R.R.FC

‘The season also saw Rangers buy ICT Academy player Kieron Willox from the club, another first for us.’ Seems a very odd thing to brag about until you remember it’s written by Scot Gardiner.

I wasn’t sure at first either but pretty sure it’s Callum Smith.

Haha I have no idea if they are true or not! Not heard anything other than we were looking at them as options a week or two ago and the two names would fit the description given. As before, don’t want to publish names as some on here have said they like the ‘surprise’ of a signing. If they are the names who @raith1974 has heard we have offered deals to, I’ll drop you a PM.

Are the initials KW and DN? They were two rumours I’d heard last week but nothing concrete so not sure if they are still possibilities.

He had a spell last season where he was unplayable and was definitely up there as one of our best players in the first half of last season. His form tailed off a bit though. His best position is as a number 10 IMO and will be interesting to see if Murray starts the season with him or Vaughan behind Hamilton.

Yeah, must be tough for the guy when he sees the likes of Laidlaw, Callachan and Bates that came through the youth side at similar times all having top flight careers when none are remotely close to him in terms of natural ability. He featured in 26 games since he returned at the very end of October which is his most since the 17/18 season. He probably wasn’t the standout he usually is but to be expected given the circumstances. Hopefully with a full pre season behind him he can show his best and he finally gets a bit of lucky but there will obviously always be that fear any time he goes down.

Goalkeepers Kevin Dabrowski (25) - June 2025 Robbie Thomson (30) - June 2024 Andrew McNeil (22) - June 2024 - Loaned out to Edinburgh City Defenders Liam Dick (27) - June 2024 Ross Millen (28) - June 2024 Adam Masson (18) - June 2024 Dylan Corr (19) - June 2024 Euan Murray (29) - June 2025 Keith Watson (33) - June 2024 Callum Hannah (18) - June 2025 Daniel O’Reilly (28) - January 2024 Midfielders Scott Brown (28) - June 2025 Ross Matthews (27) - June 2024 Scott McGill (21) - June 2024 Sam Stanton (29) - June 2024 Dylan Easton (29) - June 2024 Aidan Connolly (27) - June 2025 Josh Mullin (30) - June 2026 Shaun Byrne (30) - June 2024 (Loan) Ethan Ross (21) - June 2024 - Loaned out to Falkirk Aaron Arnott (19) - June 2024 - Loaned out to East Kilbride Attackers Lewis Vaughan (27) - June 2024 Jamie Gullan (23) - June 2024 Jack Hamilton (22) - June 2026 Callum Smith (23) - June 2025 Kieran Mitchell (19) - June 2024 - Loaned out to East Fife *Ages as of June 2023.

I’m still of the belief we may see an outgoing of one of the attacking players, it’ll be difficult to keep them all happy. However, if you compare the numbers to the end of last season they are the same (albeit hopefully they’ll all be fit at the same time for once!). It is just that we look to have substantially improved the quality so there is genuine competition for places. We’ve replaced McBride, Akio and Goncalves with Mullin, Smith and Hamilton.

Well that’s a relief. After sending out about 20 DM’s yesterday I’d have looked a right p***k if it had ended up being someone else! I’m conflicted on the news. The Dumbarton and QOS fans rate him very highly. A lot of Hibs fans liked him too and wish he’d been given more of a chance. However, he had a bad game that one time against Dunfermline so I’m not sure how he can actually be any good?

Moral of the story, don’t offer transfer gossip via PM’s if you want to get anything else done in an afternoon…

Happy to PM anyone that wants the name, it could well be wrong, wouldn’t be the first time! I just know a few people commented when Hamilton signed how they really enjoyed the fact they had no clue until it was announced. In my opinion yes, I think it is a really good signing and I’d imagine most people would be happy.

They definitely do, just because they haven’t signed a centre back yet, doesn’t mean they haven’t tried, they just haven’t been able to get one over the line for any number of reasons. Sometimes it’s the way things work with signings, Murray will know he needs two centre backs and he obviously wants an attacker too (as well as other positions). But players don’t always join in chronological order of their level of need. Just because Murray needs centre backs doesn’t mean if he has the opportunity to sign an attacker he wants (Smith) that he has to hit pause on that until he has his defenders in, otherwise he is missing out on players unnecessarily. As long as the right level of budget is reserved for two defenders, it doesn’t really matter what order they arrive in, as long as they are here in the next 5 weeks for the League Cup.

Yeah, I heard the same, along with a goalkeeper (won’t say the name as I know some people like the surprise of a new signing being announced). Definitely would suggest there is an outgoing. Ross or Gullan would be the obvious options, probably Ross most likely. It’s a hard one, he was injured most of last season and looked a million miles off it when he did play but there is very obviously a player in there, would like to see how he get on after a full pre season.

Not at the moment I don’t believe, just a name I had heard thrown out about a few days ago and it was one I’d never heard of. Seems a very random one to be made up so may be something to it, has a similar background to Ryan Nolan who we signed last year. Hoping for a more experienced option but quality, experienced Championship centre half’s are thin on the ground so we may see a more left field signing like Norman.

A ringing endorsement! He didn’t play much tbf but featured around a dozen times back in 2018. Big Canadian, was on loan from Vancouver at the time. No worries, it is also suggests he wasn’t awful! So that’s something I suppose…

Bit of a random question but what was David Norman like for you guys? Notice he played a few games back in 2018. Was he a midfielder or a defender?

Sad to see Spencer go, he’s been an excellent midfielder for us but his form really did tail off in the second half of the season and again would imagine he would have been one of our higher earning players given his stock when he signed his contract last summer which his recent performances didn’t warrant. Albeit I think it was just a drop off in form rather than anything which would indicate it was a longer term decline in quality. I would like another midfielder to replace him but agree it wouldn’t be a priority. I would actually like his replacement to be a different type of player and more in the Matthews/Brown mould. Kind of the style when we had our great run under MacKinnon of a solid back 4 with two combative midfielders in front giving the front 4 the freedom to be creative. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him and MacDonald join McGlynn at Falkirk and both would be standouts at that level. Wish him all the best.

Was there not less than 1000 Dunfermline fans at the last derby in front of crowds at Starks? I’m sure we’ll survive if a few of them give it a miss again.

Leaving aside the trolling from the East Fife weirdo, I do think signing the likes of Mullin and Hamilton will attract attention with claims of Fif£ Gr£tna and it’s obviously something to keep an eye on. However, I think the investment in the infrastructure and commercial side of things shows the plan is for things to be sustainable. The Commercial side of things has been badly neglected in recent years and I think with the expertise we now have there, there can be massive growth quite quickly. Also, if we were just recklessly throwing huge sums of money at the team on the pitch, I doubt we’d have lost Lang and potentially Spencer and we wouldn’t have offered reduced terms to MacDonald resulting in us losing him too. I think the length of the deals offered has been the biggest selling point for both additions rather than astronomical wages (albeit they will obviously be on good wages for this level).

As said elsewhere, he’s had two good spells at this level, his last two spells in this league averaging just better than a goal every 2 games. He also only started one game with Nouble (against Ayr right enough so that’ll be why you thought it was more), he was his replacement for the second half of the season. You are correct, no signing is guaranteed to work out, we will see how it goes but he has much more of a chance than the likes of Frederiksen, Connell, Akio or Goncalves who we had to endure this season. I also think you are mistaken about Gullan. He is a good footballer but not really sure what his best position is and I don’t think any Rovers fans thought he was a natural number 9 to solve our problems. Relatively pleased rather than ‘creaming themselves’ was the reaction to that one. Some even felt it was an unnecessary signing at the time.

Club seem to be doing everything right just now. This is weird.

Glad the Mullin is now confirmed. 3 year deal is a lot for someone of his age but ticks a few boxes on areas we needed to improve, particularly delivery from open play and set pieces. With regards to Houston, it wouldn’t really make any sense. We have a pretty good right back for this level in Millen and even as back up we have McGill that has covered adequately.

A choice of Connolly, Mullin, Easton, Ross, Stanton and Vaughan for the 3 positions behind Jack Hamilton really is excellent. The likes of McGill and Gullan are also capable of playing there too. 10 goals for Mullin last season, hopefully along with Hamilton, they can take some of the goal scoring burden off Connolly.

Decent effort tbf, should get a few bites… C’mon mate, admit you had a wee smile on your face when you saw the news?