HOME GAME v FRASERBURGH FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY, PH26 3HY
SATURDAY 13 APRIL 2024 – KO 3pm
Well here we go – the last week and with four games to complete our league season as far as finishes go this must be up there with THE most difficult ever!! …..mind you as demanding finishes go the focus must be on Buckie Thistle who will be playing six games in twelve days to finish their season off – in comparison to rivals Brechin and Fraserburgh who play three games and Banks O’ Dee with two.
In the Highland League there is usually some congestion of fixtures at this time of the season, but this is quite exceptional in Buckie’s case. – various factors have contributed to this scenario, some of their own doing unfortunately.
It is a very exciting contest this year – as it is most years in the HL – with Brechin, Fraserburgh, Bank’s O’ Dee and Buckie all vying for top spot…so by playing two of the teams in contention twice this week, Strathspey Thistle will play a major part in realising where the league flag will be unfurled at the start of next season.
The reason for this end of season compressed set of fixtures for us all is that because Buckie are in contention for the league title, the title must be won by April 20 so as to enable the Breedon Highland League winners to go forward to a home and away play-off against the winning team from the Lowland League as part of the SFA’s pyramid system. The winners of that tie, play home and away against the bottom club in League Two of the Scottish League and the victors book a place in next year’s League Two, hopefully following in the footsteps of Cove Rangers, Bonnyrigg Rose etc.
THIS SATURDAY’S GAME AGAINST FRASERBURGH FC
So with Fraserburgh hunting the league title we can’t see them showing any mercy, so we have to go into the match with the same attitude we have had playing in some of the games against the top teams already this season….we expect a really tough game but hopefully we can get something from it perhaps not a win but a close game and a good performance. The weather forecast is for the sun to be shining and a blue sky – hopefully, fingers crossed it is correct and the fans of both teams can at least be dry as opposed to being soaked and cold!
Fraserburgh are motoring on just fine in the race for the league title and currently sit in second place, with Buckie Thistle, three points behind leaders Brechin City with three games to play. Today is the first of two games in a week against the ‘Broch, as we finish our league campaign next Saturday in Fraserburgh.
I would imagine we will also be welcoming a very strong ‘Broch following on Saturday, and if if there are any newbies to Grantown or any wanting a resumé of what is available in Grantown click here for a reminder. Safe journeys!
Unfortunately, Jags caretaker manager Mike Rae may be struggling to put together his ideal eleven for the final four fixtures, especially with the way the games have come about over the past few weeks, injuries have taken their toll as well as some players moving on….
WHAT OF NEXT SEASON…..
We will finish bottom of the league no matter what happens – and being part of the SFA’s pyramid system, retaining our position in the Highland League for next season and what is happening in the Midlands League in the Dundee, Fife and Angus (!) area is what concerns us most….
The fortunes of Broughty Athletic FC and Lochee Utd FC are especially important….because if Lochee win the league then we must play them home and away in a play-off tie for that place in the Highland League…Dundee based Lochee have the necessary criteria in place and intimated, as all clubs have to, their intentions at the start of the season that they would join the Highland League if they won their league title.
Broughty Athletic did not – and currently with three games left Broughty sit on top of the league eight points ahead of Lochee, but, Lochee have two games in hand…so it’s going to be an exciting finish in that league too!!
DIARY DATES
As indicated last week, this week’s games are comin’ at ye thick and fast….Buckie Monday night away, Buckie Wednesday night home, both 8 pm kick off, and we finish off at Fraserburgh next Saturday afternoon.
With thoughts turning towards the summer and with the Master’s in Augusta this weekend on television a date to pencil in is the STFC Golf Day which takes place this year on Saturday 13 July at Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club. Full details will be available soon.
LAST SATURDAY AWAY TO TURRIFF UTD
It was another disappointing Saturday. Playing both a very good Turriff side and a strong wind in the first half we were four down by the interval. We hoped with the wind behind our backs in the second half we may make a bit of a comeback especially when Owen Loveland
scored four minutes into the second half, but it was not to be and Turriff scored a further three goals after that making the final score 7-1 to Turra….
LOTTERY
As ever we conclude this week’s meanderings offering you a jackpot win of £5400 on our online fundraising lottery – click here if you want to play…
LOTTERY CH-CH-CHANGES
As intimated a couple of months ago after the current jackpot, has been won, so completing that game there will be couple of changes.
There will still be a weekly prize of £100 for a consolation winner if their entry matches four of the five numbers drawn, however instead of a weekly increase in the jackpot of £100, this will now be increased monthly.
The game is to forecast 5 winning numbers, which are drawn at random, from 1-20. The 5 numbers chosen are to be marked by a cross (X).
- The Jackpot prize starts at £1,000 and the game continues until it is won and starts afresh. As applicable, the Jackpot increases by £100 immediately after the first draw in each calendar month, up to a maximum of £5,000. The Jackpot is then capped at £5,000 until it is won in a weekly draw.
- If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players.
- Should no entry forecast all 5 winning numbers, then any player matching 4 numbers will be entered into a draw for a single Consolation Prize of £100.
- THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
- The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
- All winners will be notified.