who will replace Gretna in the League?

[davemclaren]

Bring in Carlisle.

[Flogel98]

Trust you to stick the boot into the Dean now that you?ve moved to Rosyth!

 

The case for Gala Fairydean?s inclusion in the league is an interesting one.

 

A recent building application on the outskirts of the town would (if approved) take the population to over 16,000.

 

Gala is already bigger than Forfar, Montrose, Stranraer, Brechin and Gretna.

 

The increase in population proposed in one year would make Gala comparable in size to say Stenhousemuir and not far off the size of Peterhead.

 

Housing and population projections for the Central Borders area based on the return of the railway in 2012 predict huge rises in both taking Gala?s population to over the 20,000 mark possibly within 10 years.

 

This would make Gala bigger than either Alloa or Elgin and comparable with towns like Dumbarton or Arbroath.

 

As for your suggestions of Junior teams like Linlithgow Rose or Tayport, even if rules we changed to let them in Linlithgow has a population of less that 12,000 and Tayport less than 4,000.

 

It is true that the Dean?s crowds are currently very low and the team is not performing well. However, they have shown in the past either with home ties in the Scottish Cup or friendlies against bigger opposition that the crowds would turn out.

 

I would never miss going to Tynie in order to see the Dean but if Hearts were away I?d definitely consider going down to Netherdale.

On a broader point, the last few times that teams have been selected to join the league the Highlands have done well. Inverness and Ross County have proved to be success stories but it is doubtful that beyond the teams currently in league places that any other Highland team could add anything to the Scottish game.

 

Introducing League football to the one area that is currently not represented, in an area undergoing dramatic growth and change might actually turn out to be a success story rather than replicating some of the failures we see in the lower reaches of our leagues.

 

(Plus John Mitchell is no longer on the committee?that?s got to be a good thing!)

 

Should you not be considering going to follow Hearts??