PastyMan

Declaring a Blackburn bias here. Having seen all the teams involved there are no mugs. Blackburn have been competitive and bar two spankings would have a positive goal difference HoB do have games in hand but their season just isn't sparking into life. IHS picked up 12 points in their first 4 games. Without that they would be in deep trouble and as others have said minus their talisman up front and in defence. Having said that all their results look competitve barring a 4-0 v Jeanfield Swifts. I thought LTHV would drop back but have picked up 7 out of 9 in 2023, Tynecastle also have 7 out of last 9 points. All in all too hard to call! It's a competitve league. Also there might well be 4 teams down .... that might drag one or two other teams into the mix if they don't keep picking up points.

What is there to actually show from this investment? Syngenta look like going out the league Syngenta U20s offski League set up corrupted Anything positive? Anything long term?

Seems to be a few matches with ineligible players affecting top & bottom of the league Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale versus Linlithgow has been reversed and awarded 1-0 win for Linlithgow Rose. Oakley United & Vale of Leithen have each had three points have been deducted from their club's record for different instances of fielding ineligible player

David Goodwillie scored 2 for Livi Utd today

Important win for Blackburn Utd at Tynecastle FC yesterday. Blackburn were down to 10 men after 22 minutes (2 yellows). Within a couple of minutes Tynecastle had been awarded one of those harsh handball penalties ricocheting from near point blank range and then 2-0 down before 30 minutes it looked pretty bleak for the 10 men. Pulling a goal back just before half time would have put some doubts in Tynecastle minds and they looked unsure whether to stick or twist. Even more so when Blackburn equalised early in the second half. A fine individual goal from Devine midway through the half could have been added to with Blackburn coming close to extending their lead further on 2 or 3 occasions. Tynecastle hadn't threatened till late on when it took a combination of a reflex save and a Blackburn defender putting in a saving block from the loose ball and Blackburn took home a deserved 3 points. Ref must have been close to double figures with bookings in a game where another ref would have kept it to 2-3 cards in total.

Camelon to Tynecastle could be done via canal path

And Broxburn's Albyn Park has the Union canal running directly behind it

"Guest clubs must commit to playing fixtures as issued by the Secretary on the date and time set"

The ref DID see it and told the Blackburn players that he had read the new handball rule and because it came off the Broxburn player onto his own hand it WASN'T a handball .... I think he might be wrong on that!

The local paper is reporting that the Broxburn Athletic v Blackburn Utd tie is the first West Lothian derby in the Scottish Cup in almost 100 years. It's a pity the fixture computer has them also meeting on Saturday but there you go. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/scottish-cup-draw-produces-first-27640840?fbclid=IwAR01ePRKtS_w5049Y1GDTrlLdCvqccKBuZ_6ghMbrkALJUXat6Z1CY-gS14

The only chat on the Livi thread is about non payment of sponsorship. Any implications for the Clarke ePos sponsored Lowland League?

Great idea Sgt! It would be carnage

Fauldhouse Utd announcing today that they have planning permission for the floodlights and are getting plans in place for the works to get done

Yup fair play to Whitburn, they've had a good season on and off the park with all their ground improvements too. Mind you 21-0 on aggregate in two games at Park View helped but still takes some doing

Tranent and Cowdenbeath replacing Bonnyrigg and Vale of Leithen make it "more of a boys club university east coast etc" Triggered by Tranent?

You immune to midges? Feels like Fauldhouse are stuck between fantasy and reality. 1st & 3rd managers talk big but little or no connection locally. Middle guy was local, seemed more realistic and realising it's a long haul for Fauldhouse from where they are atm. As you say next season will be a test especially if Bo'ness Ath & Armadale Th produce anything like this season's form

Just a new manager to impress for Fauldhouse, their 3rd of a poor season. Morale pretty low in the village atm

Well done Tranent! Having to do it on their turf too

I honestly can't think of a game I've paid in to see that has had a team starting with less than 11. It was a genuine question whether there has been any other fixture this season with <11 players starting.

Why? They haven't technically done anything wrong? Unless they can be proven to engineer a particular outcome then they wouldn't be sanctioned. I agree "technically" but "bringing the game into disrepute" is a catch all trump card to play too. Perhaps any team starting a match with fewer than 11 should be required to explain and face possible sanction? There's plenty of legitimate reasons but have any other matches in WoSL started with fewer than 11 a side this season?

If there is no punishment then it sets an open goal of a precedent Team A goes into the final game needing a point. Team A starts with 7 players claiming all other options are unavailable. Immediately after kick off a player on Team A pulls a hamstring and is unable to continue. Game finishes 0-0 and 1 point each? Surely any team starting with 7 players must receive some sanction?

Disagree Tranent would have a right to feel aggrieved if it was just reduced to goal difference against St Cuthberts and Darvel had the advantage of going second and knowing exactly what they needed. This is now just a straight head to head. No grievance about any other game and best of luck to Tranent

In terms of where responsibility lies for this though I'd say 90% self inflicted by the W Lothian clubs, 10% EoS. The EoS could have put an option of new Conferences for yet another season purely for the benefit of the W Lothian clubs but their allegiance went to the far larger number of clubs that had already moved and been given the promise of their future league structure. Overwhelmingly though this situation is down to those clubs which stuck two fingers up, repeatedly and vocally, embattled themselves into a West Lothian rump which would have had Tam Dalyell coining a new West Lothian Question which is simply "Why?". Btw there are still WL club committee men who rubbish the EoS and would jump at the chance to return to the Juniors. It's been a bizarre case of self harm for years now.

Cheers JC. I'm really surprised at that.. Darvel very strong favourites in the play offs meant a win agasint Bo'ness and Armadale just needed to match their result in the final game. Anyway fingers crossed for Tranent and, especially the Hearts tomorrow