They play each other and then we have them for our last two games. Personally, because of the social aspect, I would prefer the Pars, the Elizaethan and the delectable Buffy. BUT my head says that Midden cos I can see us beating the Pars and losing in Junkieland.

My sincere, humble and profuse apologies to any viewing Fifers or Paisleyites for any distress caused by my adult terminology. :001:

St Mirren.

Simply because I want them in the league next year as they will be losing a few of there better players over the summer and its always nice to have at least 1 rubbish team just in case things go horribly wrong for us!!

I think Dunfermline have a decent manager and the potential to strengthen there squad and improve from this years form

Dont really mind which team goes down but at a push would say i'd prefer Dumfermline to stay up

want st mirren to stay up, think the spl is a better league with them in there

St Mirren to go down, can't stand them!  And wouldn't it be fitting if Rossco got the goal that sent them down?!!  However I would fear for his safety if that happened!!!

Dunfermline to stay up - hopefully still rubbishy enough to be a buffer for us, and 15 minutes from my house by motorway. And we could then offer John Sutton SPL football.

I've had a bit of a soft spot for the Pars ever since our semi final clash a few seasons back so, on balance, I would prefer to see St Mirren take the drop.

Dunfermline are experienced and successful at battling relegation from this league and that experience could well be the diference between the two sides.

From the football purists perspective you'd have to want Dunfermline to stay up since they're the better football team. But from a self-preservationist perspective it'd be better for us if St Mirren stayed up, at least that'd be one team we could be confident of finishing above next season. Since Kenny took charge the Pars have shown a vast improvement, and come next season when he's had more time to put his stamp on the team they could be a decent side.

Dunf athletic because they are the most pointless team in the SPL. They struggle every year and I would rather have the mini bigots in the league.

the spl needs another west coast team more than it needs a fife one.

same as the first needs partick more than it needs county (or airdrie for that matter)

id like to see falkirk go down :003:

Dunf athletic because they are the most pointless team in the SPL. They struggle every year and I would rather have the mini bigots in the league.

You must be quite new to this SPL lark. Dunfermline for a time were a regular top 6 side in the SPL. It's only been the last couple of years that they have floundered.

A few seasons ago Dunfermline (And Kilmarnock) were often battling up there for European places

the spl needs another west coast team more than it needs a fife one.

same as the first needs partick more than it needs county (or airdrie for that matter)

Why??

Celtic Rangers Motherwell Kilmarnock St Mirren and likely Gretna makes six west as it is. Or is your tongue in your cheek

You would be right, before Caley got into the SPL I didn't really give a fiddlers fart about it as there was no team I really followed in it. Only followed the Division ICT were in. My bad.

dunfermlne have been rubbish for a few years now and only stayed up last year cos livi were much worse.  i think their luck has to turn and fear that next year they could improve.  so id rather see the pars drop so we can safely count st mirren as relegation contenders next year

IMO Gretna will go straight back down. Brookes M bought the club and pledged he would finance the five years it would take to go from div 3 to SPL. He's done it (almost), achieved his ambition and will now likely pull out. No way can he keep spending.

i just dont like fife much alex.

Gretna will go down on attendences alone, theres only 3,000 people there and they are only geting 1,200 people to games when they are doing well, think about when they get their ***** handed to them next season. The crowds will be alot less. I can see them falling flat on their *** financially and performance wise.

If the Pars go down then their crowds will go up as they will do well in the Division which will give them a year or two to sort themselves out before having another crack at the SPL.

Gretna will go down on attendences alone, theres only 3,000 people there and they are only geting 1,200 people to games when they are doing well, think about when they get their ***** handed to them next season. The crowds will be alot less. I can see them falling flat on their *** financially and performance wise.

If the Pars go down then their crowds will go up as they will do well in the Division which will give them a year or two to sort themselves out before having another crack at the SPL.

What you fail to realise is that they are backed by a millionaire. I imagine there players earn more than ours do. Why else would David Bingham leave a club promoted to the SPL to join a 2nd Division side? I think himself will deep one more time into his pockets should they get promoted  :006:

i read somewhere that Mileson has not given the money to Gretna but lent it. Thats fine for Gretna unless he pulls out...

hes set them up for years, when he dies (nevermind pulls out) theyll still be funded by him

sadly they could be here to stay

Gretna will go down on attendences alone, theres only 3,000 people there and they are only geting 1,200 people to games when they are doing well, think about when they get their ***** handed to them next season. The crowds will be alot less. I can see them falling flat on their *** financially and performance wise.

If the Pars go down then their crowds will go up as they will do well in the Division which will give them a year or two to sort themselves out before having another crack at the SPL.

What you fail to realise is that they are backed by a millionaire. I imagine there players earn more than ours do. Why else would David Bingham leave a club promoted to the SPL to join a 2nd Division side? I think himself will deep one more time into his pockets should they get promoted  :006:

Yes they are backed by a millionaire but his funds cannot hold out at the rate he needs to spend to sustain an SPL team (between 2 and 3 million a year). Yes his players were paid more money, whilst they were coming through the divisions, than ours were. They will not be paid any more now they have almost achieved his ambition. Indeed come the end of season a number of them will no longer be at the club.

Nobody can produce fans that dont exist so I dont see their gate going up. So a cold wed night in winter Gretna v ICT, for example. We take 100, they take 200. Motherwells stadium is going to look pretty bleak. Come midway through the season will there fans even bother to travel. Maybe a bus load to Inverness. 30 folks in a 2500 seat stand. Thats the reality.

What Mileson does or does not do with his money is up to him.  If he wishes to bankroll Gretna then thats his decision and to object or put the guy or his team down for it is nothing other than sour grapes.

ALL teams at some point or other have relied on the goodwill of a wealthy person or business to get or keep them where they were, us included, so it really is quite hypocritical for us to have a pop at Mileson or Gretna.

Our turnover last year was in the region of 2.5 million if I remember correctly.  Assuming Gretna end up on a similar level then Mileson has plenty in the bank to see them through well beyond the lifetime of moist of us on this forum today.  If thats how he wishes to spend his cash then good luck to the guy. 

Why shouldn't Gretna be allowed to live the dream?  They aren't doing a Livi and generating massive debt as they do it so even if it doesn't last nobody will suffer financially other than Mileson.

re Dunfermline always poor........

.........were they not the first Scottish team to play European football when the Big Man himself, Jock Stein was the manager? Was either them or Hibs.  (Wiki just told me it was Hibs......Hibernian were the first British club to appear in European competition, in its inaugural 1955/56 season. Hibernian's participation had little to do with qualification as they accepted the invitation to European competition that was declined by the four teams that finished above them in the Scottish League. Playing their first game against German side Rot-Weiss Essen, Hibernian won 4-0 in Essen and the return tie in Scotland ended in a 1-1 draw. Hibernian went on to reach the semi-finals, only to be defeated by a Stade de Reims side inspired by the great French footballer Raymond Kopa.)

thanks Wik. :003:

My mate Wikipedia said

"Dunfermline Athletic won the Scottish Cup in 1961 and 1968, and played regular European football in the UEFA and European Cup Winners Cups throughout the 60s and early 70s. They reached the semi-final of the European Cup Winners Cup in season 68-69, losing 1-2 on aggregate to eventual winners Slovan Bratislava. On the way to the semi-final they beat APOEL, Olympiacos and West Bromwich Albion.In 1962 they reached the Cup-Winners Cup Quarter Finals. On they way they beat St. Patricks Athletic of Ireland and FK Vardar of Yugoslavia."

look at this

Dunfermline Athletic have played competitive European matches in the following countries:

Belgium: Anderlecht

Croatia: Dinamo Zagreb

Cyprus: APOEL Nicosia

Czech Republic: Spartak Brno

Denmark: Boldklub 1903 Copenhagen

England: Everton, West Bromwich Albion

France: Girondins de Bordeaux

Germany: VfB Stuttgart

Greece: Olympiacos

Hungary: Újpesti Dozsa

Iceland: FH Hafnarfjordur

Ireland: St Patricks Athletic

FYR Macedonia: Vardar Skopje

Norway: Frigg Oslo

Poland: Gwardia Warsaw

Slovakia: Slovan Bratislava

Spain: Valencia, Athletic Bilbao, Real Zaragoza

Sweden: Örgryte

Ok, maybe it was a wee while ago, but these teams have history, something we will achieve in the years to come hopefully.

What Mileson does or does not do with his money is up to him.  If he wishes to bankroll Gretna then thats his decision and to object or put the guy or his team down for it is nothing other than sour grapes.

ALL teams at some point or other have relied on the goodwill of a wealthy person or business to get or keep them where they were, us included, so it really is quite hypocritical for us to have a pop at Mileson or Gretna.

Our turnover last year was in the region of 2.5 million if I remember correctly.  Assuming Gretna end up on a similar level then Mileson has plenty in the bank to see them through well beyond the lifetime of moist of us on this forum today.  If thats how he wishes to spend his cash then good luck to the guy. 

Why shouldn't Gretna be allowed to live the dream?  They aren't doing a Livi and generating massive debt as they do it so even if it doesn't last nobody will suffer financially other than Mileson.

Ok CD, get of your high horse. I haven't read anywhere that anyone is having a pop at Mileson or his team. Nor is anyone questioning how he spends his money. As for Gretna being allowed to live the dream......what is the dream? Brookes Mileson, when he baled Gretna out of debt then bought over the team made no secret of his ambition to 'take a team from nothing into the SPL within five years'. The questions are: when his dream has been fulfilled will he still be interested? If his poor health takes him away will his son continue the investment? Is it right that a club with such a poor fanbase be allowed to compete in this league? All very well saying that Gretna can be sustained by Milesons money but to say that nobody other than Gretna will suffer financially is wrong. Every other team in the league will lose out on vital revenue when Gretna take little or no fans to away games? Dont be fooled by the 7000 at hampden. A very large number of them were fans of other clubs, including ours, out for the day in the hope of seeing history being made. Example recently Gretna v St Johnston...vital league championship clash......St J fans outnumber the home support by approx 2-1.