Highland League - whole season could be at risk

mdingwall

mdingwall

Administrator
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The Highland League is one that should be mothballed for the season.

Tough enough for top flight clubs trying to get through a whole campaign with the current restrictions imposed.
 
To be honest, that could probably extend to SPFL League 1/2. Out of the 20 teams in those 2 leagues, how many will have a substantial fan base willing to buy virtual STs or pay for PPV streams of the matches
 
I don't see why fans at these games can't get in. I'd imagine were not talking large numbers anyway.
My daughter is a nurse up in that area, and to date NO covid deaths have been recorded.
 
brain said:
Is there really that much danger in having fans at these wee grounds? You’re hardly taking about all-seater arenas
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No there isnt. Being going to some games round here in the Northern Premier league. 350 max allowed but not policed. All the grounds have a little clubhouse and you can get a pint before during and after the games. Football is bloody awful but its actually OK mixing with the guys and a few beers.
 
I occasionally watch Highland league football. Crowds can be as good as the lower divisions regularly 6-700. I struggle to see how tgg hfs at many people outside in the Highlands pose any threat. Much less risk than pubs.

Football grounds in the Highland league are always well ventilated.
 
A few boys I know who play with teams in it are considering binning it for the season due to the rules in place and big reduction in money.

The new rules regarding travel and training are very strict for part time players and it’s more in their interests to play amateurs with their mates and look for a new team next season.
 
Yeah seems strange they can’t allow in small crowds. I guess if they all congregate in a small covered Terrance on wet day then there is a risk. We’re all thinking of the wide ground on a sunny day.
 
Craig McColl said:
Lower leagues from 1st division down would be better mothballing tbh.
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I heard from a very reliable ITK source yesterday that a number of clubs in Leagues 1 & 2 have informed the SPFL that they would like them to mothball their leagues.I am informed that the response they have received from within the SPFL was, "If you don't think that you can fulfil your fixtures, we'll find other clubs that can"! That is the caring organisation which is running our league football.
 
andrewmont1 said:
No there isnt. Being going to some games round here in the Northern Premier league. 350 max allowed but not policed. All the grounds have a little clubhouse and you can get a pint before during and after the games. Football is bloody awful but its actually OK mixing with the guys and a few beers.
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Yeah, I came down for 3 games over the August Bank Holiday and hoping to drive down for another couple games over the next few weeks.
Attendances could be capped in Scotland at non league at 200 and there would be next to no risk of covid spreading between supporters.

I think Scotland is the only country in Europe now where fans can’t even attend non league games, and people wonder why our game is so backward. The inept governing bodies are happy for fans to be locked out and our small clubs to be killed off.
 
That will be another season of no demotion of the deadwood in the top leagues and no promotion for more ambitious clubs
 
Northhiglander said:
I occasionally watch Highland league football. Crowds can be as good as the lower divisions regularly 6-700. I struggle to see how tgg hfs at many people outside in the Highlands pose any threat. Much less risk than pubs.

Football grounds in the Highland league are always well ventilated.
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Just a wee bit of ventilation from the North Sea
 
cammyranger said:
Yeah, I came down for 3 games over the August Bank Holiday and hoping to drive down for another couple games over the next few weeks.
Attendances could be capped in Scotland at non league at 200 and there would be next to no risk of covid spreading between supporters.

I think Scotland is the only country in Europe now where fans can’t even attend non league games, and people wonder why our game is so backward. The inept governing bodies are happy for fans to be locked out and our small clubs to be killed off.
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Maybe we should be looking for ways to keep safer rather than ways of pushing the boundaries of the guidelines.
 
andrewmont1 said:
No there isnt. Being going to some games round here in the Northern Premier league. 350 max allowed but not policed. All the grounds have a little clubhouse and you can get a pint before during and after the games. Football is bloody awful but its actually OK mixing with the guys and a few beers.
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The limit for the Northern Premier is 600. Fans need to Track and Trace with an App or manually. The seats in the stand are taped off to allow distancing and btw the football can be excellent.
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LOL> The 3 or 4 times I have been I have been pretty merry so may have missed some of the detail. When I say its not policed all we did was give name and phone number, correctly i may add. I didnt get the impression anyone was really counting. Listen, its a football match, its fresh air and its time with pals and a couple of beers. That will do for now.
 
andrewmont1 said:
LOL> The 3 or 4 times I have been I have been pretty merry so may have missed some of the detail. When I say its not policed all we did was give name and phone number, correctly i may add. I didnt get the impression anyone was really counting. Listen, its a football match, its fresh air and its time with pals and a couple of beers. That will do for now.
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Get yourself to Mickleover F.C. but watch the Reserves - the football is much better :)
 
It's daft. No support allowed at Whitby so we have switched our fixtures round. This means folk will drive to Buxton from Whitby in lockdown. We can get up to 600 in the ground but the league's above can't play at all. National League aka Conference is screwed. The whole thing is going to cause loads of clubs bother due to regional differences.
 
I really don't get why HL supporters and the lower leagues are not allowed supporters in. Crowds of 200 odd will be a piece of piss to socially distance. Most of them already do it on a matchday anyway.
 
Stokeloyal said:
They can still have fans for non league in England up to 600 I think ? Should be the same for the Highland league ?
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They do? I follow my hometown team and I’d say they were one of the best supported in the Highland League.

Maybe half a dozen times, maximum, they would get 600+ at a home game. With the correct measures in place, social distancing would not be difficult to achieve.

That being said, I can’t spectate my 10 year olds games, and you’d be lucky if there was 50 folk watching that.
 
Mr. T. said:
Maybe we should be looking for ways to keep safer rather than ways of pushing the boundaries of the guidelines.
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If it was about keeping safe then we wouldn’t be in pubs and we’d be in full lockdown until Spring - but it’s a trade off between public health and the economy.

You can let 200-300 people into most junior grounds without any social distancing issues, which in turn gets money through the tills of local boozers and snack bars. Especially when local businesses are struggling more than anyone right now, these clubs are at the heart of the community and limited crowds may help the local economy. But our government is too incompetent to realise that.
 
dorian blue said:
Of course there are fans in attendance, better than a lot of lower league SPFL crowds in many cases. Your response is a ridiculous, naive, ill-informed, ignorant comment.
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Sorry if I touched a nerve but let’s not pretend it’s well followed.
 
When not at our ganes i usually watch fraserburgh or lately devronvale as cousin plays for them.the majority of highland league clubs money come form the hospitality side of things without this they simply cant operate.
 
Aww Skew said:
To be honest, that could probably extend to SPFL League 1/2. Out of the 20 teams in those 2 leagues, how many will have a substantial fan base willing to buy virtual STs or pay for PPV streams of the matches
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Not enough to justify a bloke streaming it on his phone never mind a proper broadcast unit, I'd guess
 
bar72bear said:
You’ve got to wonder why they would bother. Guys with other jobs and responsibilities potentially injuring themselves just fulfill fixtures.
Football is about fans, without it it’s rubbish
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For the love of the game i suppose. Oh, and there is some good dough in that league!
 
Stoorie said:
Some people like you can’t understand what’s beyond their bus route.
Cove Rangers, Elgin City, Peterhead, Ross County, ICT, all ex highland league. These clubs would not be where they are without loyal fans, So to say there is not a good following of football up north is nonsense!
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Had a wee chuckle to myself at the mention of Cove, who are no more than a tinpot club that have been bank rolled and given preferential treatment since they entered the Highland League.

100% correct apart from that!
 
Stoorie said:
Ah, that’s ok then. They should just batter on ‘till some of them start dying.
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He is right. Why should remote areas who have much less cases be subject to the same restrictions as those areas with high rates?
 
Jaki Suds said:
Brora who were awarded the league title, only get 30/40 at home games, surely they could social
distance around Dudgeon Park
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Surely they get more than that ?? When they were shite 40 was a good crowd , but they were up to 300 when they first won the league a few years ago
 
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