The Toun Clock

Courier reporting Raith are going to win the race for Rudden. They've put out an interview with McPake where he expects the market to accelerate for the Championship now. We're talking with one who's still with a parent club in England. As it's outwith Scotland we'll need it done before next Thursday. With "more to come".

Fair doos then, I stand corrected. I think I'd heard some rumour at the time that he handed in his resignation because the club wanted to change the coaching staff underneath him, letting go guys like Jason Dair and out of respect for him he said he was leaving too. Could be complete balls of course, more than likely. Love the Craw, one of my first ever real hero's. See that time he came back from Aberdeen and came on to score the winner in a 3-2 game against Killie! OFT.

Yeah the first thing I thought when I seen us both linked was he probably wouldn't be a guaranteed starter, behind Hamilton and Vaughan. Whereas in our team I think he'd be first choice striker if we're playing one through the middle with two wide. McCann is better coming from wide, Wighton technically is a good footballer but he's not an out and out striker and we've seen enough of Jakubiak now to see he's actually decent, he's not not a guy who's going to be in the box getting goals every week. I reckon you guys will probably have that wee bit extra coin to put towards him/Dundee and of course looks like he'd be in an exciting title challenge with Dundee Utd, with a better chance of going up through the playoffs than we would. However not a guaranteed starter, behind a couple of fan favourites. For us, he's worked with McPake before (could be a good thing or a bad thing) as he signed him for Dundee and will likely be the main man in the final third. I'd say he'll definitely be going on loan in Fife but where we'll just have to see.

Be shocked if Stevie C fancied it. I’m sure he still holds the club in his heart but I don’t think he left on very rosey terms. Not really against him but he resigned. Christ, to think of the players Stevie brought in, Nisbet, Murray, Turner, Edwards and many more. Even some of the loans, Mayo who’s flying with Killie, Fraser Murray, Scott Banks, Ewan Henderson. A lot of really talented boys. He’s certainly got the eye for a player and I’d be delighted if he did fancy the role, I just don’t know if he would.

Seen Dave McKay and Gary Monty putting the big hose into Mo Hutton’s van earlier. Collected a dozen barrels of high quality fife rain water that freezes at above freezing temperatures. If the Dundee weather isn’t bad enough, they’ll pump that onto the Tannadice pitch on Friday night.

He does, but he could probably get it ran for him. I’m sure his wife is involved in some of the stuff and then he has coaches like Nat Wedderburn, Dylan Easton and I think some other younger guys.

I noticed that the "Head of Professional" (dreadful name) is now advertised on the COWS. Wouldn't be shocked to see Joe Cardle doing something like this...

I don't want to risk an injury... I'd actually love to take a walk round the pitches and have a wee snoop. I start later on a Monday/Tuesday for childcare so I'm always going past at about 11:30 so try and catch a look but it's tricky. Last season my wee boy was doing the Pars Foundation mini dribblers at Pitreavie and in the spring months they used the outside pitches. The class would finish just as the first team had went on to the big pitch to train so I'd hope my kid would want to hang about but he was more interested in that bloody windmill at FMC! Aye could be, although I think he was back in full training later last week. I think more likely McCann as the others with leg injuries won't be anywhere near running I don't think and this person looked a bit big to be Kane.

Aye it's hard to say as you've only got that 10 seconds when driving past but would certainly say the player looked a bit Lewis McCannish

Still over a week of the window which works out about three years in Dunfermline.

Drove past a very sodden Pitreavie there. Was a good number taking part in training and also one other seemed to be running on their own with a member of staff around the new artificial surface that has just been installed so hopefully that's someone nearing full training. All guesses I suppose, could be Zack Rudden or another new player doing some sort of medical! Impossible to see who was who today for obvious reasons, jackets, snoods and hats galore!

I believe he was the man on the mic when we drew up at Tannadice early in the season. Random fact about Willie Miller, his son his a Pars fan. Imagine being a complete legend at Aberdeen and your own kid supporting Dunfermline of all teams... Something to do with Craig Robertson looking after his kids when he went to Aberdeen or something.

@CaveFC88try joining “The Pars Community” page on Facebook and ask there. You’ll be inundated with pictures I’m sure!

Didn’t know that. Probably why most of his shots go over the bar…

Was just about to direct you to that link on the EEB forum. Good luck!

Aye a lot of southern hemisphere guys in there now. I’d imagine Ross McCann will have a posh Edinburgh accent as our Lewis has one. I think all them lads were born and raised in Edinburgh, they just qualify for Ireland through one of their parents.

This is true.

Might get boo’d off for this but I’m a bit of a rugby fan, nothing too serious, Six Nations mainly. Just noticed that one of Scotland's best wingers has pulled out of the first two games due to injury, only to be replaced by Ross McCann, the older brother of Pars striker Lewis. Two professional footballers, capped at international level and an international rugby player. Not bad genes there! Had no idea Lewis had another brother, let alone one that is a Scotland/Edinburgh rugby player.

Cards on the table I’d welcome the Rudden signing if it happens. His return of goals might not be record breaking but I think he seems like a more out and out striker compared to everything we have apart from Taylor Sutherland. Wighton is a winger turned striker who done very well in L1 but it hasn’t happened in the Championship. McCann can look great but I think he’s better wide of a three. Jakubiak is a good player, I think we can agree he’s actually decent at holding the ball up, involving others but he’s got two goals in a good number of games and they both came within about 5 minutes of each other. I don’t think anyone is saying Rudden is the proven striker who’ll score all the goals to fire us to the promised land but he might just get a few more than the guys we have currently. As mentioned above, a striker who knows the league and has scored goals is hard to come by in January.

In fairness to James McPake, in the 20 or so months that he’s been in charge he’s done very little to bother us or give off that he’s a “pretty shite manager”. Won league one at a canter in his first season in charge. This season his hands have been tied with injuries, even still we were competing and sitting in the playoffs until very recently when the injuries got to an all time high (or low). This season the objective was to stay in the division and have more of a challenge next season. As I say, we were in 4th up until about a fortnight ago so none of us are losing sleep over him as a manager. Recruitment could have been a bit better, and yes he does seem to go for a lot of players he’s previously worked for but don’t a lot of managers in Scotland do the same with restrictive budgets?

Ah the song yous weren’t signing the last time.

I mean he might not be, Aaron Comrie is a steady 7/10 most weeks but he’s never played any higher than the Championship.

I think they’ll have plenty suitors, I could even see a Livi make a move. However I would expect they’ll both rock up in the Championship. I’d take both but knowing we want a striker and centre back and that McPake signed Rudden for Dundee, I’d be shocked if we didn’t make a move for him. To be fair, Cammy Kerr is that more natural right back, probably better than Comrie. He might fancy him too if budget allowed…

Just noticed the Courier have posted an article today confirming Zack Rudden and Cammy Kerr have both been told they’re free to find new clubs. Would be shocked if we don’t move for Rudden, the old ex Dundee player link lives on

Sorry, what’s the Pars Club site? Is it the East End Bounce forum?