Today we welcome Jim Jeffries and his Dunfermline side to the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium at the end of a week where the Fife club have once again been making the news headlines for all the wrong reasons.
It was only last week that the Pars players received the final payment of their October wages and they started December with the news that the club didn’t have the money available to pay them their full salary for November. They were given two payments this week that amount to less than half of their pay from last month with the club blaming a combination of relegation from the SPL, changes at boardroom level and a lack of home matches for their current cash flow problems.
Despite all this going on in the background, it’s fair to say that the players have continued doing the business on the park with the Pars coming here today in second place with only goal difference splitting them and table toppers, Partick Thistle. Infact, Dunfermline’s only two league defeats this season have both come at the hands of the Firhill side.
Strangely enough though, last weekend in the Scottish Cup 4th round, a first-half Andy Barrowman header was enough for the Pars to secure a 1-0 win over Thistle and take their place in the next round where a home tie against either Dumbarton or Hamilton awaits.
It was at this stage last month when claims were made that Dunfermline were going struggle to pay a bill of £81,000 to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs with outspoken chairman John Yorkston saying the difficulty had arisen partly due to only having one home game against Dumbarton all month. The Saturday immediate after this, Dunfermline were hammered 5-1 away to Partick and it looked as though the players were starting to feel the strain.
As mentioned though, it was merely a one game blip as a 3-1 derby win over Raith Rovers, a 4-0 win in that home game against Dumbarton and the Scottish Cup victory all followed to put the Pars back on track.
Of course, the Dunfermline players and fans alike could be forgiven for coming here with a sense of confidence today given the thrashing they dished out to us earlier in the season at East End Park. Two goals in each half ensured an emphatic 4-0 win for the Pars and that defeat remains our biggest this season.
Barrowman grabbed a double that day and after his winner last week, he’s now on nine goals in all competitions this season so is likely to be someone our backline will have to keep a close eye on today.
Since that Dunfermline win back in September, both sides went on decent runs in the league, only recording one loss each in the last seven league games – both at the hands of Partick Thistle.
It’s been over three years since the sides last met here on league duty. On that occasion, back in March 2009, goals from Tony McParland, Murray Davidson (2) and Leigh Griffiths secured a 4-2 win for Livi with the Pars goals coming from Steven Bell and David Graham.
It’s fair to say a lot has changed since then of course with Dunfermline tasting SPL life again before their relegation last season and of course we had our own problems, dropping to the bottom tier of Scottish football and working our way back to the first division.
As always though, a tight game is expected today with the Pars knowing that a win could send them top of the league outright if Partick don’t get it all their own way against Cowdenbeath at Central Park.
Dave Black.
As published in 'ROAR' - the Livingston FC matchday magazine.
It was only last week that the Pars players received the final payment of their October wages and they started December with the news that the club didn’t have the money available to pay them their full salary for November. They were given two payments this week that amount to less than half of their pay from last month with the club blaming a combination of relegation from the SPL, changes at boardroom level and a lack of home matches for their current cash flow problems.
Despite all this going on in the background, it’s fair to say that the players have continued doing the business on the park with the Pars coming here today in second place with only goal difference splitting them and table toppers, Partick Thistle. Infact, Dunfermline’s only two league defeats this season have both come at the hands of the Firhill side.
Strangely enough though, last weekend in the Scottish Cup 4th round, a first-half Andy Barrowman header was enough for the Pars to secure a 1-0 win over Thistle and take their place in the next round where a home tie against either Dumbarton or Hamilton awaits.
It was at this stage last month when claims were made that Dunfermline were going struggle to pay a bill of £81,000 to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs with outspoken chairman John Yorkston saying the difficulty had arisen partly due to only having one home game against Dumbarton all month. The Saturday immediate after this, Dunfermline were hammered 5-1 away to Partick and it looked as though the players were starting to feel the strain.
As mentioned though, it was merely a one game blip as a 3-1 derby win over Raith Rovers, a 4-0 win in that home game against Dumbarton and the Scottish Cup victory all followed to put the Pars back on track.
Of course, the Dunfermline players and fans alike could be forgiven for coming here with a sense of confidence today given the thrashing they dished out to us earlier in the season at East End Park. Two goals in each half ensured an emphatic 4-0 win for the Pars and that defeat remains our biggest this season.
Barrowman grabbed a double that day and after his winner last week, he’s now on nine goals in all competitions this season so is likely to be someone our backline will have to keep a close eye on today.
Since that Dunfermline win back in September, both sides went on decent runs in the league, only recording one loss each in the last seven league games – both at the hands of Partick Thistle.
It’s been over three years since the sides last met here on league duty. On that occasion, back in March 2009, goals from Tony McParland, Murray Davidson (2) and Leigh Griffiths secured a 4-2 win for Livi with the Pars goals coming from Steven Bell and David Graham.
It’s fair to say a lot has changed since then of course with Dunfermline tasting SPL life again before their relegation last season and of course we had our own problems, dropping to the bottom tier of Scottish football and working our way back to the first division.
As always though, a tight game is expected today with the Pars knowing that a win could send them top of the league outright if Partick don’t get it all their own way against Cowdenbeath at Central Park.
Dave Black.
As published in 'ROAR' - the Livingston FC matchday magazine.
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