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Even before the pandemic struck I was concerned by the fact that we were increasingly struggling to make full time football work in it's conventional way on dwindling financial resources. Part time football was and remains an obvious destination but that is far from ideal and would make it all but impossible to get back to the top tier in the short of even medium term. A combination of full time and part time seemed a much better solution but, although we have had part time players in full time squads in the past, Jimmy Calder and Paul Ritchie notably come to mind, that is very difficult to work with the full timers training during the day and, due to work or educational commitments, the part timers only available in the evenings. So, I wonder if we could think a bit differently. Since the beginning of professional football, full time players have tended to train daily for about four hours almost invariably in the morning and very early afternoon. Is there any reason at all why they couldn't put those same hours in in the late afternoon and evening on a daily basis ? That way, they would themselves be able to combine full time football with some other employment or, in the case of the younger full timers, education or apprenticeships to supplement the very modest full time salaries we are now able to offer. Those full time players and coaching staff who were not otherwise engaged would have more time for community work in schools and elsewhere during the day thus bringing the club more closely into the community. The biggest benefit though is that we could then bring in some of the country's best part time players and fully integrate them by being able to train with the full timers for two or three hours two or three times a week. There are thirty or forty part time players in the lower leagues who are more skillful and have more potential than very many of the full time players playing in the Championship or the lower reaches of the Premiership who do not, for very understandable reasons, want to give up good careers or relocate to the Highlands for our very modest full time wages. However, if we could help find them employment in their own line of business or a place at college combined with what would be a very generous part time wage and the opportunity to play with full time colleagues at a higher level that could be a very much more attractive proposition for them. Could this be a way forward not just in the Championship but even if and when we are fortunate enough to return to the top tier or am I barking up the wrong tree entirely?

I just thought you usually have your finger on the pulse, and now time on your hands since Wimbledon's been cancelled.

that ticks all the boxes of the story so far. i think you are bang on. Worst part is that if they went with DD's suggestion above your post, one which has been touted hundreds if not thousands of times by many folk, then they would have achieved exactly that and looked forward thinking and fair in the process. The words piss-up and brewery definitely spring to mind when talking about Doncaster and his cohorts.

Once it became clear that there was no chance of the the 2019/20 season being completed and that the Coronavirus was going to have a significant effect on clubs' finances, there was one obviously sensible solution which could and should have been agreed promptly. Had agreement been reached, then clubs would now be in a position where they would know which division they were playing in next season and what the makeup of that division was. It would have given clubs the opportunity to plan as well as is possible in what is an unprecedentedly difficult time. Two basic principles should have been accepted. These are 1) that no club should be unnecessarily disadvantaged by the fact that it was not possible to finish the season and 2) uncertainty should be eliminated as much as possible, as soon as possible. Making the Premiership a 14 team division and keeping the other 3 divisions as 10 team divisions by promoting the top 2 in each division and the champions of the Highland and Lowland leagues would have meant no relegation and would have satisfied those 2 basic principles. Any dissent to this could have been overcome by making it a temporary arrangement for 2 or 3 seasons with an agreement on a process to discuss restructuring. The SPFL management are there to represent the interests of all clubs but have clearly had a very different agenda. The capacity for Scottish football to shoot itself in the foot never ceases to amaze.

I believe Clach have offered us some players on loan.

Yes, spotted in Starbucks in the last hour with Aaron Doran. I wonder, does CaleyTennis know anything about this?

So, Danny Devine has been in the highlands for a week or so. Was in aviemore not so long ago, and was seen out and about in Inverness today apparently. Reckon he’s coming back? As much as I reckon it would be wiser fielding the Under 8s ahead of him

Good to have Doran and brad Mackay signed up Toddys a strange 1 Robbo dosent seem to rate him never played him why sign him again plenty of free agents out there the now the young guns who got released no seen enough of them to see if they could make the grade presumably no good enough if club willing to let them leave in this time of cost cutting

Silver linings wev lost 2 of the worst players to ever wear our mighty colours White and Trafford that alone is cause for a skinful the night!