nairn don't finish league games until Saturday 8th June and 'on paper' can catch East End for playoff.

Correct. They got 1.66% in 2021 Scottish Parliament election... 0 seats. They got 0.7% in 2022 local council elections... 0 seats. (West Dunbartonshire, British Unionist and Rubbish parties won seats but Alba didn't).

Bump. This week - Tuesday to be precise - marks 100yrs since Coldstream lifted the inaugural EOS League title: They won 2-0 v Selkirk at Ettrick Park to pip Berwick Rangers by 1pt: This was their season schedule... note they also played in no fewer than 7 cups - winning the EOS Consolation Cup, visiting Hampden in the Scottish Amateur Cup, plus reaching the Scottish Cup for the first time (posting Home Park's record 4,000 attendance v Armadale):

Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 2-1 Dunbar United Inverkeithing took the EOS Qualifying Cup to Fife for the first time since 1903... in so doing won their first-ever senior honour. There were over 700 inside New Victoria. Hillfield were 2-0 with under 20mins gone courtesy a high curving header and a skimmer drive from distance. Hampered by squad injuries Dunbar never really got going until well into 2nd half, and a penalty to halve the deficit gave them hope - but bar 1 effort which was parried well they were largely bottled up by the Fifers strong defence. For the Swifts a first taste of glory. For the Seasiders the wait for a cup this millennium rumbles further on.

It was 60yrs ago this month Rangers proposed expelling 5 small clubs from SFL. In a famous legal action they resisted led by solicitor Robert Turpie. Who were those 5 clubs? Stenhousemuir; Berwick Rangers (now relegated from SPFL); Brechin City (now relegated from SPFL); Albion Rovers (now relegated from SPFL)... ...and Stranraer .

I've just realised Eyemouth finishing on -3pts in 2018-19 was of course under the original conferences, effectively at Premier Division level, not in First Division. First Division record low is -1pt by (guess who) Eyemouth in 2004-05... so Vale need 1 win to avoid that.

Back today... Brechin City say Highland League should be represented in play-off (pressandjournal.co.uk) Brechin City chairman Kevin Mackie believes a Breedon Highland League representative should have been put forward for the pyramid play-offs after champions Buckie Thistle were deemed ineligible to participate. Mackie also thinks the licensing issue creates an uneven playing field between clubs who wish to be promoted, thus having to spend money to secure a bronze licence, and those who don’t want to go up. He said: “We were told if you want to be compliant for promotion you need to spend the money to get the bronze licence. “We’ve done that and everything is with the SFA to be processed, we’ve done everything to have the bronze licence. “The issue I have is that we’re now in a situation where if you decide you don’t want to go up you can spend your money on better players and not bother being compliant with bronze. “Whereas, clubs who do want to move up have to use more of their resources attaining the bronze licence. “The way it is there’s a bias which helps teams who don’t want to get promoted because they can devote their resources into their squad and don’t need to spend money on achieving the standards required for promotion. “In the Lowland League Hearts B and Celtic B can’t go forward for the play-offs even if they finish top of the league. “What’s the point in having a pyramid system if your league then doesn’t have a representative in the play-offs? “The Highland League needs to look at it, we’ve done everything we can to tick all the boxes and if you’ve got aspirations to get out of the league then you should have a chance. “There has to be something in place so that somebody from the Highland League represents the Highland League in the pyramid play-offs. “There’s no point in playing all season for nobody to be rewarded with the chance to go into the play-offs. “We want to try to get up and I think if the criteria for promotion isn’t met by the champion then the league should put forward a team for the play-offs that does meet the criteria. “I think the league should have been looking at what they could do or what might happen if the champion club wasn’t eligible because it makes a mockery of the league and the pyramid.” The Highland League have been contacted for a response.

Bo'ness Athletic are latest EOSL side Scottish Cup-bound. Incredible to realise Alex Jack Cup winners have now achieved 6 titles from 7 in this. F37 A8. Utterly dominant. Sat 29 Apr 2017 Lochar Thistle 1-6 Lothian Thistle HV (at Mid Annandale) Sun 19 Nov 2017 Tynecastle 3-0 Mid Annandale (at Heriot-Watt University) Sat 8 Dec 2018 Bonnyton Thistle 0-4 Camelon (at Mid Annandale) Sun 26 Jan 2020 Musselburgh Athletic (seven) 7-0 Mid Annandale (at Blackburn) Sat 28 Apr 2022 Drumchapel United 2-1 Crossgates Primrose Sat 07 May 2022 Nithsdale Wanderers 1-13 (thirteen) Drumchapel United Crossgates Primrose v Nithsdale Wanderers not played Sat 22 Apr 2023 Abbey Vale 3-3 Luncarty (2-4p) Sat 29 Apr 2023 Luncarty 3-1 Renfrew Renfrew v Abbey Vale not played Tue 23 Apr 2024 Drumchapel United 1-3 Bo'ness Athletic Sat 27 Apr 2024 Bo'ness Athletic (seven) 7-0 Nithsdale Wanderers Nithsdale Wanderers v Drumchapel United not played

Colloquialism - as in 'indiscriminate' IIRC - it's an offence to appear with too many clubs in 1 season. Didn't actually used to be in EOSL but standardised a few years ago IIRC. Anyway... sitting on -3pts means Vale need a result somewhere to avoid equalling Eyemouth's unenviable -3pts record from 2018-19... I think they'll get that result.

Broxburn more ambling than sprinting for finish... but 1 win from Kinnoull + Crossgates or any Musselburgh slipup will do it. Compelling, astonishing 4-way contest down bottom - here's how it concludes: Tuesday 30th April Glenrothes v Crossgates Wednesday 1st May Luncarty v Inverkeithing Saturday 4th May Crossgates v Dunbar Inverkeithing v Glenrothes Tynecastle v Luncarty Tuesday 7th May Crossgates v Haddington Glenrothes v Dunbar Luncarty v Jeanfield Saturday 11th May Broxburn v Crossgates Hill of Beath v Inverkeithing Luncarty v Hutchison Vale Tynecastle v Glenrothes Meanwhile another southerly tier 6 update: South of Scotland League (22 games) West of Scotland League (30 games) and playoff/round-robin details: Saturday 18th May (if playoff 1st leg) Creetown/Dalbeattie v Broxburn/Musselburgh (if round-robin #1) Broxburn/Musselburgh v Creetown/Dalbeattie Tuesday 21st May (if round-robin #2) [West] v Broxburn/Musselburgh Friday 24th May (if playoff 2nd leg) Broxburn/Musselburgh v Creetown/Dalbeattie (if round-robin #3) Creetown/Dalbeattie v [West]

(Vale recently lost 3pts for a 'promiscuous trialist'-type offence. Can they now reach 0pts?). Whitburn move up to 3rd... midweek May mayhem of St Andrews v Whitburn then Newtongrange v St Andrews, plus Whitburn v Newtongrange on last day, will be massive. Oakley fight on but fat lady's almost certainly clearing her throat.

I saw Tweedmouth deservedly land a surprise win over Armadale earlier - that leaves Thistle in deep trouble with Thornton up next and Edinburgh South bearing down. Rangers recent fine run leaves 'battle royal' for deinsurance place, but Ormiston struggling.

(Fauldhouse recently lost 2pts - with Edinburgh Community 3-3 Fauldhouse on Saturday 23rd March awarded 1-0 - for a 'trialist last registered abroad'-type offence). It looks all over bar the shouting now, unless Pumpherston can overhaul 7pts on Harthill in their last 6 games... Royal also have the benefit of 3 of those games being against the current bottom 5. Bathgate still chasing title.

Saturday 18th May 2024 R4: Haddington v Crossgates Hill of Beath v Sauchie Tuesday 21st May 2024 R4: Arniston v Glenrothes Whitburn v Preston Friday 24th May 2024* SF: Hill of Beath/Sauchie v Arniston/Glenrothes Whitburn/Preston v Haddington/Crossgates Saturday 1st June 2024 Final

Saturday 27th April (R4) St Andrews 5-1 Newtongrange (SF) Heriot-Watt Uni 4-2 Whitehill (aet, FT 2-2) St Andrews annihilate Newtongrange. 'Watt reach Final for 2nd time in 3yrs. Tuesday 21st May SF: St Andrews v Leith date tbc Final: Heriot-Watt University v St Andrews/Leith

Kinnoull are RELEGATED

Fantastic!

Edinburgh United are RELEGATED

West Calder United are PROMOTED