The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Raith Against The Machine]

Willie "Subtle" Dyer on Twitter this morning:

I wonder if yesterdays game was my last game at starks park......

My bet is that it wasn't! I'd guess that contract talks haven't even started yet, and when the budgets are agreed, John McGlynn will do what he can to keep his left back.

Has he missed any games this season?

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

Willie "Subtle" Dyer on Twitter this morning:

I wonder if yesterdays game was my last game at starks park......

My bet is that it wasn't! I'd guess that contract talks haven't even started yet, and when the budgets are agreed, John McGlynn will do what he can to keep his left back.

Has he missed any games this season?

13/08 QoS sub

20/08 Morton sub

27/08 Ayr sub

10/09 Dundee sub

26/12 Ayr not in squad

02/01 Dundee sub

07/01 Morton not in squad

[Dazzle]

Willie "Subtle" Dyer on Twitter this morning:

I wonder if yesterdays game was my last game at starks park......

My bet is that it wasn't! I'd guess that contract talks haven't even started yet, and when the budgets are agreed, John McGlynn will do what he can to keep his left back.

Has he missed any games this season?

Yeah he missed a few if I remember correctly when JM was doing his Ellis, Hill and Murray must play routine.

[Paco]

I suppose now we've got our safety it's time to look at who we'd keep and who we'd let go. To my knowledge only Grant Murray, Reece Donaldson, Joe Hamill and Brian Graham are under contract. The rest of our squad for the last quarter has been:

McGurn (please please please please please keep)

Laidlaw (keep)

Thomson (if possible I'd love to keep him, he's been an excellent addition)

Ellis (keep)

Hill (probably keep)

Dyer (all season I've expected him to go but he's been really good in the last quarter. Now entirely undecided, maybe even leaning towards keep)

Colin Wilson (would like to see him stay, reckon he'll go)

Davidson (keep)

Allan Walker (keep)

Jamie Walker (would love to keep him but no chance)

Williamson (punt - hasn't done enough)

McBride (yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas we get to punt him!)

Callachan/Walls/Main (reckon they're all due to go)

Casa (would love to keep him but don't think it'll be possible)

Clarke (nah, no thanks)

Baird (going on to better things)

If we did that we'd need a couple of wingers, a central midfielder and two strikers. I am a bit concerned that our defence has been poor this season (four clean sheets in 39 matches) and I'm advocating we keep them all though.

This is also assuming that other teams aren't stealing the likes of McGurn, Walker, Davidson or Thomson from us.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Paco

[Raith Against The Machine]

I reckon we'll get to keep Casa. I'll be delighted if we do.

[Broken Algorithms]

McBride (yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas we get to punt him!)

I'll comment later on in the day about who I hope we keep but in the mean time:

This! This! This!

[mattydfc]

How many pages was the old Raith Rovers thread?

[baillieinleeds]

1 McGurn ( a priority for me )

2 Ellis ( a fantastic servant at this club )

3 J Thomson ( really want to see him return )

4 Casa ( we'll need him big time when Bairdy goes )

5 Clarkey ( give him the chance )

Apart from the players already signed, the rest can leave. This is my opinion only.

[RoversMad]

How many pages was the old Raith Rovers thread?

It wasn't in pages, it was carved in tablets of stone

[Rovers_Lad]

McGurn

Laidlaw

Thomson

Ellis +Murray for central defence

Davidson

Jamie Walker

Casa

Baird

Like baillie,apart from the players already signed although i`d like to see Hammil move on the rest can leave

[Dazzle]

The only players I would really like us too keep are McGurn, Thomson, Davo, Walker, Walker, Casa, Baird and Graham. Although I can see us losing Baird and Walker, maybe even Casa.

Not overly fussy about the rest although Murray is tied down which I can deal with although I wouldnt keep both Ellis and Hill as I feel we can do better. Great news that Graham will be here, hes been great since the op!

Pushed I would perhaps keep Dyer and Clarke but wouldnt be against McGlynn letting them go.

McBride has to go and I think Willamson will aswell. Just a shame we cant punt Hamill who is a total waste of a shirt.

[Ro Sham Bo]

The main factors in our upturn over the last 3 months or so have been the arrival of Thomson at right back, Jamie Walker, greater depth up front and the return of Brian Graham from injury.

The worry for us is that the only one of these factors we can be sure will be in place next season is Graham.

In an ideal world I'd like to see McGurn, Thomson, Ellis, Walker, Davidson, Baird, Casa and Clarke retained.

Hill and Dyer I'm 50/50 about. I think we need some fresh blood at the back, although maybe Colin Wilson will be retained for that purpose.

I think Williamson has done ok this season but its probably time for him to move on and McBride will surely leave as well. Baird is likely to go as well but I could cope with that if we can keep Clarke and Casa.

I'd also like to move Hamill on if humanly possible and if Jamie Walker looks as though he's not making the breakthrough at hearts we should be trying to get him back asap.

The reality is that part-time football, at least in part, will mean that most of the above players are out of reach.

[Rovers_Lad]

The only players I would really like us too keep are McGurn, Thomson, Davo, Walker, Walker, Casa, Baird and Graham. Although I can see us losing Baird and Walker, maybe even Casa.

Not overly fussy about the rest although Murray is tied down which I can deal with although I wouldnt keep both Ellis and Hill as I feel we can do better. Great news that Graham will be here, hes been great since the op!

Pushed I would perhaps keep Dyer and Clarke but wouldnt be against McGlynn letting them go.

McBride has to go and I think Willamson will aswell. Just a shame we cant punt Hamill who is a total waste of a shirt.

It may not be up to McGlynn.

[Hank Scorpio]

Seen you post that a few times now. Thought it was common knowledge that McGlynn was signing a year extension this week.

[Dazzle]

It may not be up to McGlynn.

If he wants it to be and the board have any sense then it will be.

[Yoss]

I'm mostly with Paco - despite the disappointing season I wouldn't be going for drastic changes and I'd keep the core of the squad: McGurn, Laidlaw, Thomson, Dyer, Ellis, Murray, Davidson, Walker, Casa. Then Graham, Hammill and Donaldson are already under contract. So we'd be ditching Williamson, McBride (for whom I feel a bit sorry, actually), and presumably Clarke - though I wouldn't be entirely opposed to giving him another chance. And assuming Baird is away and J Walker back to Hearts, that gives us maybe three to bring in to start the season with. If that included at least one good wide player then I'd be feeling okay about next season.

But with budget cuts coming, it might all be a bit by-the-by for us to be discussing everything in football terms. Particularly if we have to go part-time again, which will obviously change things.

Just have to wait and see.

[Michael W]

Players already signed:

Donaldson (I wouldn't start him every week, but I hope he's given a decent number of games)

Graham (Delighted he's staying given his form in the last quarter)

Murray (Not been as good as last season, but still happy with him)

Hamill ( I'm trying not to abuse our players after yesterday, so hopefully will find himself as a sub next season)

Out of the rest, it is absolutely essential that we keep McGurn. Him, Baird (first half) and Graham (second half) have kept us up this year. I would love to see us keep Baird, but I'm resigned to losing him to a bigger club. My own guess is that he'll end up in the SPL with St. Mirren, but he may end up at a bigger 1st division team (Falkirk or Dundee). I will be absolutely devastated if he ends up with the Pars.

I would love to see us keep Jason Thomson if at all possible. I think he's been an excellent addition at RB, and he offers us a very good threat going forward too. That is something that's been badly missing since Craig Wilson lost his form in the second half of last season, and we have suffered greatly for it.

We have been poor defensively this season, but I don't think any of our defenders have been particularly poor over the season. As such, I can make a case for keeping all of them, but I'm going to accept that we probably won't. I think Ellis or Hill is most likely to suffer, and I would be keeping both of them in all honesty. I'm undecided on Dyer: a few weeks ago I'd have said yes to letting him go, but he's played well recently, particularly yesterday.

McBride and Williamson can both leave, and I certainly won't be shedding any tears for the former; definitely a signing who didn't work out at all. The lingering memories I have of him are Mark Campbell and Iain Davidson giving him an utter bollocking for his attempt at defending a corner, and a piss poor free-kick that he wasted away to Falkirk last season. That says it all, frankly. Williamson is unfortunate given that he does look like he's made an effort over pre-season, but I'm afraid he hasn't offered enough. Hamil would be out under the not offering enough tag too were he not under contract.

Despite not having a great season overall, I would keep Allan Walker. He was much better yesterday, and has been in the latter half of the season in general. Davidson is a player I've never liked and nothing has changed there, but he'll be here next season.

That leaves us with Casa, Clarke and Jamie Walker. I would like to try and see us keep Casa, but budget cuts could well scupper that one. I wouldn't keep Clarke, as he hasn't offered us much in the games that I've seen him. That said, he played his part in our survival, and it would be foolish not to appreciate him for that. Walker will return to Hearts and has an excellent future ahead of him if he keeps it up.

We are losing our two best players (Baird & J. Walker). I have no idea how we are going to replace them, but hopefully we can manage something. Both these players are a cut above at this level and deserve their chance at a higher one. They've been a joy to watch this season (or over the last two, in Baird's case).

[Beachbum]

I agree with most of what has been posted on here recently but what we clearly need for next season is a dominant centre half like Mark Campbell. Set pieces have been a nightmare to defend because any combination of Murray, Ellis and Hill hasn't worked too well. Also, not too sure about Dyer so another left back may be needed unless Donaldson gets that slot. For midfield I'd love to get Jamie Walker back on loan but that's unlikely. I'd also like to get Thomson signed up. Since he came we've won 4, drawn 4 and lost only 2. Only Ross County have better end of season form.

[roverthemoon]

This might sound daft but where are people assuming Baird will go? I'm not sure he's good enough for an SPL team so I suspect it'll be a better paying SFL1 side. Falkirk? Dundee? the Pars/Hibs?

[Paquis]

Why can't some of the Rangers 'fans' (and I use that term loosely) get it into their heads that they deserve some form of punishment for their financial mess. Its an embarrassment for the whole of Scottish football to have some nuggets threatening members of a panel that made a decision against their club, the OF clubs have a lot to answer for, good riddance to both of them

Lets see.

Raith are effectively insolvent. Their accounts were qualified by the auditors - emphasis of matter - going concern. Liabilities exceed assets by £309,990, Raith are living day to day on the basis of donations and soft loans; £70,000 just last month without which wages would not have been paid. Raith been unable to pay HMRC on time for a number of years and keep having to pay up late.

So what punishment do Raith deserve for their financial mess?