2008 - Shetland Fitba

[Boris]

I am glad to hear the Ness will continue to field an A team, it would be bad news for Shetland football if there was no representation from that area in the Premier League.

 

I quite like the Regional League idea and would certainly prefer that to an Un21s league as some clubs would favour. I don't really have any strong opinions on a Parish League but would need to know a bit more about it before I could judge how it would affect football in Shetland.

[EISTnWAST]

Lerwick sides have a poor reputation for fulfilling fixtures in the isles, but a Lerwick team would be allowed to enter. If everything went well with their participation, it may open the door to future entry in the PC. Having said that, it would be up to the PCA, as the PFA would be a completely seperate association.

The whole idea behind the PL would be to provide competitive football for as many people as possible. The PFA have no interest in having a league where teams are getting 16-0 hammerings, because they are being made to play out of their depth. This is the reason that the PFA are keen for Ness & Whitedale to continue to field teams in the A league. It would however be permissible for them withdraw from the A league, if they were to field 2 sides in the PL [sandwick, Southend, WSU & Whitedale]. If the Northmavine (Wrultizers) team agree to enter, then that would perhaps leave the door open for Delting to enter in the future. Their admission would of course depend on Northmavine being able to attract the right calibre of player from their parish.

I can understand why a lot of people are playing their cards close to their chest on this one. The SFA AGM will be a very important factor in which way the clubs decide to go, and there may even be some compromise at the AGM from the teams outwith the potential PFA. IMO I think it's only right that these teams prepare themselves for the worst.

[offsideRef]

Surely we should be looking at reducing the amount of Associations and leagues and have one body looking after it all? with separate committees to look after the different leagues and competitions. Why would these clubs want to field a team in this league? do they feel that whats on offer is so bad that they need to look elsewhere? is there any news on whats on the agenda for the SFA AGM?

[EISTnWAST]

One association and one league set up would be best, but it's not going to happen in the near future. The works League aren't interested in whatever the SFA have proposed. Presumably they don't fancy travelling all over Shetland to be beat 10-0 every game. What the PFA is offering them is a completely different scenario. They will have the chance to take a greater part in Shetland football on a level playing field.

 

All in all the PLA would just be doing the job that the second tier of SFA football is failing to do - encourage growth in Shetland football. It seems to me that all this has come about, because some people think the word 'reserve' in reserve league actually means something.

[Stoichkov]

I still don't see how Sandwick, Burra, Southend and Cunningsburgh would want to play in a league with Unst and Yell, Delting B and Whalsay B. Are Unst going to raise a team to play in the south mainland 3 or 4 times a season or vice-versa?

As for this new league involving teams such as unst, yell, ness b and whitedale B. I don't quite see why Unst and yell would want to play a ness "B" side when they both competed well with the A's last year. Especially Unst, who got 4 points from the 2 ties and finished a good few points ahead of them in the League.

I totally agree with Gervais. Unst and Yell are as good as the present Ness A side, why would they step down to play a Ness B or southern league sides. Unst U21's were champions this year and i doubt they'll improve on that if their players are playing in the same league as Cunningsburgh or Whitedale B.

To me, the aim of the Parish League seems to be to find a suitable league for Burra to play in. As i've said before, they should either carry on playing in the A's and if they don't like getting hammered there's a perfectly good B team across the bridge in Scalloway they can join! Failing that try and get the southern league going again, they can even invite Scalloway B to join to ensure 'El Classico' derby remains such an important feature in Shetland football!

[Boris]

I think Scalloway and Burra have only actualy played against each other twice (both this season) so I don't think it quite qualifies as "El Classico".

 

Personaly I think we still need to aim for quality instead of quantity and try and encourage the so called "community clubs" who have youth set ups. The standard of Shetland football this season was probably the worst I have seen but there is hope for the future with a number of very good youngsters showing what they can do.

 

It will certainly be interesting to see what happens after the AGM. It looks like it will be nearly impossible to come up with a league format that keeps everyone happy.

[BALLACK]

The standard of Shetland football this season was probably the worst I have seen.

 

Since when? How much football have you seen?

[glenn]

Totally agree with Boris, the standard has dipped in recent years and this year was without doubt the worst in my memory.

[Boris]

I think most people would agree the overall standard has dropped over recent years, however that is to be expected as the number of teams has increased. The success of the works league has also made life difficult for the Lerwick sides.

 

I hope I don't sound too critical because there have been some excellent young players in the league this season so the future certainly isn't all doom and gloom.

[BC.Benvie]

Burra have played scalloway four times. Two wins each.

 

Burra AGM had a low, low turnout. Not enough to field a team in any league. There was no mention of any parish league.

 

Ness Utd in any league other than the A league would be a waste of their talent and potential.

 

Burra will play B league fitba or no fitba next year.

 

At the AGM they should suggest playing a cup when the Shetland team is away to keep folk playing and maybe limit teams to signing less that 46 players al la Celtic. Whalsay I believe had 37 or 38, this is what is really restricting the growth of the game.

 

As for the lower standard that is because to many players are playing A league who should be in the B league.

[Stoichkov]

I think the only reason the standard has dropped is because so many young players move away to get jobs in Scotland or further afield. I wouldn't say the new set-up is to blame for the drop in standard. I do agree with the point that the Lerwick senior sides r suffering because of the rising level of ability in the works league (though i wouldn't say rising standard in da works league).

[penfold]

I was thinking over the story that offsideRef posted earlier and was wondering if this would work any better,

 

Premier Division

 

Celtic

Delting

Ness United

Scalloway

Spurs

Thistle

Whalsay

Whitedale

Unst

Yell

 

Regional Division North

 

Delting B

Whitedale B

Whalsay B

Scalloway B

 

Regional Divison south

 

Ness United B

Burra

Spurs B

Celtic B

Thistle B

 

The B's didnt start till later this season for various reasons, but you could have the teams playing each other twice in the Regional divisions, the top two from each divison to play each other home and away and the winners of these ties to play each other in a final game for the title of regional champions, also you could have a knock-out cup for these divisons, or the clubs that would be able to field both a A and B team could field them both in the County shield, with the B teams and works league teams playing in the early rounds, the winners of which would face the premier league teams in the later rounds? just another idea might not be feasable though?

[EISTnWAST]

The standard of the WL has indeed increased. When I read match reports in Da Times, I usually try to remember which age group each player represented Shetland at. A few years ago, if you weren't from Lerwick, you would have no idea who most of the players were. It isn't only the Lerwick teams who have lost players to the WL, although they have suffered most.

Most people seem to forget that for a lot of players, winning is very important. The WL offers the chance to win trophies, and is a better choice for some players than playing at a level where your team is not competitive. Maybe the PL will help some of these players get back into mainstream football.

 

Is it really true Celtic & Whalsay signed so many players?

Why would they need to sign all these players, which only prevents them from getting A league experience at another club? Did Celtic & Whalsay use all signed players in the A league players last season?

Why not let these players sign for another team for A's, and let them continue to play B's for their own club?

 

@penfold

I don't think regional leagues would work with so few teams. The proposed PL would be a better idea, as it would be able to attract more teams. That's something which the SFA seem to have no interest in doing.

 

And finally.........

As for the lower standard that is because to many players are playing A league who should be in the B league.

Does this have something to do with Burra?

[spencey7]

Why not let these players sign for another team for A's, and let them continue to play B's for their own club?

That's not allowed since the SFA brought in the Players-Must-Only-Play-For-One-Club rule a few years ago. A discussion of that is a whole other topic.

 

I don't have the magic wand required to resolve the situation being discussed here, but it's clear from the postings over the last few pages - and all the wildly differing suggestions for solutions - that Shetland football is virtually in disarray.

 

When's the SFA AGM? In my opinion we need to keep in mind that their job is not to make the Shetland Football team as strong as possible, but to get as many people as they can playing football, all over Shetland. As things are more and more players are turning to the Works League, which I'm sure will continue to burgeon over the next few seasons, unless changes are made.

[penfold]

I see what your saying EistnWast, what i thought could happen was to intersperse the regional games with the knock-out between the divisions and also after the split then have the first round of County sheild games?, the Southern league had a format where we played a triple league for the Thomson Cup whom the winner of were the Southern League champions and played 3 games in that competition, then had a break and played a knock-out, then another 3 games in the Thomson cup etc, that way teams had something to play for through most of the season.

 

Its on the 1st of Nov spencey, the idea of the regional leagues as well was that it may make it easier to allow teams to drop down to the lower league seeing that there is not likely ever to be a promotion or relegation in the Shetland set-up. And no offence to either Unst or Yell but i doubt they are going to be able to carry on their A status ad infinitum, and a regional set-up may suit them in the long run, it also might encourage more teams to enter the SFA setup instead of the works league.