Club: Alfordians
Stadium: Prospect
Street
Location: Alford,
Aberdeenshire
Rivals: The North Face
Transfers IN:
Kenneth McSporran
Transfers OUT:
Last Season: 5th
in SPL
Description:
Keith last won the SPL in season 49. Its been a long time
and the Prospects have been starved of domestic success for far too long! The
Alfodians were at their strongest way back in the 40’s and its been a long road
of misery and suffering for the fans since!
Club: Alness AFC
Stadium: Alness
Location: Alness,
Highland
Rivals:
Transfers IN:
Calvet Pais from ahmbrnzosm for £360k
Fang Cheng Bing from Hasta la Victoria for £375k
Transfers OUT:
Last Season: 8th
in SPL
Description:
Bigars toops are one of the oldest teams left in
Scotland. However, they are also serial
losers. They have never lifted the SPL title, something that the Easter Ross
support are desperate for. Alness’ biggest achievement was the lifting of the
Scottish Cup in Season 21.
Club: Chelsea
Headhunters
Stadium: Garden
Of Eden
Location: Galashiels,
Scottish Borders
Rivals:
Transfers IN:
Calum McKindlay from
Steelares FC for £390k
Ulysses
Botelho from Cambalacho F.C for £785K
Transfers OUT:
Irvin Lowson to Club San Martín de Fsa £1k
Alexander
Isak from Manchester City FC for £342k
Chris
Francis from Havenloft FCfor £165K
Last Season: 4th
in SPL
Description:
Back in the 30’s teams feared Chelsea. They were a dangerous
outfit capable of decimating teams. The won the SPL and the National Cup in
season 38 and 39. They recently returned to the football scene a few seasons
ago with big investment. However, that was not enough to bring home the coveted
prize.
Club: Dragons
Disaster
Stadium: Loanhead
Location: Loanhead,
Midlothian
Rivals:
Transfers IN:
Transfers OUT:
Last Season: 7th
in SPL
Description:
Declan McKay’s Dragons have an empty trophy cabinet! Dragons
highest finish in a season was 5th place back in season 71.
Club: Floodish FC
Stadium: Floodish
Park
Location: Closest Point to Argentina
Rivals:
Transfers IN:
Andrew Carter from Partners in Crime AFC
史谦平 from【AT】大帝乘风归来
for £15k
Lucas Masterson from WILXEN FCfor £70K
David Kilström from ≮王者归来≯匪匪占山为王 for £390k
Bradley Forester from Olympique Olavarría £445K
Xiao Zhi Kun from SABALEPLUS £280k
Transfers OUT:
Harald Aps to Tupparna for £70k
Stewart Fergus to Montgomerie Galaxy for £25k
Tibet Yeltekin to Imbau AD £375k
Last Season: SPL
Champions
Description:
Floodish are serial winners. In this modern era of the 60s
and 70’s they have been the dominate force winning every SPL title since season
68. That is 6 titles in a row! The question is can they keep it up? A few teams
will fancy the title this season!
Club: Grangemouth
Stadium: The New
Shed
Location: Grangemouth
Rivals:
Transfers IN:
Transfers OUT:
Last Season: D1.1
Champions
Description:
James’s team have been here before, last in the SPL in
season 71. However, they were sorley mismatched. They got promoted last season
first time of asking and will be hoping to put in defiant display this season!
Club: Montgomerie
Galaxy
Stadium: Montgomerie
Plaza
Location: Nairn,
Highland
Rivals: Muir United
Transfers IN:
Stewart Fergus from Floodish for £25k
James
Davenport from Thank You for £75k
Theo
Dempster from Thank You for £100k
Transfers OUT:
Phillip Abbie to Murio en Madrid
Davie Limont to the Blues
Last Season: 2nd
in D1.2 (Playoff Promotion)
Description:
A very young club which has had a meteoric rise in the last
few seasons. Some say that manager Lisa MacDonald leans on her husband for
advice. I would say your bloody right too! The Galaxy aim for the season is
survival. However, that is very unlikely!
Club: Muir United
Stadium: B.A.M.
Arena
Location: Muir of
Ord, Highland
Rivals: Montgomerie Galaxy
Transfers IN:
Benjamin Baptist from FFORT Q WILLIAM
Quentin Roberts from ATOM City for £200k
Irvin Ferson from ATOM City
Mihai Voina from Cetatea Suceava for £325k
Lammouri Aliche
from As
Pozas F.C. for £600k
Transfers OUT:
Jawad Bo Resley to Porradinha Futebol Clube £120k
Ricky Elliot to YELLY Nets FC
Last Season: D1.2
Champions
Description:
Were back to where we belong. After a disastrous first
season in the SPL two seasons ago. The Terriers hope to push a successful
campaign (7th). A lot of that squad had grown up over the two
seasons along with some heavy investment in the first team. IF anything the
Muir support will be happy if they take 6 points of rivals Monty Galaxy!
Club: Thank You
Stadium: Rzepiko
Park
Location: Lost in the Islands
Rivals:
Transfers IN:
Transfers OUT:
Last Season: 2nd
in SPL
Description:
Thank You have gone in to administration and sold up shop.
Due to this they will finish 12. This gives some hope to the other weaker
teams.
Club: The North
Face
Stadium: Druid
Glen
Location: Inverness
Rivals:
Transfers IN:
Finlay Barrie from NILSONS ACADEMY FC
Donald Spittel from ATOM City
Transfers OUT:
Christian
Mambru to ≮王者归来≯God is girls for £1.8m
Efsane Karagülle to Real Madrid CF for £2.75m
Last Season: 3rd
in SPL
Description:
North Face are serial winners! They have amassed 12 SPL
title wins! Let that sink in they were a force in the 30’s and a force in the
60’s. Let will be no mugs and will give a good account of themselves this
season. Andy has organised a talent factory where he has produced winning teams
in all different age groups!
Club: Tradition
Ways AFC
Stadium: TRA Ways
Park
Location: Onich, Glencoe
Rivals:
Transfers IN:
Kenny Brodie from thank you for £1000
Transfers OUT:
Last Season: 1.3
Champions
Description:
Dan’s team has only been in existence since season 71. Its
been a very impressive rise to the top flight. They manage to pip the 1.3 title
from out of nowhere last season. However, I would imagine that they are in for
a very long hard season.
Club: Twoj Stary
Pijany
Stadium: YourDadisDrunk
Location: In a Polish direction
Rivals:
Transfers IN:
Ulf Abrahamsson from Abádszalók for £415k
Maxim Sima from PHOENIX Cluj-Napoca £320k
Transfers OUT:
Wincenty Polakowski to Ollavarre £25k
Last Season: 6th
in SPL
Description:
Natalia is probably the most impressive young manager in MZ
Scotland. Her team won promotion in to the SPL in season 71 Debut season)! From
there her team has never looked back, as her team has finished 6th
two seasons in a row. Can she do one better?
SPL Review after 3 rounds of season 74
Season 74 is in full swing after 3 interesting rounds of matches.
Last seasons, and indeed the champions of the last 6 seasons, Floodish are in search of a ''magnificent 7'' and the first 3 rounds would suggest they will once again be in the end of season melting pot. Duncan M has built an enviable squad but his all conquering boys are starting to reach that age where inevitably all empires fall. Last seasons edging out of Thank You for the title by goal difference could be the first signs of hope for an eager chasing pack of antagonists. Floodish are now the oldest squad in the SPL with an average age of 32. They have opened their defence of the title with 3 wins the most recent of which was a surprisingly comfortable 4-0 stroll at Fort William.
The Highlanders and their supremo Andy were well fancied before the commencement of the campaign and will need a quick response to keep pace with the champions. Fort William are still a young squad (24 average) and perhaps their return to glory waits somewhere down the line. This Sunday sees a round 4 blockbuster as initial leaders Chelsea Headhunters travel to Floodish in what already looks like a battle of Titans. Duncan B has surely but steadily rebuilt his squad and looks as well placed as any in the current SPL realms to force the power grab that will wrestle the trophy from Floodish. Headhunters like Floodish have an illustrious past with 6 titles on the bounce and no doubt will want to stop Floodish from notching one extra in the silverware cabinet. Sundays match up will be an undoubted corker. Mario Jesus Jardel who is running away with the top scorer golden boot at the moment may just fire the Headhunters into SPL heaven this weekend.
The surprise package of season 74 may just be TwojStaryPijany (TSP). Manager Natalias boys sit 3rd after despatching Alfordians, Muir United and the now inactive Thank You. Bigger tests await down the line for TSP but I predict there is every possibility for a top 3 finish and qualification for the European tournaments next term. Whinswoods Alfordians sit 4th after two wins from 3 but that defeat at TSP maybe signals another mid table season. Breaking into that top 3 seems to be a task too far for the Alford lads and perhaps another move into the market may be needed to push on for that objective.
Grangemouth sit mid table after a 2-1 win at Alness and manager James will want to stop the yo yo existence of relegation/promotion to finally seal SPL solidity. A top half finish would signal progress in that department. Much the same could be said for Dragons Disaster and Alness who's squad value does not warrant them currently being 9th and 11th respectively. Both should achieve mid table or play off to ensure safety but I cannot see a top 5 break through as yet. Brian and his Muir boys returned to the big time for the umpteenth time and losing only 3-0 to Floodish suggests he has a squad this time to preserve his top flight place. A gritty 0-0 draw with Grangemouth means they have a point on the board to build on. Muir's next opponents are the wonderfully named Montgomerie Galaxy who along with their fellow newcomers Tradition Ways are the new kids on the SPL block. We all know how tough it is to survive that first season up at the top end of the MZ Scottish table. Both teams have had tough opponents in the early rounds. Stick in there lads....and a warm welcome to the SPL, this is where the game really starts :-). Finally after the dreadful disappointment of missing the SPL title on goal difference it was all too much for Thank You who imploded and sold up at the end of season 73. It means a couple of dead rubber 5-0 wins for everyone.
So there it is. The scene is set, as we approach round 4, for a great MZ SPL in the coming weeks and be sure about it there will be twists and turns !
As for me, well it's strange being back in the press room after so many years away. I decided to join the RA ranks a couple of days ago and my intention is, as always was, to look at the more ''human'' side of the game. Get to know the managers again and form a good close knit community of Mzers with good message board interaction and banter. Moving forward I will be bagging some interviews for upcoming Zones with both new and old managers and perhaps introducing some quizzes (for power token prizes) and a few fun articles. It's nice to be back....put the Kettle on Brian :-)
whinswood378.
League Table
by Brian_McSnail and Whinswood