The Heelan League 2017/18 Thread

[Pacman1903]

Clach bites the bullet too

[Pacman1903]

Turrah too

two coastals stay on

[Pacman1903]

Buckie Bhoys 0-2 Sevcove
Lossiemouth 1-2 Wick Academy

[57vintage]

Seeing as our regular correspondent only posts results, the scorching hot griff is that Ewan Bremner and Martin Skinner have left their posts as manager and coach of the league’s undisputed (before the uninformed dilettantes comment) finest club, with Deano taking over as interim gaffer.

The boys did their best in difficult circumstances. We are the Maroons, however, and the current problems are mere obstacles along the way. Form, after all, is merely temporary you ****ing makky-on, shallow, ephemeral, fleeting fly-by-night pretenders. Class, of the Proper Mannies’ Kynoch Park standard, is permanent.

[BorneoRed]

Stop living in past glories min.....Thos days are long gone.
But, good luck to the lad.

Seeing as our regular correspondent only posts results, the scorching hot griff is that Ewan Bremner and Martin Skinner have left their posts as manager and coach of the league’s undisputed (before the uninformed dilettantes comment) finest club, with Deano taking over as interim gaffer.

The boys did their best in difficult circumstances. We are the Maroons, however, and the current problems are mere obstacles along the way. Form, after all, is merely temporary you ****ing makky-on, shallow, ephemeral, fleeting fly-by-night pretenders. Class, of the Proper Mannies’ Kynoch Park standard, is permanent.

[57vintage]

Stop living in past glories min.....Thos days are long gone.

Choo talkin 'bout Willis?

Since our last trophy win in 2013 (on the 30th anniversary of the Dons' victory in Gothenburg, if you please) the squad has been raided by sugar daddy-enriched clubs paying unsustainable signing-on fees and wages. Keith also lost its main sponsor last spring when Fithandel went under due to the oil and gas downturn, and I believe that meant the club didn't get its agreed end-of-season payment which had already been ear-marked to fund pre-contract signings (Pennet from Banff, a Locos defender, Leask from the Broch and more). The manager left and is now back at Maud. Because of the financial situation, experienced players were snapped up (eg Ewen to Huntly, Milne, Cormack and Baker to sugar daddy-bailed out Rothes, Barbour to Spain Park) and most pre-contracts remained with their current clubs.

With Stuart Duff and Deano turning down an offer made to them to take on the managerial/coaching roles, the club turned to its U-18 coach, Ewan Robb to take over, but this hasn't been a success, as he was left with around 4/5 experienced players in Cammy, Bruce Raffel (currently on the long-term injury list), Donnie Fraser, Hutchie and Ralton). The rest are kids, and it's been their inexperience, despite their enthusiasm, that has cost us dear, with regular errors leaving Keith with an uphill struggle from a couple of daft goals down.

The club is apparently skint, and there is no Gary Farquhar, Richard Forsyth, the Brora mannie, or Atholl Cadger on the horizon.

We will have to persevere with the loons, and get the best from them - some have great promise - and see what other revenue opportunities are accessible. However, with the Pittodrie experience, from the cost-cutting, achieving a workable wage to turnover ratio, to where we are now, with attempted big spenders like Dundee, Motherwell, Hearts and the blue ****s all having been in administration, and that beautiful day in June 2012 when the huns were liquidated, I'm certain that clubs being the plaything of local businessmen is extremely short sighted and limited. Clach went into administration, Nairn took a hefty hit in summer 2016 when Narden pulled the sponsorship plug on them, yet have survived and are playing good, honest, Proper Mannies' Fitba.

So, those days which you opine are long gone, may be on their way back, as the looming recession that leaving the EU will bring, and the oil price stays stubbornly under the profitable $70/barrel reduces input to the temporarily-moneyed clubs, and the playing field levels out (not Harmsworth Park, which is built on the scarp slope of a Caithness escarpment).

Believe it or not, in my 53 years as a Maroon, things have been worse, and although there are tough times ahead, I'm confident we'll come out the other side in good financial and playing shape.

[Pacman1903]

'mon the Maroons

Soft spot as they (and Brora) kick started my love of fitba again when I started my Heelan Hike at Kynoch

[57vintage]

Kieran Lawrence, young attacking midfielder, down the North Lodge pecking order but very highly rated, joins the Maroons on loan until the end of the season.

Alas, I think the championship is mathematically beyond Keith now.

Ach.

[BorneoRed]

Thanks for the info Vintage, although would you not be happy to accept a "Sugar Daddy" as you call them.
All your successful teams, no matter what league, are at the top, only because of money.
I know Keith as a fantastic history, in fact, I was asked to play in a cup final one weekend as the team was so short because of injuries. That was when Bruce Martin was there. Just can't remember the year, possibly 84,5 or 6. But they managed to get a team together.
Good days then.

Choo talkin 'bout Willis?

Since our last trophy win in 2013 (on the 30th anniversary of the Dons' victory in Gothenburg, if you please) the squad has been raided by sugar daddy-enriched clubs paying unsustainable signing-on fees and wages. Keith also lost its main sponsor last spring when Fithandel went under due to the oil and gas downturn, and I believe that meant the club didn't get its agreed end-of-season payment which had already been ear-marked to fund pre-contract signings (Pennet from Banff, a Locos defender, Leask from the Broch and more). The manager left and is now back at Maud. Because of the financial situation, experienced players were snapped up (eg Ewen to Huntly, Milne, Cormack and Baker to sugar daddy-bailed out Rothes, Barbour to Spain Park) and most pre-contracts remained with their current clubs.

With Stuart Duff and Deano turning down an offer made to them to take on the managerial/coaching roles, the club turned to its U-18 coach, Ewan Robb to take over, but this hasn't been a success, as he was left with around 4/5 experienced players in Cammy, Bruce Raffel (currently on the long-term injury list), Donnie Fraser, Hutchie and Ralton). The rest are kids, and it's been their inexperience, despite their enthusiasm, that has cost us dear, with regular errors leaving Keith with an uphill struggle from a couple of daft goals down.

The club is apparently skint, and there is no Gary Farquhar, Richard Forsyth, the Brora mannie, or Atholl Cadger on the horizon.

We will have to persevere with the loons, and get the best from them - some have great promise - and see what other revenue opportunities are accessible. However, with the Pittodrie experience, from the cost-cutting, achieving a workable wage to turnover ratio, to where we are now, with attempted big spenders like Dundee, Motherwell, Hearts and the blue ****s all having been in administration, and that beautiful day in June 2012 when the huns were liquidated, I'm certain that clubs being the plaything of local businessmen is extremely short sighted and limited. Clach went into administration, Nairn took a hefty hit in summer 2016 when Narden pulled the sponsorship plug on them, yet have survived and are playing good, honest, Proper Mannies' Fitba.

So, those days which you opine are long gone, may be on their way back, as the looming recession that leaving the EU will bring, and the oil price stays stubbornly under the profitable $70/barrel reduces input to the temporarily-moneyed clubs, and the playing field levels out (not Harmsworth Park, which is built on the scarp slope of a Caithness escarpment).

Believe it or not, in my 53 years as a Maroon, things have been worse, and although there are tough times ahead, I'm confident we'll come out the other side in good financial and playing shape.

[Pacman1903]

Hearing its pretty frosty back home. Surely a few will bite the dust

Buckie Bhoys v Brora Huns
Sevcovegyporoaminingvagabondb@stards v Clachnacuddin (Venue - just the 46 miles fae cove)
Deveronvale v Huntly
Formartinks v Wick Academy
Forres Mechanics v Strathspey Thistle
Fraserburgh v Fort William
Inverurie Locos v Lossiemouth
Keith v Nairn County
Rothes v Turrah