(NHC) Elgin City

[Hibby Bairn]

:bye:

10 years since "election" to Scottish League. 2 times bottom of the pile and 4 times second bottom. Sums up the institution that is Scottish Football. And to think Spartans didn't get "elected" last time around.

Currently 6-0 down to Berwick Rangers. Their Chairman BTW (Berwick's) told Spartans they knew they were by far the best club to come into the league but why would he vote for them when it just puts his own team further down the pecking order. More competition so he voted for Annan.

[Hibernia Na Eir]

when was the last time Berwick rattled 6 on day one? !! very good performance, cant take anything away from them.

[Onceinawhile]

6-2 now. comebacks on

[shagpile]

:bye:

10 years since "election" to Scottish League. 2 times bottom of the pile and 4 times second bottom. Sums up the institution that is Scottish Football. And to think Spartans didn't get "elected" last time around.

Currently 6-0 down to Berwick Rangers. Their Chairman BTW (Berwick's) told Spartans they knew they were by far the best club to come into the league but why would he vote for them when it just puts his own team further down the pecking order. More competition so he voted for Annan.

Elgin City have been a poor team[club] for many years now. They should not have been allowed into the league. Their finances were, how shall i put it, altered temporarily in order for them to join.
They were a club to be admired in their halcyon days of the sixties, but they have been on a downward slope[bar one or two seasons] since.
Not only that ,their supporters are notoriously fickle. Is that not so Marinello 59?:agree:

[marinello59]

Elgin City have been a poor team[club] for many years now. They should not have been allowed into the league. Their finances were, how shall i put it, altered temporarily in order for them to join.
They were a club to be admired in their halcyon days of the sixties, but they have been on a downward slope since.
Not only that ,their supporters are notoriously fickle.[B] Is that not so Marinello 59?:agree:

Not at all. I have thought they are ******* for years and still do.:greengrin Can't help having a soft spot for the team that plays in the town of your birth though.:boo hoo:

[blairwallace]

6-2 now. comebacks on

Don't be so silly, no team can come back from 6-2.

[Dashing Bob S]

Elgin have the potential to be a lot better than they are. I recall following their results in the cup as a boy. They haven't shown anything since they came in, but they were kept out far too long by the West of Scotland mafia who favoured nonsense clubs like ES Clydebank.

They may be badly run, but at least they are a proper club with a distinct catchment area. They deserve to be in the league, they don't deserve the baord they have, but you could say that about many sets of fans.

[HibeeMcGinn1]

Don't be so silly, no team can come back from 6-2.

:boo hoo::boo hoo::boo hoo:

[Musselbound]

Elgin have the potential to be a lot better than they are. I recall following their results in the cup as a boy. They haven't shown anything since they came in, but they were kept out far too long by the West of Scotland mafia who favoured nonsense clubs like ES Clydebank.

They may be badly run, but at least they are a proper club with a distinct catchment area. They deserve to be in the league, they don't deserve the baord they have, but you could say that about many sets of fans.

In what sense? That they haven't really got one. Can't imagine many from Lossiemouth, Forres, Keith, Buckie, etc giving up watching their local Highland league club to see Elgin being humped by other mediocre teams every other week. These clubs are all rivals of Elgin City. Also, it's only 60 miles from Aberdeen and less than 40 from Inverness - they are clubs that profit from catchment areas.

[Cod Boy]

they will tuck hearts away in the the league cup

[MSK]

they will tuck hearts away in the the league cup:agree:

[marinello59]

In what sense? That they haven't really got one. Can't imagine many from Lossiemouth, Forres, Keith, Buckie, etc giving up watching their local Highland league club to see Elgin being humped by other mediocre teams every other week. These clubs are all rivals of Elgin City. Also, it's only 60 miles from Aberdeen and less than 40 from Inverness - they are clubs that profit from catchment areas.

Sixty miles along the A96 is a looooooooooooong way. If Elgin had put any sort of decent challenge together then of course they would attract punters in the area who want to see League fitba. The problem they have is attracting players with enough quality willing to make the journey to Elgin to play. Peterhead benefit more from their proximity to Aberdeen and the willingness of Aberdeen FC to send out fringe players on loan. But if we want a truly national league and not a central belt dominated affair the right of Elgin City to belong within the league structure is perfectly valid.
You might not like them but just be glad you don't share the heartbreak of seeing them lose every week,:greengrin

[Pretty Boy]

:bye:

10 years since "election" to Scottish League. 2 times bottom of the pile and 4 times second bottom. Sums up the institution that is Scottish Football. And to think Spartans didn't get "elected" last time around.

Currently 6-0 down to Berwick Rangers. Their Chairman BTW (Berwick's) told Spartans they knew they were by far the best club to come into the league but why would he vote for them when it just puts his own team further down the pecking order. More competition so he voted for Annan.


As n ex Spartan myself it still annoys me yet that we(they) weren't elected to the league last time around.

To be scored zero in the pitch and facilities criteria, depsite the fact a stadium complete with pitch, full size all weather training pitch, 5 a side pitches, top quality changing facilities, 350 seat stand and full catering facilities was half built, was a joke. Spartans have a better stadium and training facilites than anyone in the 2nd or 3rd division and with Cowdenbeath now being 1st division at least one team in that league as well. They also have a forward thinking commitee who have put an absolutely fantastic youth structure in place, 2 or 3 teams in every age bracket from under 10s onwards as well as coaching schools for ages 3+. I'm convinced the fact Spartans were so well run scared the blazers at other clubs. A forward thining, well run club with a professional attitude has no place in the lower leagues of Scottish football i'm afraid.

[PaulSmith]

As n ex Spartan myself it still annoys me yet that we(they) weren't elected to the league last time around.

To be scored zero in the pitch and facilities criteria, depsite the fact a stadium complete with pitch, full size all weather training pitch, 5 a side pitches, top quality changing facilities, 350 seat stand and full catering facilities was half built, was a joke. Spartans have a better stadium and training facilites than anyone in the 2nd or 3rd division and with Cowdenbeath now being 1st division at least one team in that league as well. They also have a forward thinking commitee who have put an absolutely fantastic youth structure in place, 2 or 3 teams in every age bracket from under 10s onwards as well as coaching schools for ages 3+. I'm convinced the fact Spartans were so well run scared the blazers at other clubs. A forward thining, well run club with a professional attitude has no place in the lower leagues of Scottish football i'm afraid.

Wonder what will happen when the Spartans team that play in the Junior League start to play Junior Super League, does the EoS team then continue?

The EoS league is dying a death and the standard of teams, more so in the first, are about par with the Premier 1 of the Edinburgh Amateur league

[hibeedonald]

As n ex Spartan myself it still annoys me yet that we(they) weren't elected to the league last time around.

To be scored zero in the pitch and facilities criteria, depsite the fact a stadium complete with pitch, full size all weather training pitch, 5 a side pitches, top quality changing facilities, 350 seat stand and full catering facilities was half built, was a joke. Spartans have a better stadium and training facilites than anyone in the 2nd or 3rd division and with Cowdenbeath now being 1st division at least one team in that league as well. They also have a forward thinking commitee who have put an absolutely fantastic youth structure in place, 2 or 3 teams in every age bracket from under 10s onwards as well as coaching schools for ages 3+. I'm convinced the fact Spartans were so well run scared the blazers at other clubs. A forward thining, well run club with a professional attitude has no place in the lower leagues of Scottish football i'm afraid.

wouldnt quite say spartans ground was on par with queens park:greengrin

[MSK]

As n ex Spartan myself it still annoys me yet that we(they) weren't elected to the league last time around.

To be scored zero in the pitch and facilities criteria, depsite the fact a stadium complete with pitch, full size all weather training pitch, 5 a side pitches, top quality changing facilities, 350 seat stand and full catering facilities was half built, was a joke. Spartans have a better stadium and training facilites than anyone in the 2nd or 3rd division and with Cowdenbeath now being 1st division at least one team in that league as well. They also have a forward thinking commitee who have put an absolutely fantastic youth structure in place, 2 or 3 teams in every age bracket from under 10s onwards as well as coaching schools for ages 3+. I'm convinced the fact Spartans were so well run scared the blazers at other clubs. A forward thining, well run club with a professional attitude has no place in the lower leagues of Scottish football i'm afraid.:top marks

[Pretty Boy]

wouldnt quite say spartans ground was on par with queens park:greengrin

Ach theres always one.

Hampdens a dump, nowhere near the class of Ainslie Park.:wink:

[Pretty Boy]

Wonder what will happen when the Spartans team that play in the Junior League start to play Junior Super League, does the EoS team then continue?

The EoS league is dying a death and the standard of teams, more so in the first, are about par with the Premier 1 of the Edinburgh Amateur league

This is an interesting point. The whole emphasis of the EOS team was league football. On and off the park that team is worthy of at least 3rd division football. I agree the EOS league has gone downhill the past couple of years but the top 5 teams in the Premier would still give most 2nd and 3rd division clubs a run for their money.

The Juniors do seem to be the 'fashionable' league at the moment and Spartans Juniors are a pretty decent side and a lot more money is being invested in that particular team by the commitee compared to when they were Spartans 2nd XI playing in the amateurs. I suppose at some point in the future if a super league place happens and if the juniors, as a whole, show more willingness to comply with SFA disciplinary and financial rules then a decision will have to be made over which team is the primary focus at Spartans.

[shagpile]

Sixty miles along the A96 is a looooooooooooong way. If Elgin had put any sort of decent challenge together then of course they would attract punters in the area who want to see League fitba. The problem they have is attracting players with enough quality willing to make the journey to Elgin to play. Peterhead benefit more from their proximity to Aberdeen and the willingness of Aberdeen FC to send out fringe players on loan. But if we want a truly national league and not a central belt dominated affair the right of Elgin City to belong within the league structure is perfectly valid.
You might not like them but just be glad you don't share the heartbreak of seeing them lose every week,:greengrin

To be honest i wouldn't say that was a benefit. If anything it is more of a hindrance. When lower division clubs take guys on loan from clubs like Aberdeen, Hibs etc it is with the understanding that they will be getting a game. Any local youngster waiting to get his chance gets dropped down the pecking order.

[marinello59]

To be honest i wouldn't say that was a benefit. If anything it is more of a hindrance. When lower division clubs take guys on loan from clubs like Aberdeen, Hibs etc it is with the understanding that they will be getting a game. Any local youngster waiting to get his chance gets dropped down the pecking order.

Tell the Blue toon gaffer to send them to Borough Briggs then.:greengrin

[marinello59]

Caley were the best supported and most successful team ever in the highland league but there was a spell in the mid sixties when Elgin were kings...They had a few heroic runs in the Scottish Cup etc..It's a mystery to me why they aren't at least in the 1st division..

As I mentioned earlier, travel to Elgin for central belt based players is difficult. That was less of a problem for other ex Highland League sides such as Inverness and Peterhead.
There were rumours last year that City were going to cut their losses and re-apply to join the Highland League. That would be sad but the reality is they would probably be financially stronger if they did drop back down.

[Hibby Bairn]

Had a great Highland tour with Hibs mid-80's playing Elgin and Keith I think it was. Remember being in the Elgin supporters club after the game and Roughie walked in ordered a pint, downed it in a oner and left! Thanks for your chat!!

[shagpile]

Caley were the best supported and most successful team ever in the highland league but there was a spell in the mid sixties when Elgin were kings...They had a few heroic runs in the Scottish Cup etc..It's a mystery to me why they aren't at least in the 1st division..


Inverness based clubs more or less dominate the HFL stats from day one. Caley & Clach both have 18 league titles to their name with Thistle having 8[IIRC] . The biggest underacheivers in the HFL are Peterhead & to a lesser extent Fraserburgh. For the size of these towns to have won the HFL only 8 times between them is poor stuff.
Huntly & Keith have both done better, although their league wins come mostly in short spells.
If you search the net you will find some archive footage [from the 50's IIRC] where Clach play Caley in front of 10,000 people. Twice as many as will be at Fir Park tomorrow!

[Musselbound]

Sixty miles along the A96 is a looooooooooooong way. If Elgin had put any sort of decent challenge together then of course they would attract punters in the area who want to see League fitba. The problem they have is attracting players with enough quality willing to make the journey to Elgin to play. Peterhead benefit more from their proximity to Aberdeen and the willingness of Aberdeen FC to send out fringe players on loan. But if we want a truly national league and not a central belt dominated affair the right of Elgin City to belong within the league structure is perfectly valid.
You might not like them but just be glad you don't share the heartbreak of seeing them lose every week,:greengrin

It is a terrible road but that doesn't stop people from doing it. Little over an hour from Aberdeen by train and they can be in their seat at Pittodrie in about an hour and a half. Doesn't stop buses making the journey to Ibrox or Parkhead either! My main point though was that people in the towns roundabout (which do not have big populations anyway and are not that close to it) are unlikely to support Elgin even if they were promoted. No I don't really like Elgin since I was brought up as a Forres Mechanics supporter.:wink: But regardless of that, it is valid for them to be part of the league structure although I'm unconvinced they've really benefited from it so far.