Northern Rovers?

[Dusty Rhodes]

I was asked today whether Northern Rovers would happen in the next few years. I could not answer as I really have little to do with the two teams involved apart from maybe watching the odd game.

 

But would it be possible?

 

could the bottom two teams join to make a better team?

 

Who would pick the team?

 

Would they have an A and B team?

 

What players would be available?

 

I know from reading the Shetland AGM thread from 2007 that this is a touchy subject.

 

Also I have noticed that the folk who were saying about it back in 2007 have stopped writing on here....?

[penfold]

Between the two clubs there are 56 players signed, so enough to run an A and B team if they can sort out the nuts and bolts of how to get it to work so both the Unst FA and Yell FA feel they have an equal say and part in it.

[nufsta]

56 players between the 2 teams, no way!!

 

how many of those could actually play at a higher level if they had a A team though?

[bobc_6]

Its a very contentious issue there are people in both teams who would support it and also people who would be against it.

 

There would have to be 2 teams otherwise there would be alot of people in the North Isles not playing any competitive football. This could also lead to a lack of support for the team.

 

Logistically it would not be easy, games are one thing but training would be totally different, each isle would probably have to train seperately which would lead to a lack of cohesion within the team. Where would home games be played? the Yell pitch is poor but playing games in Unst mid week is difficult. If there were 2 teams you could not only play at weekends. B's in Mid yell A's In Unst?

 

There would need to be 2 managers, 1 from each isle who knows the players (at least to start with).

 

There are certainly players in each team who can and have played A league football to a decent standard however it would also depend on the players who have left to pursue A league football returning to play for the team, otherwise it would still be mostly b league players playing in the A league.

[nufsta]

This year is going to be had for Unst. Only having 14 player available to play and 3 of those are youngsters with little experience of senior or even 11 aside football.

 

Unst are also missing a good player in Jordan Johnson who broke his ankle a couple weeks ago.

 

Another two players that fall into the category of A league players (or have played in) are VERY injury prone and could be out any time.

 

Unst FCs opinion has always been(as far as i know) that they would always try and field a team on their own because they had enough players, but I doubt this year might be one of the last that they are able to do so.

 

And for that reason I would think Northern Rovers could be on the cards if a reasonable solution to the well known problems are found.

[bobc_6]

Yell had similar problems last season and it proved very difficult playing games with 10 men etc...

 

Yell have plenty of players but more than half are shift workers which is very disruptive, especially considering alot of the better players fall into this category.

 

This season Yell have a couple of new signings and Matthew Saunders is back home so the team will be better able to feild 11 players every game.

[nufsta]

Yea these problems can be annoying. Shift workers are a problem in Unst(and probably for most teams).

 

I think all this season Unst will fulfill all fixtures and get at least 12 men to turn up. But it will be hard when you have to pick a formation and tactics to suit the player that are there instead of picking a team to suit you formations and tactics.

 

The one thing that i think is that if Northern Rovers were to happen it should be done on the pretense that its an A and B team. Therefor all the players that are playing now atleast have a chance of playin football.

 

I know that it would be a poor A team but If the boys that are playing As for other teams etc come back then it wouldnt be too bad.

 

If it has to be NR then I think it can only be NR-A and NR-B