GRETNA RESIGN FROM SFL

[The Mantis]

I was at Annan a few years back (so was Bobby Wilson - see other thread  :015:)

A mate of mine tells me they have upgraded their ground a lot since then. Reckon it's Spartans though...

[The Mantis]

Mind you, I remember before ICT and RCFC got in, if a HL side played a EOSL side in the cup, they always won. If they played a SSL team, they hammered them. That has all changed now.

The HL used to be very strong and clubs like Caley and Elgin could offer good wages to keep players from going to minor clubs like Montrose etc. It was a kind of artificial situation, because communications were poorer than now and there was very little movement of players from the north. The SFL was not truly 'Scottish' back then.

The HL is much weaker now and this season's results showed that (imagine Clach losing to Edinburgh City or Whitehill winning away at Lossie). Everything has evened out and when that happens the places with the population start to take over.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Hearts would presumably struggle to get in if they mentioned their ?30m debt. It is quite interesting Gordon Smith saying we do not want another Gretna but clubs such as Hearts should have SPL auditors in every month to check their ongoing viability.

[Kingsmills]

I too think that it will be Spartans despite the fact that Meadowbank Thistle were testimony to the appetite, or lack of it, for a third senior team in the capital.

[Charles Bannerman]

Mind you, I remember before ICT and RCFC got in, if a HL side played a EOSL side in the cup, they always won. If they played a SSL team, they hammered them. That has all changed now.

It has indeed. Such draws were regarded as a ticket to the next round for HL sides and I well remember the utter shock the once Caley were taken to a replay by Spartans, I think in the late 80s. Unfortunately as far as the Highland League are concerned, scorelines like QoS 2 Ross County 6, Caley 2 St. J 2, Caley 1 Airdrie 1 (Caley won on penalties), Caley 3 Clyde 1, Thistle 3 Killie 0 and Elgin beating Arbroath to get to the quarter finals in 1968 look unlikely to be repeated, even with the kind of money the backers of the Aberdeenshire HL contingent seem top be putting in.

And if scorelines like the above v SFL teams were not uncommon 20 or so years ago, what chance did ESL or SSL teams have (qv Ross County 11 St. Cuthberts 0... I really expected a team from the Edinburgh Cooperative to do better! :015:) In fact HL teams probably had had to put better sides out in  the North Qualifying Cup than they met from the SSL and the ESL in days gone by in the Scottish Cup.

In contrast, I was Sportsound match reporter at Lossiemouth v Spartans in December 2005 where it was a 0-5 scoreline going on 0-10.

[The Mantis]

Where's your post gone RiG? I was answering it - I never had 2 in a row :015: :015:

[Yngwie]

I well remember the utter shock the once Caley were taken to a replay by Spartans, I think in the late 80s.

I seem to recall a 2-2 draw in Galashiels, must have been about 1989? The Fairies were a team that were always in contention for a league place but have disappeared into obscurity in recent years. Which is a bit of a shame because in terms of geography and catchment area they would be better than most of the current contenders.

[RiG]

Where's your post gone RiG? I was answering it - I never had 2 in a row :015: :015:

I actually don't know - I don't think I deleted it...

Do you mean this one? I think that was my last contribution to the thread.

[The Mantis]

Aye, that looks like the one RiG. Just my senility kicking in. I wonder if I'm the only one who sometimes replies to a post without realising there's another page of replies  :015: :015: :015:

[Scarlet Pimple]

Mantis you old rogue  :015:  You have sussed me out . Happens too often fer comfort.

By the way forgive me--I thought that teams should progress on merit and not location, re entry to the SFL.

Senior moments are coming on faster than flurries of snow on the top of my head. Buit there agin that's Canaga. :sillywave: