2023–24 Highland League Chat

[craigkillie]

5 hours ago, welshbairn said:

I'm thinking more about missing out on a few sunny days and evenings of football after a long winter than the logistics of getting the pyramid up and running. I'd rather club 42 paid the price of inconvenience rather than every club in tiers 5 and 6 though.

If it was about sunny days and evenings of football, the Highland League could consider kicking off their season a week or two earlier, and using more midweeks in August and September rather than scheduling their cup competitions at that stage of the season. Prioritise the league to begin with and play the cups in the latter part of the season.

The Lowland League, for all its many faults, are well past the halfway mark in their season, with the majority of clubs have played 20 or more games. They've played 36 games more in total, which works out as 4 full extra matchdays.

[theoriginalhedge]

9 hours ago, craigkillie said:

If it was about sunny days and evenings of football, the Highland League could consider kicking off their season a week or two earlier, and using more midweeks in August and September rather than scheduling their cup competitions at that stage of the season. Prioritise the league to begin with and play the cups in the latter part of the season.

The Lowland League, for all its many faults, are well past the halfway mark in their season, with the majority of clubs have played 20 or more games. They've played 36 games more in total, which works out as 4 full extra matchdays.

That is a very sensible suggestion. However the HL seem to value their cup competitions more than the league so that would be very difficult to convince them. 

Edited December 31, 2023 by theoriginalhedge

[welshbairn]

10 hours ago, craigkillie said:

If it was about sunny days and evenings of football, the Highland League could consider kicking off their season a week or two earlier, and using more midweeks in August and September rather than scheduling their cup competitions at that stage of the season. Prioritise the league to begin with and play the cups in the latter part of the season.

The Lowland League, for all its many faults, are well past the halfway mark in their season, with the majority of clubs have played 20 or more games. They've played 36 games more in total, which works out as 4 full extra matchdays.

I agree about holding our League Cup at the end of the season as the Lowland League do, and making more use of early season midweek slots, but having our final league games scheduled for April 13th is still ridiculously early, within the Easter school holidays. The Lowland League have fewer postponements due to milder weather of course, probably aided by their preponderance of plastic pitches. Starting the league earlier would likely clash with the SPFL League Cup group stage for one or two of the play off contenders, which would negate its purpose.

Edited December 31, 2023 by welshbairn

[Dav nan Gael]

11 hours ago, virginton said:

Objective facts apply to the Highland League as much as any other level of Scottish football. Thanks for playing anyway. 

Difference being I support a Highland League side in Deveronvale,you do not,plus regularly travel north to watch HL fitba as a neutral, basically as far as HL fitba is concerned I put my money where my mouth is,unlike yourself sunshine.........

[vikingTON]

43 minutes ago, Dav nan Gael said:

Difference being I support a Highland League side in Deveronvale,you do not,plus regularly travel north to watch HL fitba as a neutral, basically as far as HL fitba is concerned I put my money where my mouth is,unlike yourself sunshine.........

What difference does any of that birthday caird pish make to the objective facts about fixture scheduling set out above?

Be extremely specific. 

[craigkillie]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

I agree about holding our League Cup at the end of the season as the Lowland League do, and making more use of early season midweek slots, but having our final league games scheduled for April 13th is still ridiculously early, within the Easter school holidays. The Lowland League have fewer postponements due to milder weather of course, probably aided by their preponderance of plastic pitches. Starting the league earlier would likely clash with the SPFL League Cup group stage for one or two of the play off contenders, which would negate its purpose.

One team potentially having to play "catch-up" a bit is better than the whole league having to. Apart from anything, it's easier to prioritise rescheduling games for one single club rather than having to balance out six or seven teams who are maybe a bit behind.

[Dav nan Gael]

14 minutes ago, virginton said:

What difference does any of that birthday caird pish make to the objective facts about fixture scheduling set out above?

Be extremely specific. 

"Diddy cups" .............?? 

 

[HibeeJibee]

On 31/12/2023 at 00:57, craigkillie said:

If it was about sunny days and evenings of football, the Highland League could consider kicking off their season a week or two earlier, and using more midweeks in August and September rather than scheduling their cup competitions at that stage of the season. Prioritise the league to begin with and play the cups in the latter part of the season.

The Lowland League, for all its many faults, are well past the halfway mark in their season, with the majority of clubs have played 20 or more games. They've played 36 games more in total, which works out as 4 full extra matchdays.

Not much use was actually made of those months... only opening 2 rounds of North of Scotland Cup (for westerly clubs) were played midweek in August-September; closing 2 rounds plus all of Aberdeenshire Shield (for easterly clubs) were played from October onwards. Aberdeenshire Cup starts January with Final on April 20th (hence HL ending April 13th).

Buckie and Brora have both only actually played 2 midweek league games all season.

Buckie - assuming lose in Scottish Cup R4 - have upto 23-26 games to fulfil by April 20th... 21 league + 1 Scottish Cup + 1-4 Aberdeenshire Cup. If they started playing midweeks at end of January they have 16x Sat + 13x Wed left = 29 dates, less any postponements.

Brora have 24 games: 22 league + 1 Scottish Cup (H v Cove) + League Cup Final. Brechin are better off with solely 19 league games.

Edited January 9 by HibeeJibee

[GNU_Linux]

[TheScarf]

I was at Clach v Turriff on Saturday.  The epitome of the phrase 'a game of two halves'.  When Clach got the opener within 10 minutes I thought 'Oh hello, is Gethins doing something here?' But no, the second half was very much like the Clach we know and love under their previous couple of managers.  A lack of experience is really telling now, losing Warren, Lawrie and even Martin Callum, who is still on the bench for them granted.  The average age of the Clach squad must be about 15 these days.

On another note, Brora and Buckie need to be getting 'hauled up' in front of the Highland League 'beaks' to explain why they're going to have to start playing their home games at other teams grounds or playing the rest of their league games away from home like Fort had to in 21/22. 12 and 13 league games played by January is laughable.  I know the Highland League have a raging hard on for the league cup and the 2 regional cups but fuck me, sort the scheduling out.  Why isn't it Saturday/Wednesday for league games before the clocks go back?  The SPFL play offs are ridiculously early, they know this.  Get the league games played for fuck sake.

[kevsmart]

4 hours ago, TheScarf said:

I was at Clach v Turriff on Saturday.  The epitome of the phrase 'a game of two halves'.  When Clach got the opener within 10 minutes I thought 'Oh hello, is Gethins doing something here?' But no, the second half was very much like the Clach we know and love under their previous couple of managers.  A lack of experience is really telling now, losing Warren, Lawrie and even Martin Callum, who is still on the bench for them granted.  The average age of the Clach squad must be about 15 these days.

On another note, Brora and Buckie need to be getting 'hauled up' in front of the Highland League 'beaks' to explain why they're going to have to start playing their home games at other teams grounds or playing the rest of their league games away from home like Fort had to in 21/22. 12 and 13 league games played by January is laughable.  I know the Highland League have a raging hard on for the league cup and the 2 regional cups but f**k me, sort the scheduling out.  Why isn't it Saturday/Wednesday for league games before the clocks go back?  The SPFL play offs are ridiculously early, they know this.  Get the league games played for f**k sake.

Just had a look at the Highland league Fixtures page and there is hard;y any league games being played midweek because of the different cup competitions, they should be made to play Saturday, Monday, Wednesday to get the games played

[Matty-RCFC]

9 hours ago, TheScarf said:

I was at Clach v Turriff on Saturday.  The epitome of the phrase 'a game of two halves'.  When Clach got the opener within 10 minutes I thought 'Oh hello, is Gethins doing something here?' But no, the second half was very much like the Clach we know and love under their previous couple of managers.  A lack of experience is really telling now, losing Warren, Lawrie and even Martin Callum, who is still on the bench for them granted.  The average age of the Clach squad must be about 15 these days.

On another note, Brora and Buckie need to be getting 'hauled up' in front of the Highland League 'beaks' to explain why they're going to have to start playing their home games at other teams grounds or playing the rest of their league games away from home like Fort had to in 21/22. 12 and 13 league games played by January is laughable.  I know the Highland League have a raging hard on for the league cup and the 2 regional cups but f**k me, sort the scheduling out.  Why isn't it Saturday/Wednesday for league games before the clocks go back?  The SPFL play offs are ridiculously early, they know this.  Get the league games played for f**k sake.

Gethins comments after Saturday were absolutely scathing. Suggesting his players were a soft touch and that he “thought they were passed that stage”. I haven’t managed to get to a game since he’s taken over and assumed they’d turned a corner, but I think he’ll go on the warpath for loans now. 
 

I was at Nairn v Brechin on Saturday. A game in which Nairn definitely deserved something. The Brechin fans were extremely entitled for a team that once finished a campaign with 4 points and I have to admit I was willing Nairn on for the equaliser to bend it up the Brechin fans that had travelled, but to no avail. 

[Edzellcityfan]

7 minutes ago, Matty-RCFC said:

I was at Nairn v Brechin on Saturday. A game in which Nairn definitely deserved something. The Brechin fans were extremely entitled for a team that once finished a campaign with 4 points and I have to admit I was willing Nairn on for the equaliser to bend it up the Brechin fans that had travelled, but to no avail. 

Mega LOLs!!

[Matty-RCFC]

17 minutes ago, Edzellcityfan said:

Mega LOLs!!

Haha, my comment was a bit tongue in cheek. Though there was this father and son combination that were absolutely doing my tits in and I would’ve loved to have seen their faces had Nairn equalised.
 

As @TheScarf mentioned above, Buckie and Brora’s pitch situation is going to create a backlog of fixtures to the point where they may as well just give your lot the title now. 

[kevsmart]

10 hours ago, TheScarf said:

I was at Clach v Turriff on Saturday.  The epitome of the phrase 'a game of two halves'.  When Clach got the opener within 10 minutes I thought 'Oh hello, is Gethins doing something here?' But no, the second half was very much like the Clach we know and love under their previous couple of managers.  A lack of experience is really telling now, losing Warren, Lawrie and even Martin Callum, who is still on the bench for them granted.  The average age of the Clach squad must be about 15 these days.

On another note, Brora and Buckie need to be getting 'hauled up' in front of the Highland League 'beaks' to explain why they're going to have to start playing their home games at other teams grounds or playing the rest of their league games away from home like Fort had to in 21/22. 12 and 13 league games played by January is laughable.  I know the Highland League have a raging hard on for the league cup and the 2 regional cups but f**k me, sort the scheduling out.  Why isn't it Saturday/Wednesday for league games before the clocks go back?  The SPFL play offs are ridiculously early, they know this.  Get the league games played for f**k sake.

Why are they going to have to start playing their home games at other teams grounds or away? Have I missed something?

[Edzellcityfan]

7 minutes ago, Matty-RCFC said:

Haha, my comment was a bit tongue in cheek. Though there was this father and son combination that were absolutely doing my tits in and I would’ve loved to have seen their faces had Nairn equalised.

I think I actually might know who you mean . 
 

I really enjoy Nairn away day. 2 years in a row I’ve had a good day, even though the result last season wasn’t the greatest. 

[Matty-RCFC]

2 minutes ago, Edzellcityfan said:

I think I actually might know who you mean . 
 

I really enjoy Nairn away day. 2 years in a row I’ve had a good day, even though the result last season wasn’t the greatest. 

Best ground in the Highland League for matchday experience, IMO. Pitch is always immaculate. Pie in a roll is exceptional. What’s not to like!

[TheScarf]

23 minutes ago, kevsmart said:

Why are they going to have to start playing their home games at other teams grounds or away? Have I missed something?

2 seasons ago Fort William’s pitch was deemed unplayable due to the lack of drainage and they had to play all their games away from home. Brora’s pitch is fucked for the same reason, so if they can’t get if sorted, the same rule/decision should apply. 

[theoriginalhedge]

49 minutes ago, Matty-RCFC said:

Best ground in the Highland League for matchday experience, IMO. Pitch is always immaculate. Pie in a roll is exceptional. What’s not to like!

I am guessing you've never been to Brechin. 

The soup is legendary.

[Matty-RCFC]

6 minutes ago, theoriginalhedge said:

I am guessing you've never been to Brechin. 

The soup is legendary.

I have not been to Brechin since they have become an HL club, so therefore they have not come into my thinking. My last visit was a 3-3 draw the season we won the Second Division. Those were the days.