Bundesliga Boy

Under that scenario, 2 would be relegated from the LL to accommodate both Brechin and the champion of the EOS/WOS/SOS play-off. However it's distinctly possible that no team is relegated - ie East Kilbride defeat Elgin City. (using both clubs merely as an example).

Centre half area is vastly improved - Hamilton was just a joy to watch today. Fullback areas, especially on the left - well, less said about that the better! And what's with Dunachie - decent at times but sadly lacking on the old i.q. front. When you have the opponent pinned right back in their own third, with their back to goal no less, stop charging through the back of players and giving away monumentally stupid infringements!!! Second game in a row when the drop off in centre mid when one had to be be subbed was vast. Up front - ball control people.....come on. And need to be more clinical. Need at least 5 players in before Spartans away.

I'm sorry but the quality of players coming in versus those who have been let go is like night and day. You've obviously not seen these players if that is your assertion. And a 6 point gap is hardly insurmountable - there's 19 games to go! Yes relegation is a distinct possibility but McCall has a great eye for a player and by the end of the window he can truly say it's his team and needs the fanbase to be galvanised and 100% behind the team. To write them off when we're only just into January, already upgraded the squad with the promise of more signings to come, is just comical!

Exactly this! Whilst still some work to be done, defensively should be far more solid with the new centre backs. Spine of the team is critical. Midfield could argue has been significantly upgraded too. Leitch will hopefully hit the ground running plus the return of Ray Grant feels like a new signing in itself. New keeper, left back and preferably a striker too and all of a sudden things could be looking up. I note that Elgin are aiming to bring in around half a dozen signings too so will be an interesting good few months ahead.

Do you know if there is a realistic timeframe as to when the two matches v Broughty will at least be announced to be played?

Fab news overall for the club. Always sad to see another grass pitch go, but at non league level (and even above) it just makes sense. The near guarantee of games going ahead (a rarity in the HFL) combined with the extra revenue from renting it out just makes sense. And arguably the most important aspect is the community element - being able to bring is so many local sports teams/clubs under the one umbrella to create a pathway. Best of luck - hope the application goes well.

Are you saying that in hope or do you mean there are genuine plans to install a 3g in time for next season?

Wigtown & Bladnoch

Absolutely, it's like night and day, with in all likliehood many more to come over the next 10.

Great thanks, much appreciated. I had it at 40 but I think that's because I saw pylons up at Kilsyth Athletic last season but I guess they may not be functioning lights as such.

Does anyone know if Largs and Maybole now have floodlights - I know there was reports a couple of years ago suggesting that they were hoping/likely to get them, but I'm not sure if this ever happened. Not sure if anyone has an updated figure on how many of the 80 have lights? Also, did Ardrossan get their 3g pitch installed or is that still in the pipeline?

So trying to work it out but I've obviously got a discrepancy in the Premier League - do one of mine either not have lights or since moved to a ground without them. Prem (13) - Broxburn, Dunbar, Dundonald, Haddington, Hill O Beath, Hutchie Vale, Inverkeithing, Jeanfield, Kinnoull, Musselburgh, Penicuik, Sauchie, and Tynecastle. 1st (11) - Blackburn, Camelon, Dunipace, Heriot Watt, Leith Ath, Newtongrange, Preston, Rosyth, St. Andrew's, Vale of Leithen and Whitehill. 2nd (9) - Armadale, Bo'Ness Ath, Burntisland, Coldstream, Dalkeith, Easthouses Lily, Edinburgh College, Kennoway, Stirling Uni 3rd (1) - Hawick

I'd be very surprised if they were top 7, but you may well be right, but then again, you may not be. That's the beauty of this thread don't you think......that its ok to have different opinions. Perhaps instead of singling out one very small part of someone else's 18 team prediction, maybe you too could be brave enough like many others here to post a full predictions list (with or without the B's) rather than just a top 4 and bottom 2 as noted above......and then we'd all be in no doubt as to where you believe each team will finish.

For what it's worth, my predictions are as follows:- 1. Celtic B 2. East Kilbride 3. Tranent 4. Linlithgow Rose 5. Berwick Rangers 6. Albion Rovers 7. Stirling Uni 8. Bo'ness United 9. Civil Service Strollers 10. Hearts B 11. Cowdenbeath 12. Caledonian Braves 13. East Stirlingshire 14. Broomhill 15. Gretna 2008 16. Cumbernauld Colts 17. Gala Fairydean Rovers 18. Edinburgh Uni Going forward, EK to beat Brechin City in Tier 5 play-off, and then onto beat Elgin City (Club 42). As far fetched as it gets, but it's my best guess!

Dictionary definition of contentious - "likely to cause disagreement or argument". I mean they literally took legal action against the SPFL - not exactly playing ball and falling in line with their masters. The updates on the website on various issues are both frequent and very welcome. Had they maintained that form screams of if's, buts and maybes. I guess next year we'll have a better idea of said progress - I really hope you're right on that issue for what it's worth.

Completely concur with that summation.

You may well be right about not being accepted, but Hearts are very good at communicating with their supporters and it doesn't look like they even asked the question of EOS participation in the first place. Hearts struggled in the Lowland League and in all honesty going forward as the bigger clubs (albeit slowly) replace the smaller community clubs, then Hearts B would likely be just a little out their depth. In short I'd have been absolutely fine with a hearts B team that was capped at EOS Premier level as I think that's about right for them. If they have any youngsters that they truly believe are real standouts then I'd be expecting them to be going out on loan much further up the football league.

You could well be right concerning the SFA. I just think it all seems a tad fishy. What disappoints me most about Hears is that they could have started at the bottom and worked their way up the pyramid on merit. Infact If they had done that a few seasons back when there were Conferences, it would have been far easier to have made rapid progress, were they to have been succesful on the field of course.

Are you seriously suggesting the SFA came up with this idea all on their own? I'm not sure they are even capable of coming up with a suggestion like that. Clearly this is all being satisfied satisfy two clubs at the very least and likely Hearts too - all three are huge proponents and are champing at the bit to do this. If say Arbroath, Annan and Stirling Albion - to randomly select three smaller clubs were the ones wanting this conferences and the Old Firm and Hearts were dead against it, would the SFA still have come up with this magical idea and be such proponents.....even though we all (well mostly all) know that the SFA are not the brains behind this.

Thank you for that link........which backs up word for word what I just said. ie they weren't formally behind proposing this....they were invited to join as the fourth club and rejected it, as per my previous post.

Supposed to be according to whom exactly? Was all hearsay - nothing official from the club. They were merely invited to be the fourth club. Hearts on the other hand have a B team in the pyramid and are one of the three clubs, again, actually proposing the Conference - that's a pretty big difference right there! Either way, I'm more confident than ever now that this absolute monstrosity will be voted down within the next 48 hours or so. (personally I'd then kick all 3 out the LL immediately after this farce but that's perhaps my pettiness coming through).

Curious.....why would Hearts vote against it when they are one of the three clubs that's actually proposing it??? (much to my despair!).

Apologies if this has been answered before, but with people confirming that Blackburn have been relegated, does that mean 4 clubs will be promoted into the EOS Premier as Linlithgow head to the LL?

Or even worse..........Tennents!

Belated congrats to Spartans for their Lowland title victory! Ordered tickets online tonight for the home leg of the play off v Highland champions - should be a cracker! Much as I vehemently disagree with the convoluted play-off system with the mere hope of ending up in the SPFL, it doesn't half make for some excellent play off matches both between HL and LL champs, and again between winner of that match-up and Club 42. (tho longer term I do hope this is resolved).