Spyro

Not ALL of us Marten, but it’s absolute rockets like these which is why myself (brought up a Hearts fan) and to a lesser extent my mate from Maryhill don’t really bother about our “big” teams anymore, it’s just embarrassing. Good luck Brechin, it was a dirty move trying to wriggle out the playoffs but it’s history now. You are a great club and you will love the Highland League with new clubs, new places to visit and the added bonus of Buckie coming down and filling your stadium with their 30,000 away fans. I doubt once you’ve got your shit together you’ll be there for long... but enjoy the journey and rise above the clowns on here

Tbh you can’t really argue with this considering the last 2 seasons have been write-offs for the organisers. Hopefully it’s just temporary for a couple of seasons until everyone is back on their feet again. Its been split really well though, can’t argue with it at all

I was just going to ask about this... can’t be good if they can’t get a team together at this stage of the year. No excuses, the boys should all be buzzing to go. Gutted for the guys who have worked hard to make this happen but it was always going to be a tough task being based up there. I’m surprised they didn’t try something in Ullapool with a few of the old KLB boys

Surprised with this tbh. As long as it’s within reason (Clydebank/Yorker for example) I can’t see the problem. It’s when you have clubs trying to share at a ground 20-30odd miles away to obtain a license that I can understand them being rejected

Tbf, considering the lack of licensed teams below the HL and the fact that many didn’t really fancy it until recently. The playoff is ok for now. Plus any teams who do get into a playoff with the bottom club of the HL are more than likely going to win... unless they decide to lose 2 goals in the last 10 mins out of nowhere

These are common sense though and are only outside by a few meters, same with Harthill. Letham have 2 (or 3) other clubs from their own city playing in a Lowland League feeder and are quite clearly in that catchment. If they then go and play in the Highland League feeder league then you would be as well allowing the Dundee teams into the EoS and the West Lothian teams into the WoS... which they were told wasn’t going to happen.

I really don’t know why this keeps being brought up. They are BELOW the line, they are in Perth, they are in the EoS catchment... I don’t understand how this idea even came about!

Someone has had a bash but it was just in its infancy before Covid hit and still needs more data and tweaking to get perfect... but it’s a good effort. Hopefully it’ll be manicured over the next wee while with plenty of results to add to the database http://scotscores.theroonba.com/clubrank/clubrankam.html

At tier 8/9, yes definitely. Probably at tier 9 in the East and 10 in the West once things settle down. Then you could basically “bolt on” the amateur league in the East. Borders, LEAFA, Kingdom, the Central gets a bit messy though... but it’s not as simple as it seems. A lot of clubs who could potentially be “promoted” have no intention, or the resources to go into as bigger region, but I suppose that’s where a stepped ground/club criteria comes into play. The west would be a much tougher nut to crack.

In the 3 games I witnessed, Rovers (full of local players) absolutely smashed Fairydean (full of toonies) in every one... says everything really! Only problem was trying to get the local boys to walk away from the Border Ammys, it means more to many of them than the EoS. Playing for your own town and loads of history/rivalry that isn’t there when you step “up”. From what I remember, Selkirk’s purple patch around 2004 onwards for a few seasons (ok, hanging onto an EoS premier league place rather than wallowing in division 1) was based on a lot of local players, including a big chunk of Earlston’s amateur league winning team following their manager. So it IS possible and there IS the talent down there to compete without blowing the budget.

Fair point... But the ONLY rivalry in Gala is/was Fairydean vs Rovers every summer! Another sad day when I heard they both had merged... I’m usually all for change and evolution but some things from your teenage years are sacred The more I hear, the more it seems possible though. The surrounding towns are all growing and there’s a decent sized catchment (Lauder to Jedburgh) with Kelso not being involved anymore. It’s not like Fairydean ever look to local players, Coldstream tend to look towards Kelso/Berwickshire/East Lothian, Tweedmouth go Berwick or Northumberland and Hawick don’t really do local either but not as bad as Gala. So there’s definitely a chance to create a bit of identity for a club right in the middle of it all. They might not be as high as Fairydean but they’ll have the potential to compete with Coldstream and Hawick and drum up more interest... unless someone wants to throw LOADS of money at it.

That’s what I thought when I saw their name in the Borders Amateur league... or there was talk about a sports facility near the hospital many moons ago. I never in a million years thought the locals would allow football to be played in their town.

Where do you warm up for the 7’s?! Anyway, day ruined now... Back on topic, I very much doubt we will see any new teams from the borders anytime soon, not even a Selkirk revival unfortunately

Sacrilege! Melrose RFC was/is more than a rugby team, it was EVERYTHING the town stood for! It’s been a while since I was down there and this has all completely passed me by! I must swat up but I fear it’ll just make me angry... The thought of Melrose even having a football team at all doesn’t sit right with me tbh, you have to have lived around there to understand!

There’s a picture somewhere with me in one of their tops and my hair sprayed blue and white. I need to try and find it! Didn’t realise the work that had been going on at Melrose though Fitba on the hallowed turf! It’s no even real grass anymore! That must be up there with the Irish football team playing on Croke Park for the rugby playing locals

St Andrew’s United and Newburgh would like a word...

The only other (million-to-one shot) I can think of is possibly Earlston Rhymers. They’ve got a great, pretty enclosed ground but would take a bit of work on the facilities going by when I last played there. It’s a really well run club though and would maybe take on the Kelso catchment a little as they don’t seem to have got their act together for years down there. I’m sure there was a season where they were NO Kelso football teams in the EoS or the amateurs! It was happy days for Gordon ammys though as a lot of boys went up there instead

That’s because TJ told them that they would have to install £125,000 toilet blocks and have Tuesday night games to Elgin... and they bought it for years. I’m sure Linlithgow had nearly everything in place for a license too so could easily have joined from the start. Even when Kelty realised it was bs, it took wee Dalkeith Thistle to have the balls to take the pledge and started the avalanche to the EoS.

Salsburgh Utd 6 - 1 Caldercruix Utd (AnC Sundays) (Central Sundays)

This is what the LL hierarchy are looking at. Another boot in the baws for the EoS, SoS and recently the WoS leagues who have been compliant and helpful every step of the way.

Looks like it was some night...

My point is that nobody (apart from BoD) have really been in a position to be “promoted” to the Highland League over the last few years. Therefore you can’t really call it a “closed shop”. I thought Aberdeen Uni had a historic license, similar to Golspie, but that obviously isn’t the case any longer

Tbf, only 3 other clubs in the Highland League catchment area are even eligible to be in tier 5. BoD: enough has already been said. Golspie Sutherland: Not interest/big/good enough and only recently got planning for lights, which I think has always been a special requirement for the Highland League Aberdeen Uni: well...

Really?! Common sense in football? It’ll never catch on...