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If we assume they could use the ground, and it will be cheaper to rent than ochilview, then I have a few questions.

If grangemouth is LL suitable but not spfl suitable then can shire reasonably install/upgrade floodlights to meet spfl standards?

If not then whats the plan to be spfl ready should promotion be achieved? Go back to stenny ? Is potentially flip-floping between grounds every few years based on league acceptable?

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It has floodlights, but I don't know if they're compliant or not... due to Junior rules preventing matches by artificial light, I can't ever recall Falkirk Juniors playing a midweek game under them. They do not look particularly powerful in these shots, certainly:

 

http://nonleaguescotland.org.uk/falkirk.htm

 

 

Floodlights aren't currently required in LL.

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If we assume they could use the ground, and it will be cheaper to rent than ochilview, then I have a few questions.

If grangemouth is LL suitable but not spfl suitable then can shire reasonably install/upgrade floodlights to meet spfl standards?

If not then whats the plan to be spfl ready should promotion be achieved? Go back to stenny ? Is potentially flip-floping between grounds every few years based on league acceptable?

Had a quick glance at Falkirk Council website re stadium, the football pitch is floodlight and their is a Stand capable of holding 1,500 people more than at present at Ochilview. Would expect it to be of SPFL standard as they have held international athletics meeting their in the past. Clearly if the Shire began using it for Lowland League games I would expect them to have to accommodate the Athletics especially during the summer months but no real problems. Expect if the worst happened to the Shire move to Grangemouth and probably stay their, can't see them going back to Ochilview unless the Stadium is not up to SPFL standards which I doubt considering some of the dumps out their like Alloa, Cowdenbeath and even Ochilview imo.

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Perhaps also worth touching base again with the proposals to reorganise the Highland League - which elicited some comment a few weeks and pages ago.

 

You'll recall plans were being mooted to replace the current 18-team HL with 2 divisions of 10 - although 10 & 9 was mooted - playing each other three times for 27 league games. Possibly with some rejigging of their League Cup and/or reintroduction of a North Challenge Cup at the end of the season.

 

Anyway the Northern Scot newspaper apparently reports today a revived version of the "Stables Plan" is now upon the table... It involves 2 divisions of 10 as well, but arranged as follows:

 

http://fitbanorth.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5881&p=590513#p590498

http://fitbanorth.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5881&p=590513#p590508

 

* clubs only play each other twice for 18 league games

* HL would begin on September 17th and end on February 25th

* Title Playoffs ahead of Pyramid Playoffs

* sectional League Cup at the start of the season, and either sectional or knockout (unclear) North Challenge Cup at the end of the season

 

 

 

EDIT: It appears to tally with something Buckie put out a fortnight ago:

 

http://fitbanorth.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5881&start=380#p588666

 


IF the split happens, then teams will play each other twice, home and away. There will also be the playoff for the championship between the top 4 teams, an additional 6 games OR there will be the playoffs for promotion/relegation.
* In addition, the League Cup will initially be in a group format of 6 games followed by up to 3 additional gamed if you qualify for the quarter/semi/final.
* There will also be the introduction of a Challenge Cup at the end of the season.

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Perhaps also worth touching base again with the proposals to reorganise the Highland League - which elicited some comment a few weeks and pages ago.

You'll recall plans were being mooted to replace the current 18-team HL with 2 divisions of 10 - although 10 & 9 was mooted - playing each other three times for 27 league games. Possibly with some rejigging of their League Cup and/or reintroduction of a North Challenge Cup at the end of the season.

Anyway the Northern Scot newspaper apparently reports today a revived version of the "Stables Plan" is now upon the table... It involves 2 divisions of 10 as well, but arranged as follows:

http://fitbanorth.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5881&p=590513#p590498

http://fitbanorth.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5881&p=590513#p590508

* clubs only play each other twice for 18 league games

* HL would begin on September 17th and end on February 25th

* Title Playoffs ahead of Pyramid Playoffs

* sectional League Cup at the start of the season, and either sectional or knockout (unclear) North Challenge Cup at the end of the season

That's a horrible horrible proposal.

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It raises another question(im full of them today) given spfl clubs would find it intolerable to play in such a system, in the pyramid system as a whole what influence t

Do leagues above and below any particular level have over its structure?

Presuming that isn't alot what checks are in place to ensure a league runs in a fashion that others in the pyramid would be satisfied with?

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It raises another question(im full of them today) given spfl clubs would find it intolerable to play in such a system, in the pyramid system as a whole what influence

Do leagues above and below any particular level have over its structure?

Presuming that isn't alot what checks are in place to ensure a league runs in a fashion that others in the pyramid would be satisfied with?

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If it's cheaper and meets spfl standards (for the bottoms two tiers at least, doubt shire have any real concerns about meeting championship standards) currently, then why not move at the end of season regardless of league.

I would have thought that would be the solution to Shires problem not having a ground to call home, rather than lodge at Ochilview with Stenny. Also a wee bit closer to Shires former home at Firs Park might encourage more of their supporters to watch them their than go to Ochilview. Ball is clearly in the Shires court its up to them to decide if they want to move their or not.

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Anyway the Northern Scot newspaper apparently reports today a revived version of the "Stables Plan" is now upon the table... It involves 2 divisions of 10 as well, but arranged as follows:

 

* clubs only play each other twice for 18 league games

* HL would begin on September 17th and end on February 25th

* Title Playoffs ahead of Pyramid Playoffs

* sectional League Cup at the start of the season, and either sectional or knockout (unclear) North Challenge Cup at the end of the season

 

It raises another question(im full of them today) given spfl clubs would find it intolerable to play in such a system, in the pyramid system as a whole what influence tDo leagues above and below any particular level have over its structure?

Presuming that isn't alot what checks are in place to ensure a league runs in a fashion that others in the pyramid would be satisfied with?

 

 

Who knows. It's an interesting question, certainly.

 

Obviously at the moment relegation from SPFL2 to HL would involve losing 1 home game (17 instead of 18); relegation to LL would involve losing 3 home games (15 instead of 18) but with the compensation of extra cup ties.

 

This alternative HL model would involve losing 9 home games (9 instead of 18), infact it would exactly halve it. Though there would be all these cup ties and potentially title playoffs to partly make-up for it.

 

 

Strange to think a relegated SPFL2 club could lose every knockout tie they played, but still play more cup-ties than league games, e.g.:

 

4 SPFL League Cup sectional ties

6 HL League Cup sectional ties + QF

1 Scottish Cup tie

1 Aberdeenshire/North of Scotland Cup tie

1 Aberdeenshire Shield tie (if entered)

6 North of Scotland Cup sectional ties + QF

= 20-21

 

Highland League

= 18

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2x10 leagues good (given how vast the gulf in quality evidently is) - 18 league games would be an unmitigated disaster though. There's surely no chance a national team dropping down could quickly adjust to that change - I doubt that their fans would view regional divisional cups as anything other than joke tournaments for several years.

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Annan 1-0 Berwick

East Stirlingshire 2-4 Clyde

Elgin 1-1 Montrose

Queen's Park 2-1 Arbroath

 

Brora 1-1 Inverurie

Cove 5-0 Fort William

Turriff 2-3 Formartine

 

Gretna 0-3 Edinburgh City

Threave 0-6 Stirling Uni

 

 

Edinburgh City could win LL next Saturday if they win, Spartans lose and Stirling take fewer than 3pts from a double-header v BSCG this Wednesday & Saturday.

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I would have thought that would be the solution to Shires problem not having a ground to call home, rather than lodge at Ochilview with Stenny. Also a wee bit closer to Shires former home at Firs Park might encourage more of their supporters to watch them their than go to Ochilview. Ball is clearly in the Shires court its up to them to decide if they want to move their or not.

I seem to recall Shire had a good look at this venue some years ago but didn't pursue it or the Cooncil maybe made life hard for them. I know quite a few councillors and each and every one of them is a Falkirk supporter. Falkirk Council are a main contributor in the company that operates Falkirk Stadium, which sits within the Grangemouth town boundary.

It's further away from their roots than Stenhousemuir, both in miles and culture. Can't imagine many Portonians attaching themselves to a Fawkirk team. Although it's quite literally across the road from the Little Kerse estate where the 'new' stadium plans still sit waiting on finance. That venture too was not in the name of The Shire; tenancy again.

As a football venue it's soulless. Very open and windy and with a constant noise from the refinery across the road plus the distance between pitch and stand is ridiculous. When your on the pitch on the far side you won't hear what your coach is shouting at you. Maybe not all bad then;)

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