PELE

The Uni wouldn't be able to field a team anyway. They will all be away home for the summer

The SPFL already have the Smokies game down for the Wednesday night. Might make it if flight home is not late.

Always wondered what the Uni teams do with any money they make from the season. Are they all currently on a massive "spring break" style jaunt (assuming no re-sits of course)?

Yeah, but it was just a shame we ended up in the group with teams with close to the worst support in each level. Could have been better, but then we are in that category as well, so an appropriate group you could say. As it was was being drawn, you just knew where ball 40 would end up. The bonus is that we might be able to compete more in this group and not get well beaten. I am sure in years gone by we would be fancying our chances of getting out this group.

Yeah, a licence to print money, some might say.

Yeah. I heard the same. Raith got some money they need to use , so to speak.

Maybe not so lucky after all. Probably one of the worst groups ever for earning a few quid. St Mirren, Arbroath, Montrose and Forfar! Watching it, you just knew we would come out last and end up in that group.

Drinking a bit early? Don't see any post from me about the conference.

Welcome. From a selfish point of view, I hope you are here for more than one season (and I am not referring to relegation). What actually happened re promotion? I haven't been paying attention the last few weeks. Did you come straight up? Or did you have to beat the SoSFL winner?

Are you saying you won't be one of them?

Be good if new tops are available next month. The earlier the new tops go on sale the better. We have been really slow to release new tops some years and I am sure it affects sales.

Hopefully Black will play more in the new season. He would definitely make a difference. Both him and Love looked stechie and a stretch away from a hamstring strain. I am more than surprised at the business the club is doing. Normally we would be fairly quiet at this stage and these type of players would be those we would target, but they would always end up somewhere else. Elliot definitely seems switched on and is making good decisions by the looks of things. Don't want to tempt fate, but if all goes well and the team gels, we might even be a suprise challenger. Looks like we now have goals in us and should be more new players to come in, maybe some loans as well. Just have to wait and see how the better teams in the league adjust their squads and also how much money EK splash. They will be signing almost a whole new squad and if the rumours are true about them signing Badboaby, he will score a bucket load in this league.

We wouldn't actually. The points per game from the new year would still have us in 15th. No better league position wise. I would say we were only marginally better after Christmas. We were still terrible in a lot of the games after that and remember, we were playing twice a week for the first few months, three B teams away and the tough League Cup games amongst those. All with a new team. So I would say nothing improved. Some of the players got better, but that is all.

Would definitely keep Davidson. Not sure if he is away. Sure someone mentioned that work commitments would get in the way of him playing.

Exactly. If it wasn't for Dalbeattie and Edinburgh Uni, we would have been in serious danger of relegation. Teams of that standard won't be in the League for long. They will eventually be replaced by decent teams from the WoSFL and a few from the EoSFL. If we don't improve quickly, we will be the new Dalbeattie. This league is only going to get tougher. Much as the players we had last season were all good lads, some of them were not good enough, or determined enough and some probably needed more experience (possibly at a lower level), or more game time. There were only a few games where we played well as a team. Most of the time we were terrible, sat too deep and although we defended quite well, it will never end well when you have nothing in the middle of the park and nothing up front.

The website has been updated with the 8 being kept on, the 2 new signings and also Davidson and Garrad listed.

They are already gone from it. It's FC Edinburgh now.

I am starting to think we might actually be up near the top end of the league in the new season. Elliot is showing all the signs of someone who knows what is required and doesn't mess around.

Yeah. Sitting on the bench most weeks ain't any fun.

I see we have released 6 players and Lemon is off to Australia. I thought he was ok. Good luck to him. 5 loan players back off to their clubs as well.

I think we will soon see some of the promoted teams heading back down. Kelty will surely struggle now the money man has left and I can't really see Spartans doing anything. I make them favourites to finish bottom of League 2 next season.

Before the play-offs were introduced, Cowden had finished bottom of the pile on just 4 occasions since entering the leagues in 1905 and one of those was on goal difference. I don't think that is too bad. Unfortunately, as soon as the play-offs appeared, at risk teams started increasing their spending and we couldn't match that. Hence, we then finished bottom in 3 out of the 6 seasons we spent in League 2. Not picking on others, but Berwick Rangers only joined the old Division 2 in 1955. We were in the league set-up roughly as long as East Stirlingshire and Albion Rovers.

Not a criticism, but that's because they have very few fans other than kids and their parents. Very few of the kids even watch the game, other than the young team with the drum in the stand. The others just run about, mostly in the astro cage behind the goal.

Bit of a poor game. Not many scoring chances. Think Rovers will play better next week. Not sure Spartans can play much better. Each time I have seen them they have been similar standard, although if Henderson gets a half chance I am sure he will score. Referee was flashing yellow cards too easily I thought. Could have had one or two sent off for next to nothing if he kept it up. Silly mistake by Malcolm. Just knock it out or hoof it, but he played it straight back into the six yard box and it was pinball chaos before hitting Sonkur and going in. Big crowd. I thought there would be more Rovers fans there. Big part of the crowd were neutrals and some "on the day" Spartans fans. Not sure what the support will be like next week. From what I have seen of Spartans, their regular support is mostly young kids, their parents and the noisy young team group who were in the new mini stand. Not sure there will be many Spartans fans at Coatbridge unless the club run plenty of buses. Might be less neutrals, with Hamilton v Airdrie on a few hours later and Celtic at home at the same time. Not decided if I will go yet. Guessing it will be all ticket, as Cliftonhill can't hold many.

Heading through tomorrow to cheer on the wee rovers. Hit a few pubs before heading down to the game.