Part two of our profile on the teams promoted from the Scottish Divisions last year takes us down to Division Two, and a look at the three teams promoted at the end of last season.
The Fifers led the league from week two and never looked back. Officially champions in March, they won the league at a canter, 23 points ahead of Stranraer, giving the Methill side their first league title since 1948. An impressive season all-round: 28 wins, 4 losses and 4 draws; seventy-seven goals scored, only twenty-four against.
Their exit in the Scottish Cup at the hands of Rangers resulted in a 7-0 thumping of Stenhousemuir, with Paul McManus scoring four of seventeen goals he'd score that season. Manager Dave Baikie will start his first full season at the club and will know that it is a step-up from the Third to the Second, something East Fife know all too well: the club was relegated in their last two outings in Division Two in 1999 and 2004. Goran Stanic joins from St Johnstone to shore up the defence, together with Paul Nugent (signed from Stirling Albion), while Michael Brown will provide cover for Willie McCulloch in goal.
Prediction: They'll need to work hard to avoid history repeating itself. Providing they keep up the blistering form that saw them lose only twice at home and twice on the road, they should be ok. A 7th place for East Fife.
Having missed out on promotion from Division Three for the last two seasons, Arbroath make it third time lucky. Arbroath finished fourth, a position they held for most of the season. Somewhat worryingly, they also finished 35 points behind East Fife and 13 behind Stranraer. Promoted by way of the play-offs, where they beat Cowdenbeath and Stranraer, the Lichties return to the Second Division with a relatively poor record.
Six wins, seven losses and five draws in their 18 home games is not great and needs to be improved next season. Strangely, but perhaps not surprisingly, their away form was better - they won more games on the road (eight) and scored five more goals. A final goal difference of +7 is tight, compared with the 22, 23 and 53 goal difference of the three teams to finish above them. There's no doubt then that if Arbroath want to stay in the Second Division, they need to win more games at home, and get scoring. Brian Scott chipped in with 11, captain Barry Sellar got 8 while the two Pauls, Watson and Tosh, contributed thirteen goals between them.
Transfer wise, Forfar captain John Fraser moved up the coast. Fraser was part of the Stranraer and Stirling Albion sides promoted in 2005 and 2007, but his magic didn't rub of on Forfar, who finished bottom of the Third Division last season. Nevertheless, he's an experienced midfielder who'll bring stability to the Arbroath midfield. Defender Craig Tully has left for East Stirlingshire.
No other transfers are planned, thought the Arbroath transfer kitty could be boosted by money from the sell-on clause in Andy Websters' contract (Webster left Arbroath for Hearts in 2001). Arbroath have already received £26,000 from the deal, but claim they're entitled to a percentage of the player’s fee following his move from Hearts to Wigan: a distracting court battle may follow.
Prediction: They're certainly not the strongest team to move up from the Third Division this season and we think they'll struggle unless they improve on that terrible home form. We predict a bottom-half finish: 8th.
Stranraer find themselves back in the Second Division after a short absence. Relegated at the end of season 2006/07, a second place finish behind East Fife gave them a place in the play-offs. They beat third-placed Montrose 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, but then lost 2-1 against fourth-placed Arbroath. Stranraer where promoted, as losing semi-finalists, when Gretna where demoted to the Third division in a league reshuffle that also saw Airdrie United go up to Division One for the same reason.
2007/08 was a season more remarkable off the field than on it. Secretary Barney Duffy resigned over allegations of sex acts in the boardroom while ex-Chairman Jim Bark received 250 hours community service after pleading guilty to a charge of embezzling cash from the club's lottery. The only blot on this season’s record was a heavy 6-0 Scottish Cup defeat to a team they'll face again next season, Stirling Albion.
Transfer wise, out go Steven Bonar, Darren Gribben, Pat Keogh, while in comes 19-year-old Craig Frizell, a forward from Elgin City, and Stephen McConalogue who signed up permanently following his loan spell at Stair Park last season. Michael Mullen and Grégory Tadé - good for 26 goals between them last season in all competitions - stay with the club.
Prediction: Stirling Albion may be called the "Yo-Yos", but it's a nickname that could apply just as well to Stranraer: they've been in a different division each season for the last seven. Manager Derek Ferguson, brother of Rangers captain Barry Ferguson, will know it'll be hard work, but we rate their chances better than Arbroath's - a 7th place for The Clayholers.
So that completes our round-up for the teams promoted in Scotland in season 2007/08. Think we're right, or do you think we've no idea what we're on about? Well, leave a comment or, better still, join our forum and tell us what you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment