The New Raith Rovers Thread

[roseyposey]

This is totally spot on.

Junior fans are also very aggressive.

aye your right

while the thug players kick lumps out each other on the park

the fans all have running battles on the terraces.............

meanwhile the officials of both clubs are rolling around trading punches in hospitality as someone has

ate the last sausage roll and the bottle of grouse is empty............

[Cowden til i die]

I never actually realised Linlithgow gain membership due to meeting SFA guidelines and not on merit. This is totally wrong.

I frequently entertain junior games and throughly enjoy it. I did have a player leap over the railing and square up to me at Fauldhouse - the same day a fan assaulted the referee - but that aside I've never witnessed any trouble. I wouldn't fancy going to an Ayrshire Derby mind you.

As I stated many juniors teams would be a great addition to the scottish game but they are too content being big fish in small ponds. Once the novelty wore off and crowds stated dwindling as they weren't winning games and trophies it would be a different story.

Edit: I hold my hands up that I wasn't aware in the change in transfer dealings. It has been a few years since I was involved as such.

Edited October 7, 2014 by Cowden til i die

[roseyposey]

I never actually realised Linlithgow gain membership due to meeting SFA guidelines and not on merit. This is totally wrong.

What !! Any club that plays within the SFA structure has the right to apply for membership if they meet the criteria set !!

[HTG]

I never actually realised Linlithgow gain membership due to meeting SFA guidelines and not on merit. This is totally wrong.

I frequently entertain junior games and throughly enjoy it. I did have a player leap over the railing and square up to me at Fauldhouse - the same day a fan assaulted the referee - but that aside I've never witnessed any trouble. I wouldn't fancy going to an Ayrshire Derby mind you.

As I stated many juniors teams would be a great addition to the scottish game but they are too content being big fish in small ponds. Once the novelty wore off and crowds stated dwindling as they weren't winning games and trophies it would be a different story.

Edit: I hold my hands up that I wasn't aware in the change in transfer dealings. It has been a few years since I was involved as such.

I agree with you that the top Juniors would add a lot of value to the pyramid in this country and if it were left to me there wouldn't be a choice on the matter. But there is and the sfa made no effort to take heed of legitimate concerns - particularly from the west Juniors that the region approach is too broad. They also made no effort to recognise that if you do compel the Juniors you have a massive imbalance between North and South in terms of the sheer volume of clubs. I actually think it suits the sfa not to fix the problem properly. That's why we ended up with some ham fisted halfway house.

I wouldn't say many of the HFL or LL teams are particularly more progressive in outlook than my mob. But it was easy to embrace what was effectively the EoS seniors league. The HFL don't seem keen at all for example to open up the bottom end of their league. And who would play in it if they did? A couple of North Juniors and then what?

Most of the teams below LL are unlicensed.

It's very easy to have a pop at the Juniors (where the pool is a bit bigger than the one Spartans have operated in) and of course to a large extent the likes of Tom Johnstone make it even easier to point and laugh. But my club has built itself up slowly from nothing to the point where it can self sustain and we can manage ourselves for the longer term. Like it or not, we're not jumping to a league where crowds of just into 3 figures are normal just on the off chance that we might win a league, win a play off and then win another play off so that we can spend even more money upgrading our facilities so that we can comfortably accommodate Montrose and Albion Rovers. We'd need to be pretty certain we were going to benefit over a right few years from the funding those teams have had that we've not.

If the playing field were a bit more level and if the governing body did a bit more to "persuade" clubs to integrate then I'd accept the criticism more easily. But I'm now pretty convinced that the sfa are happy enough not to have to manage the skewed logistics which would inevitably drive them to a 3 region solution - something that the spfl clubs don't want.

Edited October 7, 2014 by HTG

[RoversMad]

aye your right

while the thug players kick lumps out each other on the park

the fans all have running battles on the terraces.............

meanwhile the officials of both clubs are rolling around trading punches in hospitality as someone has

ate the last sausage roll and the bottle of grouse is empty............

don't forget the bucket of shite getting thrown!

[roverthemoon]

What is it about the level you guys are involved at which prevents you taking an away support of significance to games.

This sentence needs a question mark. Normally don't a f**k about punctuation but I figured that it was preferable to replying to the old crowd w**k point you've made.

[sponsorsladdie]

This sentence needs a question mark. Normally I don't give a f**k about punctuation but I figured that it was preferable when replying to the old crowd w**k point you've made.

Ive added in the missing words for you and removed the additional "to" that wasn't required. I didn't want you looking stupid there.

[Rovers1992/1993]

I've added in the missing words for you and removed the additional "to" that wasn't required. I didn't want you looking stupid there.

Talking about Grammar and Punctuation..?

You've missed out an apostrophe.

I've added that in for you.

I didn't want you looking stupid there.

[HTG]

Talking about Grammar and Punctuation..?

What the f**k's this with the double dot approach to asking a question? That makes you look a bit stupid there.

[Raithie]

If we get decent results in our next three games then there might be a chance of over 500 or so heading through. Our away crowd won't reach the thousands that Linlithgow fans seem to think we should be bringing for a game like this. We've got Hearts away the week after the Linlithgow game and the chances are I'd rather save my money for that game.

[Yoss]

Not anymore the retention system was abolished.

I stand corrected. That's good news.

We'll take no lessons on punctuation or grammar from anyone from Fife and we'll take no criticism of our ground from a Cowdenbeath supporter.

On a personal level, I'd welcome a visit from the great Turnbull Hutton. Scottish football owes that man a large debt.

We're in the cup because we are members of the SFA, licenced by the SFA and meet all the standards required of any Highland or Lowland League club. We have the added advantage of floodlights which are not a requirement of the HFL or LL.

There is no difference in the contract position of Junior footballers compared to any other group. There is no transfer window but that's not uncommon at semi professional level.

There really is some misinformed rubbish being put together by people who seem to assume that you can brigade the standard of stadium in Junior football in one small, convenient cluster.

And we're not particularly different to our cohorts in the HFL or LL. They're not all playing with the ambition to join the SPFL - check out the views of Brora on this. And they're strong favourites to be in the play off mix.

And another thing, you're playing in a league which sets out to actively discourage the very movement you chastise Junior teams for failing to embrace. Why is the bottom of SPFL 2 the only element of that structure that doesn't have automatic relegation and a play off? Self preservation. You've got a nerve having a go at anyone when playing within a structure like that.

Finally, I have to ask myself why a team sitting in the upper echelons of the pantheon that is Scottish football think that taking 500 to an away game is a "good" number? That sounds like a pop at Raith Rovers and I've said it elsewhere but when I think it through, I don't want to make it club specific. What is it about the level you guys are involved at which prevents you taking an away support of significance to games. I see this consistently in SPFL - fans just don't travel in numbers any more. What exactly is this shining, progressive structure you speak of when criticising others?

Agree with most of that. That there's now, nominally a pyramid about to start up - and a very restrictive one at that - does not mean that Highland League teams are participating in the wider scene of Scottish football in a way that Junior teams are not. Some are keen, some aren't.

[Broken Algorithms]

In terms of attendence, the novelty factor might add a hundred or so if lucky. However, for the most part fans don't head on away days as much. While it won't be as likely for people like us forum posters who are quite inquisitive (not sure about anybody else, but as soon as the draw was made I was on google checking where the ground was, and what it was like), but people might just dismiss it as going to dank ground with a tinpot stand and a few rabid locals.

Then you've got the usual problems of cost of travelling (especially if going via public transport), how long it takes to get there (admittedly, shouldn't come into play here), people working etc.

[Cowden til i die]

Linlithgow has pretty good transport links to be fair. We got the train there when playing Bo'Ness and then taxi'd it. Few nice pubs near the station as well.

[roverthemoon]

Ive added in the missing words for you and removed the additional "to" that wasn't required. I didn't want you looking stupid there.

Pass on my thanks to Ive. Much appreciated

[Broken Algorithms]

Linlithgow has pretty good transport links to be fair. We got the train there when playing Bo'Ness and then taxi'd it. Few nice pubs near the station as well.

Aye, it was more a point in general. The train from Kirkcaldy to Linlithgow on a return is probably about £12 or so (can't be bothered checking - probably incorrect). For a lot of people the cost itself is a bit of a nightmare.

Even still, I'm looking forward to it myself. I'm a bit bemused by the comments about our players possibly being unfamiliar with the closeness of the fans to the pitch. We've already played at Alloa this season and had fans behind the goals there. I'm sure the majority of our team will have had games at the likes of Glebe Park where it is very close.

[RoversMad]

as soon as the draw was made I was on google checking where the ground was, and what it was like), but people might just dismiss it as going to dank ground with a tinpot stand and a few rabid locals.

I thought we avoided East Fife?

[Leggy Blonde]

Fantastic draw for me and MC_Lachlan as we have family through that way. Got taken to a couple Linlithgow Rose games as a nipper. Should be a great day out!

[Skipper]

In terms of attendence, the novelty factor might add a hundred or so if lucky. However, for the most part fans don't head on away days as much. While it won't be as likely for people like us forum posters who are quite inquisitive (not sure about anybody else, but as soon as the draw was made I was on google checking where the ground was, and what it was like), but people might just dismiss it as going to dank ground with a tinpot stand and a few rabid locals.

Then you've got the usual problems of cost of travelling (especially if going via public transport), how long it takes to get there (admittedly, shouldn't come into play here), people working etc.

They will be in for a very nice surprise then. A neat wee ground with cracking views up to the Bathgate Hills if the match is shyte.

For the full experience you should get the train to Haymarket and change for Linlithgow. From our train station there is a great pub crawl to the ground starting at the Star & Garter and then Platform 3, both right next to the Station. Move to the Old Post Office, then The Four Marys and then cross the road for a superb pub lunch in the Auld Hole in the Wa.

The Footballer & Cricketers, Swan and Crown are next up and if your still standing the west end pubs; The Black Bitch, Lithgae Arms & West Port Hotel await.

All within 1 mile.

Enjoy !

Edited October 8, 2014 by Skipper

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

They will be in for a very nice surprise then. A neat wee ground with cracking views up to the Bathgate Hills if the match is shyte.

For the full experience you should get the train to Haymarket and change for Linlithgow. From our train station there is a great pub crawl to the ground starting at the Star & Garter and then Platform 3, both right next to the Station. Move to the Old Post Office, then The Four Marys and then cross the road for a superb pub lunch in the Auld Hole in the Wa.

The Footballer & Cricketers, Swan and Crown are next up and if your still standing the west end pubs; The Black Bitch, Lithgae Arms & West Port Hotel await.

All within 1 mile.

Enjoy !

http://auldholeinthewall.co.uk/

I dread to think what the Auld Hole Burger is like.

[Rovers1992/1993]

Dougie Hill likely to be back in the side for next Saturday's game away to Rangers.

Brilliant news but I wouldn't put him straight into the team with the way Ellis is playing at the minute likewise with Perry who is expected to be back for tomorrow nights game. Hopefully with Hill back for next week, this means we have seen the last of Perry. Hopefully.