Francesc Fabregas

Clyde are set to welcome to Stenhousemuir to New Douglas Park on Saturday for one of the more intriguing games taking place in the SPFL this weekend. The Bully Wee are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the division and although the Warriors have nothing to play for, I've no doubt they'll want to avenge the 6-1 humiliation the last time the sides met. It's shaping up to be a tasty encounter! I don't know how Gary Naysmith will approach this one. Nicky Jamieson and Nat Wedderburn are unlikely to play again this season, while a number of players missed out against Elgin City last weekend through illness and various other ailments, so I'm not sure if we'll field the same rag-tag assortment of first teamers and fringe players but regardless, I hope we can do a number on Clyde and get our own back on them. We can have a big say on what happens at the bottom of the table between now and the end of the season, and I'd to see a couple of wins here, starting on Saturday. Clyde have given us some bother this season, and that's even before you add in the 6-1 game from February. They should have beaten us in our first meeting, a 2-2 draw, but they were hopeless in the 2-1 defeat after Christmas, and only came into the match right at the death. There are some very good players in their ranks - Jordan Allan's performance in the last encounter was probably the best I've seen from an opposition player this season and we simply could not handle him. Who knows how this one will finish! Probably a hopeless draw.

First of all: what a pop to see your team given a guard of honour by the opposition! I loved it! We really should have been out of sight long before Elgin City equalised. We created more chances across the 90 minutes than we'd done in our previous five matches but we were profligate and careless - Euan O'Reilly should have buried his chance midway through the second half and I can't quite believe he didn't score. Even although there was nothing on the line for Stenhousemuir, I'm still annoyed we didn't win. Imagine letting Bobby Jones score against you! How embarrassing! Nevertheless, there were some good performances from the home side. Ross Taylor turned in a really strong performance all game and was just too damn hot for the Elgin defence to deal with. His goal was lovely, cutting in from the right and drilling home a powerful shot with his left (something that suggests there's more versatility to his game than just running down towards the byline), but his ability to draw fouls and bookings from the opposition (three yesterday!) is vital too. I hope he can use the remaining games to really push for our first choice XI going forward. Kyle Jacobs had a decent game and showed up well in midfield, so too did James Berry alongside him. Some other fringe players, however, looked off it, and I can't imagine we'll be seeing them next year. Elgin started both halves on the back foot, but finished both halves strongly. Mark Gallagher is an excellent central midfielder and really grew into the match, while Allan Hale (left) timed his substitutions well - the introduction of Jones and Dayshonne Golding really gave them a presence they'd been missing, and Golding certainly rattled Edin Lynch before playing a big part in Jones' goal. They've improved immensely over the course of the season and it'll be interesting to see what they can achieve next term. All in all, a good, enterprising game of football played out in difficult conditions. Fair play to all involved.

I'm not sure if everyone's had the chance to read Ross Meechan's interview with the Falkirk Herald but it's worth checking out! https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/sport/football/it-means-everything-to-me-tearful-ross-meechan-revels-in-stenhousemuirs-first-ever-title-triumph-4586273 I've never heard a player speak so effusively about Stenhousemuir before. There will be players who have enjoyed their time at Ochilview and have spoken about their fondness for the club, but this must be the first time someone has been so positive and glowing about what Stenny means to them. It's wonderful that he's taken the club to his heart like this. I didn't think it was possible for him to go any higher in my estimations but here we are! A hero!

One question remains: who's the Player of the Year? While there are strong arguments for Darren Jamieson, Mikey Anderson and Matty Aitken, it feels like it's a straight shoot-out between Gregor Buchanan and Nicky Jamieson. Both have had sterling campaigns and both have played an enormous part in our success, but I feel it has to go to Buchanan. He's been an incredible signing and his presence, organisation and leadership have made everyone around him better. I thought he'd be a good signing when we brought him in from Dumbarton but he's been better than anyone could have anticipated!

Show some respect, please. This is the 2023/24 League 2 champions you're dealing with here.

The Elgin City team will have to form a guard of honour and clap us onto the park. What a pop! Every single member of this team should go into a Stenhousemuir FC Hall of Fame. I would also include Mark McGuigan and Terry Christie to go in alongside them.

I disagree! Let's try and get an elusive win with the best players available first and then have a kickabout down at Stranraer on the final day of the season.

Stenhousemuir - the 2023/24 League 2 champions! - take on Elgin City on Saturday afternoon. There isn't much at stake here - Stenny have finally won thee title and Elgin are probably safe - but I cannot wait for this game. I'm really excited to spend the afternoon with my fellow supporters and see this group of players in action again. This is the most likeable squad we've had in my 20 years following the club and I want to enjoy watching them between now and the end of the season. The game against East Fife was a brutal spectacle but I'm putting that down to the blustery conditions rather than the quality of either side. Stenny are superb defensively, and I'm confident of maintaining another clean sheet here, but there are obvious issues further forward, and it's just not really clicking at the moment. With no pressure, it might relax our attacking players and we might see something more fluid and entertaining as we're struggling to create chances, let alone put them away. Everything seems to be a little too precise at the moment and I hope to see a couple of goals in our favour this weekend. Elgin City have improved since Allan Hale came in, and they're a good side at Borough Briggs, but they don't tend to travel well, picking up just eight points on the road all season, and I hope we can take full advantage. I'd be inclined to go with the same team that start against the Fifers last time out: - Matty Aitken - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Adam Brown - - Mikey Anderson - Nat Wedderburn - - Kinlay Bilham - Edin Lynch - Gregor Buchanan - Ross Meechan - - Darren Jamieson - I fancy us to win this! Let's go out there and enjoy ourselves and show everyone why we're the champions!

Yesterday was the best day of my life. I've come to terms with winning the division for a few weeks but to have it finally confirmed is incredible. Nothing will feel as good as this. I am head over heels in love with this club and this group of players. Heroes.

Even if Stenhousemuir have nothing to play for by this stage of the season, I imagine everyone associated with the club will want to avenge the 6-1 defeat to Clyde in February. No mercy!

Adam Brown has agreed a new 12-month contract with the club. I think this is good news - he's a fine player and his set-piece delivery has led to numerous goals over the course of the season, but I do wish he'd contribute a little more in open play. His strike against Peterhead earlier in the campaign is undoubtedly the goal of the season. The squad is really coming together for next term. I reckon we'll need to add about five or six good players in the summer, but that can wait for the time being!

No. There's a car park there.

All roads lead to the weekend's match: if Stenhousemuir can beat East Fife at Ochilview, they will win the first league title in their 140-year history. What a moment! What an opportunity! I wish I had a fast-forward button on life; I'd be mashing it until we reached Saturday afternoon. The Warriors are not in tremendous form at the moment, drawing their last four matches and scoring just one goal, but they're defensively resolute and have set a League 2 clean sheet record (18). Nicky Jamieson is likely to miss out with an injury but Edin Lynch is a reasonable deputy, so long as he's asked to do nothing more than head and kick the ball in the direction he's facing, he should do alright. Although there are clear issues further forward, we did at least create some decent chances against Dumbarton last time out, and Ross Taylor should have scored when teed up by Matty Yates. We gave it a good go, and I'd like to think we'll approach this match with the same mindset. East Fife will be difficult opponents. They're the division's most in-form side, they've clearly improved under Dick Campbell and they'll pose a tough challenge. The matches between the two teams this season have been close. Regardless, I'd fancy us for this one - given what's at stake, given the expected attendance, I trust in the players and the manager to see us over the line. I wouldn't mind us going with the same XI that started at the Rock (with Lynch coming in for Jamieson). I can understand the calls to play Matty Aitken from the outset but he's been poor for a couple of weeks now so Matty Yates should keep his place as a "nine-and-a-half" or whatever: - Matty Yates - - Euan O'Reilly - Adam Brown - Ross Taylor - - Mikey Anderson - Nat Wedderburn - - Kinlay Bilham - Edin Lynch - Gregor Buchanan - Ross Meechan - - Darren Jamieson - I'm pumped for this one! I'll see you there!

Matty Aitken has scored twice in 2024 - against the Spartans in January and against Bonnyrigg Rose at the start of the month.

The big game of the weekend sees a resurgent Dumbarton taking on Stenhousemuir, the stuttering, soon-to-be champions, at the Rock on Saturday. I'm looking forward to this match - the three previous meetings between the teams have been good and I'm expecting the same here. Although you can never fully trust a Stevie Farrell side, the Sons appear to be getting their act together at the right time and look a decent bet to make an impact in the play-offs; Stenny, meanwhile, will clinch the League 2 title if they win and Peterhead drop points at Clyde, but on current form, you're hard pushed to see the Warriors keeping up their end of the bargain. Stenhousemuir were defensively excellent against the Blue Toon last weekend but are really stuttering further forward. Almost all of the attacking players are out of form - Matty Aitken has been in the doldrums for a while, and if he's not playing well, the whole team seems to suffer, while Matty Yates is going through the motions. I don't think Bradley Rodden or Jordan Kirkpatrick made the most of their opportunity against Peterhead, although Adam Brown and Ross Taylor haven't done much coming off the bench recently either. It's hard to know what Gary Naysmith will do for this one but I'd like to see us go back to the tried-and-tested XI and give it a go. Let's try and win it! I'd bring Taylor back into the fold because he's really saved his best stuff against Dumbarton. - Maty Aitken - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Ross Taylor - - Mikey Anderson - Nat Wedderburn - - Kinlay Bilham - Nicky Jamieson - Gregor Buchanan - Ross Meechan - - Darren Jamieson - I think we can win this one but I reckon it's more likely to end up in a stalemate and we'll be handed the title when the games simply run out. I don't think there will be a lot of football played - the pitch looks in a lousy condition, and this was before Broomhill took on East Kilbride on the Sunday. Either way, I will see you all there!