Bring Your Own Socks Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 19 hours ago, TheScarf said: Yep, the pyramid is still finding it's way. Give it 2 or 3 seasons and the cream will rise to the top, as they say. There's clearly teams in the league below other teams who are far better from L2 down. Brechin City being the shining example. They're no where near good enough to be as high as tier 4. 2014/5 was the first playoff year and only twice has clubs been promoted from tier 5 since then. That ratio might have changed last season but we’ll never know. When Montrose and Brora contested the first playoff everyone in L2 was convinced Montrose would go. They won the fixture and have pushed on to compete well in tier 3. Wasn’t that long ago that full-time clubs in tiers 3 and 4 didn’t happen but now there’s about half. There’s maybe 3 at tier 5 who could have a sustained go in tier 4 and it’s still unclear who will be in the next wave. Of course, some who come up from the non-league status might return there quickly. As much as it chokes me to say it, the SPFL strategy of purging the weak seems to be improving the lower leagues. It’s surely just a matter of time though that the Lowland pyramid will start pressing for change with regard to promotions. There’s currently 128 teams playing in nine leagues over tiers 5-7 in the Lowland structure. The Highland league has 16 teams, one league, one tier. Yet both are offered just one team into the L2 playoff semi-final. Too much money being invested for clubs to sit back and tolerate that for long. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
an86 Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 Anyone able to give any insight as to what standard Dundonald Bluebell are? We're obviously massive favourites, but interested to hear where they are in comparison to the likes of bottom of League Two/Lowland etc. My vague knowledge of the former juniors doesn't really exist beyond the West! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 44 minutes ago, Bring Your Own Socks said: Wasn’t that long ago that full-time clubs in tiers 3 and 4 didn’t happen but now there’s about half. Lol wut The total is not even remotely 'half' and the only reason why two of the current full-time outfits are there is because they were too dogshit to stay in the second tier. There have been clubs like that in the third and fourth tiers throughout the last twenty years, including of course Greenock Morton. There's no overall trend towards greater full-time professionalisation (how part-time teams train/compete) is a different manner and if anything the pandemic is likely to push more clubs towards a hybrid model rather than sustaining an entirely full-time structure in the second tier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcastle broon Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 17 hours ago, Ginaro said: The player was only ineligible if his SCC suspension applied to the Glasgow Uni game in round 2 of the 2020-21 cup. The confusion comes from the fact that his suspension was earned in the quarter-final of the 2019-20 edition, so they might've thought he would be suspended for the (yet to be played) semi-final instead. Which is presumably why the SFA have cited "exceptional circumstances" and censured HOB rather than exclude them. They didn't hold back his suspension for the challenge cup though as that dropped off following the Glasgow Uni game. They didnt reinstate that specific suspension either,they reinstated his next 1st team match as that shouldn't have dropped off. Confusing stuff and a wee bit different from your observation but doesn't fit right and the SFA could've at least acknowledged ww here. Interesting how Haws kept right out of it as well. But aye time to move on because the club has been blatantly ignored here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Your Own Socks Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 1 hour ago, an86 said: Anyone able to give any insight as to what standard Dundonald Bluebell are? We're obviously massive favourites, but interested to hear where they are in comparison to the likes of bottom of League Two/Lowland etc. My vague knowledge of the former juniors doesn't really exist beyond the West! Tier 6 EoS Premier League, currently mid-table. Think Hurlford. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 3 hours ago, an86 said: Anyone able to give any insight as to what standard Dundonald Bluebell are? We're obviously massive favourites, but interested to hear where they are in comparison to the likes of bottom of League Two/Lowland etc. My vague knowledge of the former juniors doesn't really exist beyond the West! They'd be bottom-end SPFL2... lower-half LL... top-half WOSL... on current strength. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossBFaeDundee Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 This surely has to be a world first. Two brothers scoring from direct corners on the same day for two different teams in the same round of a competition. Just imagining the two brothers on the phone to each other, buzzing to tell each other about what they accomplished yesterday. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mon_The_Fife Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 Anyone able to give any insight as to what standard Dundonald Bluebell are? We're obviously massive favourites, but interested to hear where they are in comparison to the likes of bottom of League Two/Lowland etc. My vague knowledge of the former juniors doesn't really exist beyond the West! Had a wee look through their squad and see that there are 4 ex Fifers amongst them. Durie, Wedderburn, Mutch and Cargill. Of the 4 I would say that Cargill was probably the best, but that was a while ago and all 4 have dropped quite a considerable level since playing with us. I would think Q.P will be far too strong for Dundonald. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsforlife Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, Hedgecutter said: For affecionados of FB, Rose's 2nd goal (at 1:38) highlights the main reason behind Brechin's woes just now. https://www.facebook.com/115354435187388/posts/3718559591533503/ Edited December 27, 2020 by parsforlife 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberdeen Cowden Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 28 minutes ago, parsforlife said: That’s some keeper. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawfield shed boy Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 When is the draw for next round guys 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headthebaw Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 1 minute ago, shawfield shed boy said: When is the draw for next round guys tomorrow night @ 7:15 Live on Sky Of course it isn't. Live on FB, YT & Twitter 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawfield shed boy Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 tomorrow night @ 7:15 Live on Sky Of course it isn't. Live on FB, YT & TwitterThanks. We.ll get your team AGAIN no doubt. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lithgierose Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 41 minutes ago, headthebaw said: tomorrow night @ 7:15 Live on Sky Of course it isn't. Live on FB, YT & Twitter Sky channel? -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Patterson Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 9 minutes ago, lithgierose said: Sky channel? 115 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 16 hours ago, EdinburghBlue said: Were either of you at the Alamo? Prefer Avis tbh. 10 hours ago, Bring Your Own Socks said: 2014/5 was the first playoff year and only twice has clubs been promoted from tier 5 since then. That ratio might have changed last season but we’ll never know. When Montrose and Brora contested the first playoff everyone in L2 was convinced Montrose would go. They won the fixture and have pushed on to compete well in tier 3. Wasn’t that long ago that full-time clubs in tiers 3 and 4 didn’t happen but now there’s about half. There’s maybe 3 at tier 5 who could have a sustained go in tier 4 and it’s still unclear who will be in the next wave. Of course, some who come up from the non-league status might return there quickly. As much as it chokes me to say it, the SPFL strategy of purging the weak seems to be improving the lower leagues. It’s surely just a matter of time though that the Lowland pyramid will start pressing for change with regard to promotions. There’s currently 128 teams playing in nine leagues over tiers 5-7 in the Lowland structure. The Highland league has 16 teams, one league, one tier. Yet both are offered just one team into the L2 playoff semi-final. Too much money being invested for clubs to sit back and tolerate that for long. It's got to be noted that there hasn't been a single season yet in which a former Junior club has been in the play-off final, and only one season in which it could have been possible. There have been 5 play-offs, the L2 side has won three times and the challenger twice, one of the wins for the L2 side was on penalties and another was pretty odd. It's also telling that neither of the relegated SPFL sides have come close to challenging for promotion from the Lowland League, though East Stirling and doing well this season (still got humped 4-1 by Tranent, though). Having watched the game yesterday I have no doubt that Kelty and Bonnyrigg are considerably better than that Brechin team, and when clubs like Auchinleck Talbot are challenging there will surely be considerable movement out of the SPFL. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginaro Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 Bit of ill-discipline from LTHV with the second of two red cards. Despite the twitter comments, the ref got the first red correct as the GK tripped the attacker without attempting to play the ball. Fantastic save from the sub goalie - his first ever touch in senior football apparently. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Your Own Socks Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 9 hours ago, GordonS said: Prefer Avis tbh. It's got to be noted that there hasn't been a single season yet in which a former Junior club has been in the play-off final, and only one season in which it could have been possible. There have been 5 play-offs, the L2 side has won three times and the challenger twice, one of the wins for the L2 side was on penalties and another was pretty odd. It's also telling that neither of the relegated SPFL sides have come close to challenging for promotion from the Lowland League, though East Stirling and doing well this season (still got humped 4-1 by Tranent, though). Having watched the game yesterday I have no doubt that Kelty and Bonnyrigg are considerably better than that Brechin team, and when clubs like Auchinleck Talbot are challenging there will surely be considerable movement out of the SPFL. “Clubs like Auchinleck Talbot”. Who else is like them? It’s also fair to say that the assumptions being made that the inevitability is dependant on SFL2 teams not reacting to what’s happening. QP, Elgin and Stirling have all toughened up. Other than Brechin (who were in the Championship a few years ago), Albion Rovers and Cowdenbeath I’d say the rest will be hard to displace. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Brazil Forever Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 1 hour ago, Bring Your Own Socks said: “Clubs like Auchinleck Talbot”. Who else is like them? It’s also fair to say that the assumptions being made that the inevitability is dependant on SFL2 teams not reacting to what’s happening. QP, Elgin and Stirling have all toughened up. Other than Brechin (who were in the Championship a few years ago), Albion Rovers and Cowdenbeath I’d say the rest will be hard to displace. Also in the Championship a few years ago (along with Rangers, Hibs and Hearts). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthLanarkshireWhite Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 23 hours ago, an86 said: Anyone able to give any insight as to what standard Dundonald Bluebell are? We're obviously massive favourites, but interested to hear where they are in comparison to the likes of bottom of League Two/Lowland etc. My vague knowledge of the former juniors doesn't really exist beyond the West! Watched my kid play their under 20s there last year. The slope is one that provides a game of two halves especially if the wind is blowing hard. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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