The Evolution of football

No rest for the wicked this midweek as Elgin City host Inverness in the KDM Evolution Trophy. That's the Challenge Cup to you and me. This one kicks-off at 19:45 on Tuesday evening at Borough Briggs, the first game in a mini series of six games to establish who progresses to the next stages of this elongated competition. The clubs have already met this season in a League Cup encounter at Inverness with the Caley Jags edging that one 2-0 as we made hard work of seeing off a stuffy City. Elgin lost all four games in the League Cup group F, scoring 2 but losing 19. We won two and lost two but like Elgin, we never got into the knockout stages.

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Match/Ticket/Travel/Info

🚍ICT Travel Club🚍

Bus for Elgin leaves stadium 17.30. £10 a seat.

Book through the Travel Club’s Facebook or on 07462218717.

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Some may see this as a Mickey Mouse competition. I don't know where they get their ideas from to be honest.

1. League Phase:

• Participants: 30 teams, including those from Scottish League One, League Two, and Premiership B teams (reserve teams). 

• Organization: Teams are divided into three pots based on division and regionalized into North and South sections. 

• Matches: Each team plays six league phase matches against opponents from their region (three from each of the other two pots). 

• Scoring: Points from these matches are compiled into a single league table. 

• Progression: The top 22 teams from the league phase advance to the knockout stage.

2. Knockout Phase:

• Participants: The 22 qualifiers from the league phase join the 10 Championship teams. 

• Format: The competition progresses through traditional knockout rounds (Round of 32, Round of 16, etc.). 

• Seeding: Teams finishing in the top six of the league phase are seeded in the Round of 32, along with the Championship teams. 

• Final: The competition culminates in a final next spring. Century...

If you are still following this and haven't used your pass, well done you; you can join the 1% Club. Meanwhile, undercover images of the new Trophy were leaked to the press at the weekend revealing a specially designed piece of silverware the likes of which has never been seen before (disnae look right to me). Unbelievable Jeff! That's evolution for you...

Kells is no a happy chappy regarding the format. Resting some and getting fringe players more game time, but we have to remain competitive whilst doing this. A great start to the League1 campaign for the Caley Jags who have won their opening two fixtures without conceding. A 3-0 win at Kelty (Mckay, Longstaff & Wotherspoon) was followed by a 2-0 home win over Peterhead.

We have been without Adam MacKinnon (a couple of weeks away), Ross Millen (a week or two away) and Jake Davidson (longer term) with Paul Allan recovering to get on the bench at the weekend. Liam Sole took a knock and was replaced before the hour just after scoring his first goal for the club and will be a doubt. David Wotherspoon scored the opener against Peterhead. Surely more game time for the likes of Alfie Bavidge, Chanka Zimba, Mitchell Robertson, Mathew Strachan, Jordan Alonge and Robbie Thompson with a swap of keepers on the cards to give Logan Ross a go between the sticks. Also an opportunity to rest the older legs to keep them fresh for the bigger challenge of League points.

ICT fans tickets for this match CLICK HERE

This match is non-segregated

Stand: Adult – £15, Concession: £10, U12s: £2

Ground: Adult £13, Concession: £8, U12s: Free

Elgin went down 1-0 at home to East Kilbride at the weekend as the new League2 team got their first points in the Leagues. That was on the back of the opening fixture where Elgin lost out in a dramatic late late ending at Annan as the borders club scored in the 89th & 93rd minutes to pip Elgin who had levelled at 2-2 in the 92nd minute. Dramatic stuff and a 3-2 win for Annan on the opening day. This was Elgin's team against East Kilbride where Ross Draper was their MotM. Lewis Hyde and Brian Cameron did not feature at Annan through injury although Cameron was named on the bench along with Kane Hester who played the final sixteen minutes. Elgin picked up seven bookings at the weekend. Can we expect a bit of rough and tumble on Tuesday night. Allan Hale has a few still on the broken list at the moment Hyde, Dingwall, Girvan and Cairns.

Elgin players can be seen going through the traditional warm up routines used for centuries down at Borough Briggs as they try to manoeuvre their way round the Elgin Marbles. The placing of a trophy near the field of play is supposed to spur on the players and motivate them in their quest to win something. It's not worked since last century, but God loves a trier.