plaguestorm

Your information is wrong. I am not interested. Computer - £800 Shetlink Registration - £0 Time spent typing Shetlink post - 10mins Professing knowledge on a subject then having it blown out of the water by the person you're speaking about - PRICELESS!!! Nice one John.

As a spectator I do look forward to this time of year, the Shetland AGM. Once again the many Shetlink voices come out and dream up a million ways to make the league better and make football more enjoyable. There are options explored about setting up new competitions and creating new leagues. Relegation and promotion is explored. Numbers of substitutions permitted is also investigated. Is it just me who can see the blatantly obvious??!! All of these ideas only delay the inevitable truth. As a failed footballer I have a fair idea what the major problem with most players in Shetland is. They're not good enough!! The main reason Ross Moncrieff, Stuart Hay, Laurence Pearson and James Johnson run past most players isn't because the league set up is unfair. It isn't because your team wasn't allowed to use more subs. In fact it wasn't even because the grass wasn't being kept at a specific length. It mainly boils down to the fact that these players, and more like them, bother their ass to maintain a level of fitness which sees them stay in front of the rest!! I will concede that certain teams in the League are better because they have a higher number of players with 'natural ability'. However, this is normally coupled with several fitter players than can be found in other teams. This is mainly due to structured training through the winter and footballers taking on some personal training as well. No just the 5-a-side training that some think will make them world beaters. I ate too much and couldn't be arsed to go running so I gave up before it became embarassing. I can accept that laziness was my problem but I can also accept that it was nobody elses fault. I know this is a thread for discussing Shetland Football and perhaps I should be making these points elsewhere but I do think it's becoming more laughable with every season. Teams who aren't as good need to try harder through the winter and during the season. Players need to take more interest in their own fitness and commitment to their clubs. i.e. Go to every game. Don't go on a stag day or birthday bus instead. Most importantly accept the unfortunate truth that some players, and therefore teams, are better than others. p.s. Having won the League again who in the Delting team is "well past it" Jay Corolla? Stuart Lavender or the McDonald boy? p.p.s Once again I apologise cause there are some good points in this thread as well. The Highland Amateur Cup for example. RANT OVER

....for the Best Player in Shetland this year??? That would be the equivalent of giving the best player in England last year to Roy Carroll at Derby.

I know everybody loves goals and step overs for player of the year but here's my 10 pence worth. Can anybody tell me of a forward in Shetland who has had the better of Merv Jamieson? Nobody might notice a defender but in the times i've seen Delting it's like men against boys for most of Shetland forwards. Probably can't look outside Delting for the POTY title though. Pity.

B.C. Benvie i'm afraid you're wrong. Martin Binns maybe isn't the second best right back in Shetland anymore in my opinion. Maybe John Johnson should be having a look at some different players? Celtic are quality too.

If Kirsty is right about this then there's trouble ahead. Any other inside knowledge Kirsty? Sounds like you've possibly spoken to John Johnson. What are his feelings?

Any game i've seen him play i'd say Ross McDougall has been good. It likely depends how the voting goes. Karl Williamson will likely be in the running, as will Alan Davidson. Time will tell

Sorry to go back to an earlier comment people but I was wanting to speak about the Player of the Year. Surely a Delting player will lift the trophy! Unbeaten league campaign, all the trophies bar one. They even had the top goalscorer. Yes they have a monopoly on better players but can anyone outside Delting be seriously considered. Sure there'll be the usual amatuer-pundit crap getting spouted but I'm sure there can't be any surprises. I suppose all will be revealed over the weekend. Is it on Friday or Saturday night? Hopefully if anyone is at it they can post the results of the awards.

I might be making a ridiculous point and one which obviously is so stupid nobody seems to have mentioned it but have any of the teams on the recieving end of a 15-0 tried to do anything about it? Teams who are knocked out in the early rounds of competitions ever though of using their free nights to perhaps go through a few defensive drills? Or ask the manager to give them a solid system of play to stick to and work at? Perhaps even indulge in some much needed fitness work before and maybe even during the season. I'm probably way off here. I suppose it would be much easier for the better players to sacrafice their 90minutes of football every week and spend most of the season on the bench. I mean why should they get to play through the whole season?! They've probably spent all winter running about, keeping fit and working with a football. I mean, they're probably bored with it. People like Stuart Hay, Karl Williamson, James Johnson and Ross Jamieson should hold their heads in shame at running past someone who has spent the previous night in the pub before rattling another goal past a goalkeeper who's probably wearing marigolds!!! GET A GRIP PEOPLE!!! The cry baby culture can't go on forever or we'll be restructuring the league forever.

Morning all Are the rumours true Whalsay are playing A-team Inter County regulars in the B-team in order to win the League? Perhaps even the Inter County Man of the Match himself? Surely this goes against the 'spirit' of the B League if true. My understanding is Whalsay are breaking no rules other than an 'agreement' where clubs wouldn't play County players. Surely if this is true then younger players trying to break through into senior football are spending unneccessary time on the bench. Can anybody confirm these stories or clarify the rules??

Wheesht, my apologies if you think i'm making snide remarks. Please don't take any of this personally. Just stating an opinion that the decision about Rhodes was a bad one. They fact it has been compounded by another bad one (the Highland Fling) is even more ridiculous. Especially if the 4 games in 4 days story is true. Good luck boys. Also the 'witch hunt' is not likely to be something i'll pursue. Just wondered how the decision was made. I just happen to think if people look at the big picture then decisions of such importance should maybe be made by poeple who are better informed. Perhaps the fate of Shetland football lying in the hands of Team reps(whatever player or official could turn up on the night) is not the most desireable situation??

I think we've been down this road before Wheesht on other threads but we'll not start the committee recruiting drive just yet. I'm assuming that you are a football person who obviously is very interested in the issues surrounding the Shetland game. What is your opinion on Shetland playing 3 friendly games in 4 days against Highland League teams? Do you think this is really a better option than Rhodes? As for the 'democratic vote' it would be nice to hear from someone who was at the meeting. What happened and who was actually making the big decisions?

Experiences????? There over-riding experience would surely be that they won another medal. Obviously it was going to be hot and yes it wouldn't have been perfect conditions but they seem to have coped as well as they could. Come on Spencey7, as a man who was heavily involved in the football in 2005 you must surely have a strong opinion. I heard Ian Manning on Radio Shetland last Friday night. He said that the heat wasn't really a factor provided there was a professional set-up. Was this him having a sly dig about the football team? I can imagine some of the County boys are really glad they didn't go to Rhodes and are now off for 3 games in 4 days in the Highlands of Scotland.

How was the 'democratic' decision taken regarding the football? Was there a large vote? If so, who did it involve?

Who let the players down?? The association, the management team. You would think it would move Shetland forward being involved in as many competitive events as possible. I mean are the current squad going to progress by playing 3 friendly games in the north of Scotland?? Still only leaves the match against Orkney as a meaningful contest. Well done to the Western Isles. Good to see they're moving forward after the 2005 games.