Lowland League General Discussion

[Burnieman]

8 hours ago, Grandmas Enigma said:

I originally posted because I can't be bothered with a forum about football not talking about football. And in true fashion you have done just that.

Some of you might not like what I've said. Which is absolutely fine. But I wish those of you that have responded with excuses and those who appear to have not understood the sentiment behind my post would discuss the actual football with the same fervour. Many of you appear to be passionate about the game albeit more interested in the most boring parts (judging by your posts).

Im sure I'm not the only one on these forums who would love good old football chat with people who love football.

 

There probably isn't a football forum anywhere where chat about what goes on on the pitch is kept separate from everything else, how can it?  but then I think you probably know that.

[GordonS]

16 hours ago, Grandmas Enigma said:

It doesn't need to be all on pitch chat. But more than the little there is now would be nice. 50/50?

In a general thread about the league that would be oddly high IMO. Like I said, discussion about on-the-pitch matters is generally found in the club threads.

Quote

Who are the financially doped clubs? Ek and?

Caledonian Braves, with their weirdo online Americans. Fair play to them for tapping a market of eejits I suppose, but they don't appear to care if anyone ever comes and sees them in person. 

[Weird Fishes]

 

14 minutes ago, GordonS said:

they don't appear to care if anyone ever comes and sees them in person. 

I found myself at a loose end a few Tuesdays back, so decided to go to Bothwellhaugh to watch the game against Broxburn - see if it was as bad people make out.

I walked in for free as there was literally nobody there asking for money for tickets. I felt pretty bad about that, so tried to buy something from the Pie Stall to at least put something in. There was no Pie Stall.

An absurd football club. 

[Shannon]

11 minutes ago, Weird Fishes said:

 

I found myself at a loose end a few Tuesdays back, so decided to go to Bothwellhaugh to watch the game against Broxburn - see if it was as bad people make out.

I walked in for free as there was literally nobody there asking for money for tickets. I felt pretty bad about that, so tried to buy something from the Pie Stall to at least put something in. There was no Pie Stall.

An absurd football club. 

I know how hard my club plus other new licensed clubs in West has had to work and very much struggled to achieve entry licensing requirements every year plus provide a good quality experience for fans while a few licensed teams in Lowland League and Fort William seems to get away with not doing basics like providing hot food, easily accessible toilet facilities and someone taking gate money etc. It doesn't sit right at all while some non licensed clubs like Troon, Largs and Beith will offer you a far better supporter experience than at Caledonian Braves but they can't be promoted as dont have a license.

Edited Tuesday at 10:28 by Shannon

[lithgierose]

30 minutes ago, Weird Fishes said:

 

I found myself at a loose end a few Tuesdays back, so decided to go to Bothwellhaugh to watch the game against Broxburn - see if it was as bad people make out.

I walked in for free as there was literally nobody there asking for money for tickets. I felt pretty bad about that, so tried to buy something from the Pie Stall to at least put something in. There was no Pie Stall.

An absurd football club. 

Did you look outside for snack bar. It was when I've been.

[Chris_the_rover]

7 hours ago, Weird Fishes said:

 

I found myself at a loose end a few Tuesdays back, so decided to go to Bothwellhaugh to watch the game against Broxburn - see if it was as bad people make out.

I walked in for free as there was literally nobody there asking for money for tickets. I felt pretty bad about that, so tried to buy something from the Pie Stall to at least put something in. There was no Pie Stall.

An absurd football club. 

When Rovers played them last season we travelled down in relatively big numbers (5 miles between the 2 grounds door to door) probably a few hundred

They had 8 pies on and for drinks we were pointed towards a vending machine

At least half the crowd never paid in as the side gate was opened

Edited Tuesday at 17:58 by Chris_the_rover

[bigwullieac]

With how widespread the stories are of the Braves being an utter sham of a club, surely another club has to raise this stuff at the next AGM, its totally unacceptable for a club at as high as level as the LL to be able to walk in for free and not have proper catering. Beyond that its frankly insane like others have said that the cage they play in could make it to entry level, never mind bronze, for licensing. Them and Broomhill need to go the way of the dodo and fast. As much as I have gripes with the financial doping that EK partake in, they at least have a somewhat proper ground and a decent enough fan base that actually turns up to games.

[Cowdenleith]

19 minutes ago, bigwullieac said:

With how widespread the stories are of the Braves being an utter sham of a club, surely another club has to raise this stuff at the next AGM, its totally unacceptable for a club at as high as level as the LL to be able to walk in for free and not have proper catering. Beyond that its frankly insane like others have said that the cage they play in could make it to entry level, never mind bronze, for licensing. Them and Broomhill need to go the way of the dodo and fast. As much as I have gripes with the financial doping that EK partake in, they at least have a somewhat proper ground and a decent enough fan base that actually turns up to games.

If my memory serves me right I’m sure a couple of seasons ago Braves were actually charging nothing to get in, am I remembering right?

A sort of ‘pay what you feel like’ situation, not sure if it was just a one season thing or not.

[cowdenbeath]

4 minutes ago, Cowdenleith said:

If my memory serves me right I’m sure a couple of seasons ago Braves were actually charging nothing to get in, am I remembering right?

A sort of ‘pay what you feel like’ situation, not sure if it was just a one season thing or not.

They did let people in free before the league brought in a minimum charge.

[Nicholas Rage]

As much as they're a sham club, I must admit I've a fair bit of respect for Chris Ewing and his Caley Braves cronies, if I could scam £1.5 million off a bunch of daft Americans to play real life football manager I'd do the same! 

[Weird Fishes]

32 minutes ago, Nicholas Rage said:

As much as they're a sham club, I must admit I've a fair bit of respect for Chris Ewing and his Caley Braves cronies, if I could scam £1.5 million off a bunch of daft Americans to play real life football manager I'd do the same! 

Oh I totally agree. I’d like to point out I’m not slating them - I actually have a lot of time for their innovation. 
 

However, you have to wonder who the club is really for and what community they serve. When you look at the clubs who are being prevented from promotion (Beith, for example) and see clubs like Braves and Broomhill there instead, it just seems pointless. 

[parsforlife]

11 hours ago, Weird Fishes said:

 

I found myself at a loose end a few Tuesdays back, so decided to go to Bothwellhaugh to watch the game against Broxburn - see if it was as bad people make out.

I walked in for free as there was literally nobody there asking for money for tickets. I felt pretty bad about that, so tried to buy something from the Pie Stall to at least put something in. There was no Pie Stall.

An absurd football club. 

 

3 hours ago, Chris_the_rover said:

When Rovers played them last season we travelled down in relatively big numbers (5 miles between the 2 grounds door to door) probably a few hundred

They had 8 pies on and for drinks we were pointed towards a vending machine

At least half the crowd never paid in as the side gate was opened

sounds like they aren't meeting the terms of licensing.  Guess they are telling the committee one thing and doing another of match day.

[jimbaxters]

3 hours ago, Weird Fishes said:

Oh I totally agree. I’d like to point out I’m not slating them - I actually have a lot of time for their innovation. 
 

However, you have to wonder who the club is really for and what community they serve. When you look at the clubs who are being prevented from promotion (Beith, for example) and see clubs like Braves and Broomhill there instead, it just seems pointless. 

The standard retort for your second paragraph is that the Juniors were too slow in jumping across and so will have to play the long game. At least the LL has become more of an attractive proposition now with ex league clubs and the ex top East Junior clubs there. Hopefully clubs like Braves will be swept away by the new LL entrants.

[Grandmas Enigma]

21 hours ago, GordonS said:

In a general thread about the league that would be oddly high IMO. Like I said, discussion about on-the-pitch matters is generally found in the club threads.

Caledonian Braves, with their weirdo online Americans. Fair play to them for tapping a market of eejits I suppose, but they don't appear to care if anyone ever comes and sees them in person. 

Not sure financial doping is a fair way to describe it. Doping suggests a lack of fair play. Ek have owners with big money willing to spend (ekok has explained this better somewhere else). They have always spent lots of money. It's maybe more visible now with the added self-promotion of the seemingly disliked Kennedy and Ferry? But they have spent money since they joined the league. A few years ago they had Billy Stark managing. They also had Ian Durant involved (not at the same time)!They have signed plenty former Sfl players over the years and probably pay wages to match. 

I've seen all the stuff online about the braves and their fantasy money like everyone else. It is very unusual compared to the traditional ways of running a club. I'm not sure I really understand it. But like ek and the former sfl clubs I think they add to the variety in the league.  

I watched braves Vs Broomhill a few months ago at Strathclyde park. It was quite laid back around the place. Can't remember if there was any food on offer. I'd had my tea anyway so wasn't bothered. 

Speaking to a few locals at the time the team hadn't changed much from last season. No big money players from the Sfl, just a few lowland players in. They do have experienced coaches though. Apparently the global community money wasn't available for unexplained reasons.

On the pitch appeared to confirm this. braves were solid, comfortable defensively but unspectacular, scored the winner late on. Broomhill were very energetic, direct and aggressive. They worked hard to press and get forward at every opportunity. I thought they were the better team, definitely didn't look like relegation candidates. But they did lack a cutting edge on the night and braves were ruthless with one of their few chances.

Both clubs get a lot of flak on this forum for a variety of reasons that in my opinion don't matter (see original post) and some of it might not even be true. The pitch and surroundings were average at best but you can stand or sit close to the action. Which I prefer to being miles away from the side like at Cowdenbeath for example. Ultimately both teams looked well organised, with committed players and coaches providing a decent game to watch.

[JCScouting]

11 hours ago, Nicholas Rage said:

As much as they're a sham club, I must admit I've a fair bit of respect for Chris Ewing and his Caley Braves cronies, if I could scam £1.5 million off a bunch of daft Americans to play real life football manager I'd do the same! 

Been posted elsewhere but this video explains they aren't actually buying shares in the club just a SPV . Also don't know where the 10 million club valuation has come from. Fair play to them though I'm sure every club in the Lowland would love to have over 1 million raised to fund their clubs.

[An Absolute Imposter]

I think it is wrong and unfaircro compared Braves and Broomhill.

Origins of the two are different, been discussed many times on here.

Both began as nomadic entities, fliting about somewhat. That is where the similarities end.

Braves are now based at Bothwellhaugh and have a permanent ground, with limited facilities, whether it is suitable for Tier 5 and above is obviously debatable.(A very short debate granted).

Broomhill since leaving the Indodrilll spent a season at Broadwood and now have a 5 year lease down at the Rock, and are showing no sign of ever 'returning' to their supposed home in North Glasgow, or establishing roots anywhere.

Yes to a lot of folk Braves are a sham/joke club with no history or soul. I personally don't mind them, apart from that God awful Hollywood name, which now makes sense with the pseudo American Scots investing/fleeced.

Broomhill are a Franchise Club. Go where the money is.

It's funny to think that Broomhill were instrumental in getting the Junior clubs on board for the pyramid. Not panned out the way Uncle George and his cohorts envisioned perhaps.

Football clubs come and go, been like that since the beginning, can't imagine that changing. Both might end up as pages in a history book.

Time Will Tell. (TM).

 

 

[GordonS]

1 hour ago, JCScouting said:

Been posted elsewhere but this video explains they aren't actually buying shares in the club just a SPV . Also don't know where the 10 million club valuation has come from. Fair play to them though I'm sure every club in the Lowland would love to have over 1 million raised to fund their clubs.

Parting halfwit Americans and their money is a longstanding and noble Scottish business model. If he wasn't selling them a whip-round as an "investment" he'd be selling them souvenir land plots, fake Lairdships and fresh air in a can.

[Cowdenleith]

27 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Parting halfwit Americans and their money is a longstanding and noble Scottish business model. If he wasn't selling them a whip-round as an "investment" he'd be selling them souvenir land plots, fake Lairdships and fresh air in a can.

I’ve seen a couple of bits on their social media in recent months of overseas ‘investors’ coming over to watch a game and have a look at the set up. I really hope their expectations were low.

[PELE]

1 hour ago, Cowdenleith said:

I’ve seen a couple of bits on their social media in recent months of overseas ‘investors’ coming over to watch a game and have a look at the set up. I really hope their expectations were low.

They probably hired a hospitality lounge at Celtic Park and branded it with Braves paraphernalia whilst getting the "investors" inebriated on whisky so they actually believed they were watching the Braves.

Apparently they have raised just short of 2 Million dollars now.

Edited Wednesday at 10:29 by PELE

[Skipper]

10 hours ago, jimbaxters said:

The standard retort for your second paragraph is that the Juniors were too slow in jumping across and so will have to play the long game. At least the LL has become more of an attractive proposition now with ex league clubs and the ex top East Junior clubs there. Hopefully clubs like Braves will be swept away by the new LL entrants.

Looking more like they will be promoted to SPFL.