energyzone
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Posts posted by energyzone
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20 hours ago, Peter Culter said:
Just to echo a few points as I’m watching from afar this season due to work commitments but I really expected more incomings before the season started.
With the huge sponsorship deal(s) and us gaining a fee from the sale of TC where is the money?
I wasn’t hugely enamoured by the appointment of Aitken and am less so now. Post-match interviews are becoming increasingly similar and him not having faith in young Jack is baffling to me.
Last season things were all too quiet on the sidelines and from what I gather, this hasn’t improved any this season.
The management team were fairly animated on the sidelines, albeit I don't really pay much attention to the benches.
I do think players should be problem solvers on the pitch and for the majority of the second half our two strikers tried the same thing over and over again without any success and without much help from the midfield. The squad doesn't look great I agree but it's early days.
How much was TC sold for?
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I couldn't really work the team out on Tuesday. We started the game well enough and it looked like only a matter of time before we scored. We could have probably had 4/5 in the first half had we taken our chances (although both strikers look rusty).
Maybole were well organised and didn't really provide much of a threat in the first half, but we totally lost control after the break and we were lucky not to concede 2 or 3.
I couldn't work out the tactics up front - both Mackin and Boyd were playing on the last line of defence and the only method of attack seemed to be for one of them to flick a long ball onto the other.... except they were always running in opposite directions. There was a huge gap behind the strikers which meant Maybole gathered it easily when the attack inevitably broke down.
I have no idea if Mackin's disallowed goal was offside or not, but the lack of assistant referees was another reminder of what level we find ourselves at. This might prove to be a long slog of a season. It's clearly very hard to attract quality players at this level unless you are offering hundreds per week.
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On 18/07/2023 at 08:21, Thejackdaw said:
Honest answer here in relation to your last paragraph , if the club I love started paying guys say between £600 and £1300 per week then I would stop going and start going fishing or something. It wouldn't be for me at all it's just totally wrong for our level and I've witnessed amazing times with beith without seeing this nonsense being shelled out to players .
I get that but your last sentence probably explains why you are happy with the status quo - you've seen your team win leagues, the junior cup and compete in the Scottish Cup without having a big cash injection. It's easy to say you don't want it when you don't need it.
Clubs like Beith and Talbot are very much in the minority though. The vast majority of clubs at our level exist from year to year with very little money and very little chance of making it to the Premier League. Offer fans or the committees of Saltcoats, Lanark or Maybole the chance to have 4-5 years in the limelight and a few trophies and I doubt you'd get the same rejection.
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8 hours ago, Plantar fasciitis said:
That's what I'm saying, I just used Kilwinning and Irvine as examples . Kilwinning threw money at players but not the infrastructure and they paid the price when McCluckie walked away and they dived bombed to the bottom Division the year after winning the Junior super league, It has took them years to get to where they are now but still nowhere near the team they once were. At least they have a good set up now having moved to a community club.
Irvine are slightly different that they already had a good set up but also didn't invest in infrastructure and decided to pump all their money into the wages and now without the same backer or investment can't live with wages being paid by many other teams now.there are msny similar stories over the years as you say but how many have resulted in a self sustainable future?
I suppose the difference now is there is no longer the ceiling of winning their respective super league and the holy grail of the Scottish junior cup. For real progression now infrastructure is the key.
I suppose it would be worth asking a Kilwinning fan from 1999 onwards - was it worth it given the 10-15 years which followed? I imagine a good percentage would say yes.
Meadow perhaps slightly different as they never won the Junior Cup but they won the league, played at Easter Road and had some great experiences around a decade ago.
When you say self-sustainable I'm not sure what you mean? Both clubs along with Hurlford, Whitburn etc are still in existence. But with a few more trophies in the cabinet than would otherwise have been the case.
There is a lot of anguish and hand-wringing on this forum whenever a club receives investment and starts paying large amounts for players but not one of the posters here would turn it down for their own club.
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On 13/07/2023 at 12:10, eindhovendee said:
Flying out Saturday for 14 days in Alanya, Türkiye as its now known.
First proper 2 week holiday since 1994, though I did live in Tenerife for 15 years which countered that a bit.
Have a good time. Let us know what you thought of it.
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Great publicity for the First Division and should help boost crowds at most of the grounds when JB play. It's done, so let's look at the positives.
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1 hour ago, approximately dave said:
Why do you think they wanted to get their B Team into the SPFL, what do they have to gain by it?
I have my own theory and its not just for the sake of getting their B team into the SPFL, there has to be something more to gain. Same with Celtic.
They want to be able to hoard the best of Scottish youth talent whilst having their A Team in the Premiership and their B Team competing at the top of the Championship. It's really just to earn them more money through attendances and sell-on fees. Using the development of Scottish talent is just an excuse for this. They were proposing a cartel and fortunately they were told where to go.
The effective relegation of 200+ clubs and the subsequent deprivation of players to existing SPFL clubs wouldn't have bothered them in the slightest - to them Celtic and Rangers are Scottish football and I suppose in many ways they are probably not far off.
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Where does the money come from? They don't have much of a fanbase to contribute yet they have been signing quite a few players over the last few days - some from clubs higher up in the pyramid.
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I went to the recent Troon v Kilwinning match with a friend from work who loves Scottish football and played for several clubs when they were Junior clubs. He had no idea that the Junior Cup was no longer what it was, and was amazed that the winners of the West/East/South leagues played off to be promoted to the Lowland League. I kept having to explain to him what the pyramid was and how all the leagues (are supposed to) feed into each other.
Sometimes I think we are in our own bubble here and the advertising and messages from this level really don't get through at all to the wider footballing support. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out that most Premiership fans don't have a clue about the current B Team proposition or that we are (mostly) all part of the same league structure now. I would imagine even a lot of fans at this level don't truly appreciate how devalued the SJC is now and how the top East teams and quite a few West ones no longer play in it. We do, because we post on this forum and maintain an interest, but I would reckon a lot of fans of clubs at this level aren't that informed about the politics and just want to support their team.
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10 hours ago, HorseyGhirl said:
God why are the Cairn being made to justify their existence. Didn't realise there was a hars and fast rulebook that clubs had to adhere to 're funding.
Honestly do we really think the Lok, Talbot and the rest exist and flourish solely on 500 plus punters coming in each weekend.
There is so much more going on behind the scenes that your average fan is oblivious to.
At youth level it can be a full-time job keeping it running. Believe me been there done that. I know there are some at clubs where keeping it alive becomes all consuming in their life.
#let new clubs flourish
I don't think anyone is asking them to justify their existence. In fact I think clubs like Gartcairn and Bonnyton should have a senior side to provide a full pathway from their youngest boys clubs to senior football. After all why should they coach players from the age of 4 and then lose them to other clubs when they get beyond U19 stage.
You mention Talbot and Pollok not being reliant on attendance money, which is true, but the fundraising these clubs carry out is dependent on their numerous fans buying merchandise, and so on. Most of the sponsor opportunities/activities mentioned above are already carried out by 'older' clubs so it's not as if Gartcairn are breaking new ground on this front.
Fans of these clubs are more than welcome to defend/explain the funding but I also reserve the right to be sceptical about whether we are getting told the full story.
But as ever, as long as the funds aren't illegitimate then it's a fair game.
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5 hours ago, HorseyGhirl said:
Can only speak for the Div 4 teams.
Easterhouse and Kilsyth A. averaged around the 50 mark. Eglinton I believe have a core, numbers I can't give, maybe there's someone down Kilwinning way in the know. Can't speak for the others.
Kilsyth derby in Oct. had over 200 with a sprinkling of neutrals whom I believe have revisited the illustrious Sportsfield.
As with all new teams, I would imagine, it can take time to build a fan base especially in an area already with an established club.
It's no secret I know the crew at Kilsyth A. and from what I've heard there is a growing interest in them. So next season in Div 3 will tell us how its going.
Thanks. I can't recall anyone down here in Kilwinning taking about going to watch Eglinton but they were an amateur team I believe not that long ago and amateur matches here do attract decent crowds on occasion.
Still not sure where the more successful 'new' clubs get their funding from. Same with some of the Lowland League clubs, e.g. Caledonian Braves. As far as I can see none of them have a huge fanbase to draw funds from and I can't see many sponsors choosing to advertise at the newer grounds. There are some decent established clubs at this level who seemingly can't compete with the offers made to players by some of the newer ones even when a fanbase and sponsors.
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On 18/05/2023 at 20:54, HorseyGhirl said:
I feel really sad about all of this negativity toward the cages. Joking aside about traditionalists, the most important part for me is the match on the pitch. Whether it's grass or astro or ash, can remember seeing the Ants on their ash pitch top of Helen St., I don't really care as long as the product on the park is watchable.
Fully aware that for others it's about the whole experience but I don't like this perceived snobbery I sense and the slight dismissiveness of clubs because of where they play.
Sad and disappointed there are fans out there who won't go to a game because of the facility it's being played in.
Know this might not be popular and I joke a lot on here. This is something I feel passionately about and feel clubs like the Cairn deserve all the success they get and the support and respect of the football community.
Do the newer clubs who tend to play in these cages have much of a fanbase?
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5 minutes ago, Park the Buffs said:
Apologies. The pivotal 3-5 game I’m referring to was in fact against Petershill
That defeat did knock the stuffing out of us, along with the 5-4 defeat at Hurlford, the last minute goal conceded at Arthurlie and last night - a game in which we had enough chances to win by a wide margin and were by far the better team.
Last night summed up our season pretty well - we can score but we concede early and often. I can't fault the effort of the players and some of the passing and movement was very good. But we can't afford to miss a penalty at 1-0 down and waste umpteen chances and then expect to win. Although I am still scratching my head in amazement at how the referee and assistant missed the clear handball by the Troon player immediately before giving Troon a penalty for handball. No wonder Mark Millar went off his head.
It was clear that a reset over the summer was required a while ago and hopefully the manager is given the chance to stay (and actually wants to stay). He looked drained when he left the sidelines last night.
In a way it was a bizarre season, good performances in the cups while we dipped dramatically in the league. First appearance in the Scottish Cup. Chris Strain winning the league with his new club in a game against us. The chairman resigning.
Looking forward to a few new places to visit next season however I'm not sure how easy it will be to attract decent players at that level without being significantly financially backed.
As an aside, £8 for that entertainment last night - despite the result and the significance of it - is by some way the best value in football. My £25 for Rugby Park on Saturday won't come near it.
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1 hour ago, Shanner said:
Darvel could still conceivably finish third in a one horse race, but the likelihood of a lesson in humility being learned seems low. Ach well.
Who isn't showing humility?
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On 27/04/2023 at 08:14, Shanner said:
Why do the folk who clutch their pearls when anyone criticises Darvel act like they have no idea why people dislike them?
All the outrage and mouth frothing is coming from people who are acting like Darvel are involved in genocide instead of just trying to buy success for a football club.
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Same again on Saturday if you don't mind please!
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Hopefully Talbot can do us a favour tonight and on Saturday.
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That will be that then.
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1 hour ago, Peter Culter said:
I didn’t make the match yesterday but watching the highlights it’s the same old story.
Absolutely criminal defending that you think can’t get worse and inevitably does in the next match.
I agree with 99% of your post and Loudon and Woods start in the back four for me.
The other youngster that featured against Beith (O’Brien) didn’t look out of place but is it asking too much of inexperienced young players to save the season?
Boland is liable to take a flaky at any given moment and Mark Miller isn’t the answer in defence BUT is a better bet than Aldin who we are stuck with for another year at £250 per week, apparently.
I actually thought Aldin was a good stabilising influence last night apart from one moment of indecision.
Last night was the Lewis Morrison show and had we not been playing against him then the defensive mistakes may have been mitigated against. I actually thought the team fought really well considering we were 2-0, 3-1 and 4-3 down. Ben Lewis and Gavin Millar dragged us back into it, and we are essentially playing without a striker and badly missing both Mackin and Collins, both of whom probably won't be back at the weekend.
I agree with the other poster that we should have Ben providing a shield in front of the defence and at least tightening up at the back before even thinking about what we are going to do up front.
Looking at the fixtures at the moment I am wondering if Beith will have a chance to win the league and relegate us on the same night. Which would be interesting...
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We didn't deserve to lose that at all. A few defensive errors and playing against one of the best strikers on the league (who should have been playing for us) cost us tonight. If we apply the same effort to our remaining games then we still have a chance.
Great entertainment but a really sore one given our predicament.
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Great final line up on a Friday night at one of the best grounds at this level. Hopefully the crowd is a healthy one. Is the capacity limited at all?
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Beith aren't showing any signs of stopping - that was a good victory away at Meadow Park tonight.
Am I right in thinking if Beith win the league they don't enter the playoffs due to being unlicensed? So it's 3 relegated and 3 promoted from the league below?
And if Darvel or Talbot win the league and the playoff, how many teams are relegated from the Premier League?
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Unless I'm reading it wrong I don't think anyone was saying Gormley and his team was making anyone a scapegoat? It's the players on the park, a couple on particular, who are very harsh on a couple of the younger players and taking their frustration out on them. Gormley was very pro-youth but unfortunately I just don't think it was ever going to work out for him. I think he was affected by the shambles of the tail end of last season and having to build a squad from scratch was always going to be a tough job.
As an aside, is Dylan Mackin injured?
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A really bizarre match. We controlled the majority of the first half and when we scored 3 in 4 minutes it looked like we were in for a rout.
Second half we started fairly well with most of the pressure on the Petershill defence. We then lost a goal out of nowhere, Petershill tightened everything up and gave us no space to play, and we lost another two poor goals. We hardly had a shot on goal in that second half.
I don't think there was a lack of effort from the players - I just think a lot aren't good enough for premier league football. We needed someone in the middle to calm things down but I also thought Petershill played the perfect game in the second half and we could still be playing 12 hours later and not have scored.
The end of the season cannot come quick enough. I'm always the optimist but even now I'm beginning to think we won't do it. And the league below will be a hard one to get out of....
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Gartcairn 2023/24
in West of Scotland Football League
Posted
I thought the same when Kilwinning played at Hurlford at the end of last season - I could hardly see the opposite touchline for the last ten minutes.