Clyde01

Morgan neill has left cove I see. Might be a decent signing, think duffy knows him too.

Imo Docherty was lots of effort but little instinct. Where as Rennie has decent instincts but no effort. Very surprised we’ve got cash for him, who are we to doubt the Duffsters transfer strategy, after giving him an 18 month contract was widely slated.

Decent size clubs in what regard? None of the 4 you mention have crowds that are significantly bigger or facilities that are considerably better than many other lowland league teams. Perhaps they have just found their level. Anyway, time to use the new season thread surely?

Not exactly glowing endorsements on the new signings all round plus the only player extension that seems like a coup being Cuddihy. Not a great day. I’m sure Peter Grant and Ross Forbes will fit well with McLeans super fit, high intensity, heart on the sleeve approach.

It would be 30, a 45 game season is too long and imbalanced. A 16 team league could potentially split into 4 mini leagues of 4 after 30 matches with a little thought needed to what’s at stake in each mini-league but that could work and would give a 36 game season. Would also still give us 4 old firm games . Rather than dissecting the minor details my over arching point was that bigger leagues can work and don’t need to be ‘boring’ with a little thought. I think this is a much more worthy solution to explore than dropping in b-teams anywhere in the pyramid.

A few top flight clubs have been reducing the capacity given to old firm recently, who’s to say they wouldn’t vote to play the old firm less? It would make the league more competitive and allow the stronger teams to perhaps close the gap by not having to play the old firm as often. Of course the fact we have a tv deal with a company only interested in four old firm games per season is an obstacle but the system shouldn’t be set up for two teams benefit. Would prefer to ditch splits altogether but if it MUST stay for a 37 game season as you suggest perhaps a playoff spot (or pre-playoff qualifier vs 6th) could go to the ‘winner’ of the bottom half to keep that interesting?

Looking at the game time by young Scottish players in the top flight this season I have to disagree that plenty teams are throwing youths in. Leagues of 20 are too big, but three leagues of 16 is definitely workable. If you populate this using this years rankings it looks good in a lot of ways. First of all it’s very unlikely you’d have full time clubs playing below tier 2. The premier league has no Arbroath or hamilton whipping boys as you suggest. And the 6 extra places for new SPFL clubs could surely come from the rangers and Celtic cut as we know developing the game is their primary interest (snigger). Three leagues of 16 could then have two up, two down automatically. And a playoff system either involving third bottom or having them auto relegated and playoffs from 3-6 in the league below. I include the bottom of tier 3 in that too, two or three relegation spots and highland and lowland champions straight up with a playoffs for potentially a third side. In the premier league you could have an end of season playoffs with teams in 5-8 to claim the last European spot.

One of the biggest problems we have is this perception that every game needs to mean something. Small leagues and constant threat of changing level are probably the biggest hurdle to youth development. The premier league is full of bang average journeymen from abroad and down south as clubs are too scared to play youngsters. If the Kilmarnocks, st johnstones etc had some security in a bigger league they are far more likely to play more young Scottish players, at a level that will actually lead to meaningful development rather than at tier 5. Even at lower league level bigger leagues and more stability would benefit clubs imo. I don’t buy this meaningless games argument. Are you telling me that the English championship, for example, is boring from Christmas onwards? Only visiting teams once per season would make trips far more appealing than playing teams four times, which is dull and repetitive. The only way I can see of breaking the deadlock at the bottom of the SPFL to get automatic relegation is via expanding league 2. It’s not great financially to increase the number of league clubs but there is no other way league one and two clubs would vote that in unless there is more of a buffer.

So we knew 6 months ago that relegation was almost inevitable and yet here we are with 3 signed players, weeks of prep behind our rivals already, scratching around in the dirt for scraps AGAIN. Duffy is a dinosaur, we should’ve appointed someone with vision and a plan so at least if we did go down, as was highly likely even back, then at least we’d be in a strong position for next season. As it is I am already very concerned about what lies ahead.

Uninspiring and predictable, fair play to the club, I already can’t be arsed with next season and it’s only early June, that’s got to be a record. Hopefully a break for a few weeks and some positive signings will improve the outlook.

Good to hear duffy on the radio waxing lyrical about Thistle while we have three signed players and no head coach…

Having seen him a couple of times last season I’m not shocked he is heading down another level rather than up. St Cadocs seem to be signing the majority of last seasons EK team.

Even worse, 16 games against them in this conference proposal. With big games against the like of Brora and Stirling Uni to spice things up.

If we were to be relegated from League 2 (which obviously we all want to avoid) then I would much rather play in the lowland league than a shitey 10 team hodgepodge with 4 b-teams in it.

Agree, no need for an extra step of nation wide coverage at all. The highland league (and in fact the full northern part of the pyramid) is already severely lacking in quality. Outside the top 5 or 6 teams it’s mostly dross compared to the southern catchment. That’s without stripping another few of the better teams off. A far better idea would be to condense leagues one and two into a bigger league to remove a tier and avoid playing everyone four times. Coupled with a bigger championship this may even allow for extra teams to join the SPFL proper. Just not b-teams please.

I’m not seeing how this is any different from the lowland league to be honest. Clubs there already get bribe money from the old firm, I don’t think it’s considerably more in the proposed new set up. Better marketing of the league sounds like code for 4 shitty b-team old firm games to push, no thanks. Having b-teams in the lowland league is not for me either but I see no ways at all that the conference league is a better idea, it’s actually worse than the status quo.

An absolute word salad of a statement on the conference league when a simple ‘load of pish’ would have sufficed. Hopefully owners vote to get it in the sea.

If it means McLean will hang up his boots let’s not rule out a head coach role straight off the bat…

In unrelated news, would be good if the club would make public our stance on the conference league fiasco. The vote is coming up soon and I would hope we are rejecting. A steaming pile of shite that we have more than fair chance of being in or around, get it in the sea.

We might have a ‘fighting chance’ of being ‘competitive’ in League 2. Haud me back…

Good riddance

We had one but decided to sell in January. Now we are relegated and Jordan Allan spent the second half of the season mostly warming the bench. Hardly a success for either party.

Scullion was at Fauldhouse who aren’t even a WoS or EOS premier side but about three tiers below that so the fact that he has grown into a player we should be looking to keep for League 2 is a relative success. Cameron, Olly McDonald and Hendji (I think) were all signed from a piss poor Gretna side that finished near the bottom of the lowland league and are likely far worse than many of the former junior teams queueing up below that level. Rodden was a disappointing one, on paper a left back from the lowland league team of the season had a lot of potential, didn’t work out but we certainly didn’t persevere with him for long. By contrast, John Craig was very poor at first and has developed a fair bit during his time with us.

Surely worth contacting the club and telling them if Duffy stays they can ram it. If enough fans do this they will need to act. He should have been emptied and the job advertised by now. Duffy will drag his heels on signings anyway (has previous for doing so), be as well appointing someone new even if it means waiting a few weeks for signings.

Then act like an arse in front of the home fans and dugout apparently.