Highland League - whole season could be at risk
- Thread starter mdingwall
- Start date
highlandloyalKW10
Well-Known Member
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
Take the backer away and they’d be just some random village in Sutherland , fair play to them , the gamble worked
Not like formartine United , spent a lot of money for very little return , a league cup, and 2 Aberdeenshire shields
Brora won little in their 60 years until a couple trophies in 1979 , 1995 then domination for a bit in last decade winning the league , league cup and no’s cup.
Don’t know how they’d cope with the long journey to Stranraer or the central belt every 2nd Saturday financially
Ridiculous that low numbers are not allowed to stand outside and watch football. There can be virtually no risk unless 250 folk do a huddle.
nasalsinatra
Well-Known Member
I have heard that some Div1 & 2 clubs have suggested this season be abandoned but the SPFL administrators have refused and responded with the threat that clubs who cannot fulfil the fixtures will be ejected from the organisation and replaced by clubs from the Highland and Lowland leagues.
huistrasleftpeg
Well-Known Member
I don’t know that much about Brora and their administration or crowds, but this resonates as it does with any Highland League, or Southern League team that doesn’t have serious financial backing to enter the Scottish League.
This resonates:
Don’t know how they’d cope with the long journey to Stranraer or the central belt every 2nd Saturday financially
Sad but true.
It’s amusing that you mention Formartine but not Wicks failed 90’s experiment backed by Norfrost
As a former Brora player from that era I can assure you that the money Wick were offering when they were tapping players up was eye watering for the time.
Unless you’re suggesting Graeme Stewart, Alan Duff, Gordon Connolly etc etc etc were making that 100 mile journey over the Ord every fortnight because they always wanted to play on the slope at Harmsworth?
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
It’s amusing that you mention Formartine but not Wicks failed 90’s experiment backed by Norfrost
As a former Brora player from that era I can assure you that the money Wick were offering when they were tapping players up was eye watering for the time.
Unless you’re suggesting Graeme Stewart, Alan Duff, Gordon Connolly etc etc etc were making that 100 mile journey over the Ord every fortnight because they always wanted to play on the slope at Harmsworth?
Keep yer hair on man, Wick tried and failed , signed some not bad players but they weren’t as good as players further south .
Do you think Academy could have stepped up and played highland league with the ncl squad ?? I know I don’t , course they had to spend money, they simply had to get players of a better quality and it didn’t work out .
Formartine spent a lot more than Wick did .
How much did Academy offer you anyhow ?
My hair is firmly affixed to my head. It was partly tongue in cheek which I thought might have been obvious by the smiley, but you bit anyway
Of course they had to get better players in, but there’s a difference between getting players in and spending thousands on signing on fees bankrolled by what was then a very successful local (ish) company.
I was never offered anything by Wick, but there was quite a few were. Only one took them up on it IIRC. I’m sure you’ll know who I mean. I know one Thurso based Brora player at that time who was offered £6000 to sign on. Doesn’t seem a great deal now but was massive back then. I got £250 when I signed my first pro contract, just for some context
dorian blue
Well-Known Member
Utter pish, i've played there and attended there as a supporter, hundreds there.
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
My hair is firmly affixed to my head. It was partly tongue in cheek which I thought might have been obvious by the smiley, but you bit anyway
Of course they had to get better players in, but there’s a difference between getting players in and spending thousands on signing on fees bankrolled by what was then a very successful local (ish) company.
I was never offered anything by Wick, but there was quite a few were. Only one took them up on it IIRC. I’m sure you’ll know who I mean. I know one Thurso based Brora player at that time who was offered £6000 to sign on. Doesn’t seem a great deal now but was massive back then. I got £250 when I signed my first pro contract, just for some context
That Thurso based player , did he not play for Wick previously or was it the guy with 2 sons now in Academy side ?
As for the smiley I never noticed it lol
The player I was talking about that made the move which you probably remember was Gordon Robertson. the player that was offered the money was a left back. Is it Donald Allan that has the 2 boys at Wick? Ive been away from Brora over 20 years so don't know all the goings ons, but knew that one of his boys was there (David?)
nakpipe
Well-Known Member
Quite poor response there fella, Brora made us very welcome only a few years ago
Robbie Crawford on the right wing !
Tailwind
Well-Known Member
People need to stop being so defensive. Considering the SPL is considered a backwater by most of Europe what are people going to think of a league below the 4th tier in Scotland
gersandproud
Well-Known Member
I was talking to a mate at the beginning of the week who often goes to watch a local (to him) non-league team in the north midlands
They had permission for up to 600 attendance & had 400 plus the week before - all properly social distanced - at least in the stadium itself
They're now being told they have to be BCD
Another 400 attendance would have been the difference between staying afloat or having to borrow
In the past - they've raised funds by having ticketed discos - but can't do that either now
EDIT - I've just been informed - They're about to launch some sort of mega raffle with a car as the top prize
I knew that conversation was going to cost me money
Anyway I can't imagine every Highland League team doing the same ?
They had permission for up to 600 attendance & had 400 plus the week before - all properly social distanced - at least in the stadium itself
They're now being told they have to be BCD
Another 400 attendance would have been the difference between staying afloat or having to borrow
In the past - they've raised funds by having ticketed discos - but can't do that either now
EDIT - I've just been informed - They're about to launch some sort of mega raffle with a car as the top prize
I knew that conversation was going to cost me money
Anyway I can't imagine every Highland League team doing the same ?
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NSB
Well-Known Member
It’s the Highland League mate, they’ll be more worried about it being transmitted via sheep.
JimmyBuffetloyal
Well-Known Member
Watch Doncaster suddenly introduce talk of closing down the SPFL if the poets at any point top the table.
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
Gordon was is from Keiss not Thurso , aye Donald has 2 boys in Wick’s first team
I was thinking you meant Stevie Cowie , good pal of mine
A lot has changed in the last 20 years !!! Wick are normally in the top ten whereas 20 year ago at the bottom with Fort Brora and lossie ,
Brora fortunes have changed a little too !!!!!!
Aye right enough, I forgot Gordie Rob was from over that way. The more I think about it, it might have been him that got the £6000 to sign on? A few were approached, Stevie, Gary F, Andy Mackay from memory. I would be very surprised if John Suttar and Donald Allan weren't approached as well. I don't know whether to be offended I wasn't approached but being from Brora it would never have happened
Stevie is a great lad for a sheep shagger, I haven't seen much of him in the last 15/20 years but I've known him well since the early 80's. I think the last time I saw him was at Broadwood when Brora played Clyde in the Scottish cup a few years ago. Do you work with him offshore? We played together in the Brora under 18's when we played Aberdeen away in the BP Youth Cup I was only 13 or 14. Tell him I was asking for him, he'll know who you mean with that information.
I played in some pretty good Brora teams, and we usually faired pretty well in a Highland League that still had Caley, Thistle, County, Elgin and Peterhead. I never finished in the bottom half as far as I can remember. We actually could have won it in 94/95 - we were top for a while - but fell away badly in the end, finishing 4th (I think it was) We went top with a 4-1 win in Peterhead. Losing Farquhar to St Johnstone didn't help, how do you replace a guy of that level? The 2 years up to getting that move he was on a different level.
After I moved away I went back to a Brora v Rothes game circa 2003, and I was staggered at just how bad Brora had become in only 3/4 years. It was a turgid 0-0 and easily the worst game I've ever seen. It was below NCL standard. I was also staggered to find Rod Houston was Brora manager, he'd been my Geography teacher at school
I played for Brora in your first home derby in the HL. If you remember rightly it was a 5-1 defeat for Wick. It was nice to grab a couple of goals that night was well
Stevie is a great lad for a sheep shagger, I haven't seen much of him in the last 15/20 years but I've known him well since the early 80's. I think the last time I saw him was at Broadwood when Brora played Clyde in the Scottish cup a few years ago. Do you work with him offshore? We played together in the Brora under 18's when we played Aberdeen away in the BP Youth Cup I was only 13 or 14. Tell him I was asking for him, he'll know who you mean with that information.
I played in some pretty good Brora teams, and we usually faired pretty well in a Highland League that still had Caley, Thistle, County, Elgin and Peterhead. I never finished in the bottom half as far as I can remember. We actually could have won it in 94/95 - we were top for a while - but fell away badly in the end, finishing 4th (I think it was) We went top with a 4-1 win in Peterhead. Losing Farquhar to St Johnstone didn't help, how do you replace a guy of that level? The 2 years up to getting that move he was on a different level.
After I moved away I went back to a Brora v Rothes game circa 2003, and I was staggered at just how bad Brora had become in only 3/4 years. It was a turgid 0-0 and easily the worst game I've ever seen. It was below NCL standard. I was also staggered to find Rod Houston was Brora manager, he'd been my Geography teacher at school
I played for Brora in your first home derby in the HL. If you remember rightly it was a 5-1 defeat for Wick. It was nice to grab a couple of goals that night was well
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
Aye right enough, I forgot Gordie Rob was from over that way. The more I think about it, it might have been him that got the £6000 to sign on? A few were approached, Stevie, Gary F, Andy Mackay from memory. I would be very surprised if John Suttar and Donald Allan weren't approached as well. I don't know whether to be offended I wasn't approached but being from Brora it would never have happened
Stevie is a great lad for a sheep shagger, I haven't seen much of him in the last 15/20 years but I've known him well since the early 80's. I think the last time I saw him was at Broadwood when Brora played Clyde in the Scottish cup a few years ago. Do you work with him offshore? We played together in the Brora under 18's when we played Aberdeen away in the BP Youth Cup I was only 13 or 14. Tell him I was asking for him, he'll know who you mean with that information.
I played in some pretty good Brora teams, and we usually faired pretty well in a Highland League that still had Caley, Thistle, County, Elgin and Peterhead. I never finished in the bottom half as far as I can remember. We actually could have won it in 94/95 - we were top for a while - but fell away badly in the end, finishing 4th (I think it was) We went top with a 4-1 win in Peterhead. Losing Farquhar to St Johnstone didn't help, how do you replace a guy of that level? The 2 years up to getting that move he was on a different level.
After I moved away I went back to a Brora v Rothes game circa 2003, and I was staggered at just how bad Brora had become in only 3/4 years. It was a turgid 0-0 and easily the worst game I've ever seen. It was below NCL standard. I was also staggered to find Rod Houston was Brora manager, he'd been my Geography teacher at school
I played for Brora in your first home derby in the HL. If you remember rightly it was a 5-1 defeat for Wick. It was nice to grab a couple of goals that night was well
Aye , rod Houston wasn’t very successful
As for the 1-5 thankfully I was at sea and missed that one !!! Some of them derbies were really good tense games a 4-3 for Brora in the dungeon what a game that was !!
As for Gary F he was miles above anyone in the hfl or the 3 divisions above it, he should’ve went higher than he did but hey ho.
Stevie runs a lot these days , I’ve helped him with it a little bit, he did his first half marathon in March , got a fair time too.
Andy Mackay’s boy played for Wick as well for a season but now he’s back playing for Thurso , he’s probably their beat player
I’ll tell Stevie I was speaking to you , he’s due home next week
If the highland league allowed fans and the SPFL didn’t, you’d probably see the attendance in the highland league rise as more people want to be at the football.
To ensure safe distancing they’d maybe need to make it an all ticket affair, but that would be at an extra cost and would need to be capped.
To ensure safe distancing they’d maybe need to make it an all ticket affair, but that would be at an extra cost and would need to be capped.
sirstevefleming
Well-Known Member
Can I call bullshit on this or have you been in a cave for the past 6 months?
It's only a couple of weeks since punters were at premier League games up north
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
Depends what area he’s in , nhs highland are not specific , in Wick there has been one definite covid death but not heard of any in Thurso, there are cases of the virus here but no deaths/ that bear didn’t say where his daughter was ?
Remember highland league covers Caithness Sutherland Inverness moray Banff lochaber strathspey Aberdeenshire , quite a large area and the figure reported is for a huge area, albeit it’s like 15 yesterday but no one knows where ?
Stoorie
Well-Known Member
He is telling lies. I have family up there and have heard of two deaths.
New map shows breakdown of Covid-19 deaths across north-east
New data has revealed the impact of Covid-19 on the north-east. The interactive map below shows the parts of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire hardest hit by the
www.eveningexpress.co.uk
That was some game the 4-3. Christmas 1998 iirc?
Tell Stevie it’s nice to hear he’s actually doing some running, I usually did his running for him back in the day
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
I know who yer name is now pal
Can’t see the league going ahead as they’re only allowed 14 on a bus and no allowed to car share , academy had a friendly with Alness called off because they couldn’t travel , if that’s for a friendly what’s the league gona be like ??
Doesn’t look good
That is brutal. It’s not looking good at all, mate. My dad and 2 nephews still go to watch Brora, they’ll be gutted if it doesn’t go ahead.
They may not get the crowds they used to in the HFL but the clubs are a very important part of local communities, I just hope they all survive if the worst happens, but I won’t be betting on it.
Northhiglander
Well-Known Member
Looks quite grim for Highland league. Assume North Caley will have same problems.
Cost of travel is already high. Shame for lads that put a lot into it give a huge amount of time to training and travel. Wick manager has been doing that for a lot of years.
News from the west region
huistrasleftpeg
Well-Known Member
North Caley? Is this Clach?
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
North Caledonian league
Golspie
Orkney
Bunillidh
Loch Ness
Thurso
Halkirk
Bonar bridge
Alness
Tain
Scourie
Nairn reserves
Invergordon
It is the league below highland league but no promotions or demotions to it.
huistrasleftpeg
Well-Known Member
Ah right, cheers mate.
willowbankbear
Well-Known Member
Still good to go an watch Thurso at the dammies if Academy are awayand Rangers are on Sunday, get a decent pie and the clubhouse is decent too.
nybear
Well-Known Member
dont see the problem with allowing them to operate, more punters going through tesco checkouts and standing in the aisles.
mdingwall
Administrator
Statement tonight from the Highland League.
Highland League - Season 2020-2021 Start Paused
The Highland League has decided to pause the start of the 2020-2021 season in view of the current public health circumstances.
The season will not start before Saturday 28th November and confirmation of that or an extension of the pause will be considered at a meeting during the week beginning Monday 9th November.
The League Management Committee undertook a careful and detailed consideration of the current situation and felt that, all things considered, a pause was the most appropriate course of action.
Highland League - Season 2020-2021 Start Paused
The Highland League has decided to pause the start of the 2020-2021 season in view of the current public health circumstances.
The season will not start before Saturday 28th November and confirmation of that or an extension of the pause will be considered at a meeting during the week beginning Monday 9th November.
The League Management Committee undertook a careful and detailed consideration of the current situation and felt that, all things considered, a pause was the most appropriate course of action.
