SPL Discussion Thread

Dunfermline fan on Kenny...

Quote:

---

He's popular and getting even more popular. Yorkston got credit from the fans for taking a chance on this young manager. His CV was excellent but some people thought Yorkson and the board would go for a more experienced manager. We were all delighted when he appointed kenny. Its a gamble and there was no certainty in it working but it likes like it was the correct gamble.

It's paying off, the team is fitter, stronger and they are playing some lovely football. They seem to know when to fight, when to defend and when to just say stuff it and go on a Calvary charge. Kenny won't take an forward of and replace him with a defender, he'll take a midfielder of and replace him with a striker. Can't promise that in the final though. I suspect if we were 1-0 up with 10 minutes to go we might just try and bore your team to lose the will to live.

The defence is a big difference, we're not playing a defencive game but we aren't conceding which is great.

The other thing about Kenny is he seem a genuinely nice guy. Hes also a great diplomat. People might not like Yorkston, Pars fans are divided but Kenny will bring back respect for us in a footballing and of the pitch way.

So the fans are right behind kenny. OK its taken a while for his team to gel and start getting results. We might still lose our SPL place but, Kenny is a man who builds foundations first and then builds a strong and lasting team. If we go down then Kennys the man to get us up again. Just think, instead of East End Park you will get extra opportunities to go to Fir park and watch Gretna ;-)

It puts into perspective Calderwood. He might have taken us to a cup final, he might have done well in the league but it was built on sand and he spent a fortune in the process. We escaped administration by a whisker. The Calderwood left without a word of goodbye. What really annoyed fans was they way he talked about us. He never once acknowledged the fans who supported the team. All he could do was moan about the lack of fans. Fair enough, we're not Celtic or Rangers but believe it or not we are far from being the worst supported club in the SPL. The way Calderwood talked you would think we were. The other thing Calderwood did was to drag Dunfermline name down. He's just no a very nice man.

OK bit long, sorry but I think it answers the kenny question fully.

---

St. Mirren did the unlikely and beat Falkirk at the weekend, winning their first match since Stephen's Day. 4 points between them and Dunfermline, with them facing each other next Monday.

Yup, heading to that game tonight myself with a Pars man and a Diet Hun. Every time I've seen Dunfermline play I've vowed never to watch them again it's been so dull and negative, a lowlight being the CIS cup final 06 against Celtic (you'd never have thought they were in a cup final). But our paths always seem to cross and I'm expecting better tonight. Pars fans over here a v happy with Kenny and the football they are playing. Still struggling for goals mind, but these end of season relegation battles often turn out to be crackers...

Dunfermline won the relegation six-pointer tonight to move within a point of St. Mirren.

Crowd of over 10,000 at the game! :eek:

Fixtures.

Dunfermline v Motherwell
Inverness CT v Dunfermline
Dunfermline v Falkirk

Dundee Utd v St Mirren
Motherwell v St Mirren
St Mirren v Inverness CT

That really should be 2 home wins for Dunfermline. I'd love to see them do it.

Dunfermline haven't conceded a goal in 5 and do their best to play attacking football.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Apparantly his contract is unprotected (the new FIFA thing)

---

dont think its new. its been in championship manager for years now:D

Crowd of over 10,000 at the game! :eek:[/QUOTE]


It helps when the tickets were only a tenner, 2 quid for under 16's. Atmosphere was great. With some EPL teams reducing prices recently too it really is something to look into for the smaller/less successful clubs in order to boost their gates and generate a bit of an atmosphere as well as snaring some of the younger fans who might be more likely to head the way of Celtic/Man Utd/etc.
Football wasn't great but when they got it down and passed it the game improved. Jim O Brien had a bit of an off day.
By the way what do you all think of the split? It has its critics but I have to say I like it. Top teams only playing good in form teams for the run in, points dropped everywhere, and those at the bottom slog it out together to avoid relegation. Does any other league have a similar arrangement?

It's nice to see some clubs cutting prices. I think football has become quite overpriced these days which is why I'm starting to watch a lot more of my local side Port Talbot in the Welsh league rather than follow Swansea away. Tickets are often £20 for an adult at some clubs which for League One football is a bit of a joke.

As for the split, I'm not a big fan of the idea. I think the SPL should just expand to 14 or 16 clubs and do an nextra 'round' of games instead.

The split can make for some exciting games but I think it deals too much of a financial blow to those who finish in the bottom half and miss out on getting one of the Old Firm and all the gate receipts, TV money etc. that comes with it.

We're already seeing a bit of a gulf developing between a fairly clear top 6 (Rangers, Celtic, Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen and Killie) and the rest. I personally feel the split should be scrapped.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bottle of Tonic

By the way what do you all think of the split? It has its critics but I have to say I like it.

---

We had a debate about this in the EL forum. The way the SPL do it (using a lot of common sense with the fixtures) it's without doubt the fairest system for a 12 team league.

It's a good system.
It's just tough on the team that was maybe edged out of the top 6 and get send to scrap it out with the low lifes.

How well would Hearts have done if they didn't self destruct? I suspect they would have been there at the end, if not pole position.

I know that I'm probably being incredibly stupid here, and somethings probably gone right over my head but can someone explain to me how the SPL is a 38 game season with 12 teams. I could understand it if it was a 33 game season (each play each other 3 times) or a 44 game season (4 times). but a 38 game one I don't get.......explain please :confused:

It's to do with the split into 2 halves after 3 rounds are played.

They split the league into two halves of 6 teams each. In each half, the 6 teams play each other just once.

so 3 rounds with 12 teams 33 games
after the split 5 games

Cheers......

Does that not give the team that finishes 7th a great advantage over the team that finishes 6th not that it matters much but they are very likely to leapfrog them if they are any way close.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by geysir

How well would Hearts have done if they didn't self destruct? I suspect they would have been there at the end, if not pole position.

---

Hearts would be nowhere near good enough to contest a League. They are full of poor to average foreigners and got rid of the lifeblood of their team in Pressley and Hartley. However even if they still had been there I think they would have been looking at third place considering Walter Smith has steadied the ship at Ibrox.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Dunfermline fan on Kenny...

---

it answers the calderwood question as well , never liked him

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gustavo

Does that not give the team that finishes 7th a great advantage over the team that finishes 6th not that it matters much but they are very likely to leapfrog them if they are any way close.

---

No because whatever half you end up in after 33 games you stay in. This is why the 7th placed team last year had more points than 5th and 6th.

Can't believe that St. Mirren have got a run of form going all of a sudden. Very close now.

Today I saw another example of this stupid yellow card for over-celebrating.

Aberdeen scored a last minute equaliser to quite possibly put them into Europe next season. Barry Nicholson had been booked a few minutes earlier for a challenge then when he scored he ran over to the Aberdeen fans and removed his shirt.

Now I doubt anyone was offended by him exposing himself as he was wearing one of those Nike vests underneath and it could hardly have delayed the game as the stewards over in that corner had crowded around the Aberdeen fans and it appeared that they were infringing on the pitch at the time. The ref straightaway went to give him a yellow card and therefore sending him off for his second. I think he could have been more sensitive to the situation and what was going on.

Just to reinstate my beliefs, I HATE THIS RULE.

As for the game, I didn't see it all but I thought Aberdeen did deserve something from what I saw. Two blatant errors for the goals. Poor defending by Hearts and a poor attempt to save by Langfield.

About time this thread was resurrected now that there is some action.

Bad enough when Rangers do enough to get a slice of the Europe money but for them to have the whole lot doesn't bear thinking about. Well done to to the Celts tonight. JVOH - what a man, once he scored his pen then it was just a matter of time. Good to have opposition like Spartak under your belt before the group games.
Our lad McGeady looks fine to me.