Jump to content

The New Raith Rovers Thread


Recommended Posts

I think we're all too aware how a season in the Premier League might end up panning out. But if you have no ambition at all to actually get there, then what is the point in bothering to follow the club? For the younger or indeed newer Raith fans, they'll have seen us only having a couple of decent season in Division 1 / the Championship and otherwise generally being a middling club that ends up in relegation fights and/or League 1. We made the playoffs under Ray McKinnon, but think that aside the last time we made a serious go at the top end of the Championship was in 2010/11. Other than that, you're going back to before 2001,which is when it all started going badly wrong. 

If you're 29/30 you may have a very, very limited recollection of Raith in the Premier League. Younger and you won't have seen it at all or probably won't remember it. 

This is all by the by. We are in the playoffs which is great, but there's a lot of work to do before such an outcome can be comprehended. What is however important is that we have come a long, long way from where we were a couple of seasons ago, at which point it looked like we might be set for another prolonged spell of hell in League 1.

Edited by Michael W
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good grief!  Express some honest concerns and the boz kicking arrives!

Ok, the pus will be shut!  I'll finish by saying that I remember well how I felt, having supported them in the Premier league, home and quite a few away, when relegation came in, relegation despite the great years including the Coca-Cola Cup, Europe, Bayern, (including the 1-0 friendly at Starks Park) - when the club was a hell of a better reputational and financial state than 2021/22 looks like being. I'm sure that the businesses in and around Kirkcaldy will ignore their own plight and plough tens of thousands into the club. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

I know a couple of absolutely die hard Rovers fans who think it's a season or two too soon.

There would possibly be a case for that if we had everyone signed up for next season. Another year to strengthen the squad and for our younger players to develop could mean we would be in a stronger position if we went up.

However, that isn’t the case in terms of our squad. If we don’t go up Hendry, Musonda and possibly Armstrong will be away, we are also likely to be facing a league where the likes of Dundee and Dunfermline will surely be stronger never mind the possibility of Falkirk and Partick Thistle coming up and having a bigger budget than ourselves.

We’ve not been in the Premier League in 24 years, I don’t think we can say promotion would come a year or two early for us as if it is a given we will continue to go from strength to strength at this level because history tells us there are no guarantees what a year or two will hold. Just over 12 months after winning the first leg of the promotion play offs against Hibs we were being relegated to League One by a Brechin side that would go on to not win a game.

There’s a strong case to be made that the failures to win promotion from League One under Smith and then in the play offs under McGlynn helped in a way as we came up a stronger side. Under Barry Smith I am sure we’d have went straight back down. But we have fairly regularly moved between League One and the Championship that we could reasonably expect to return to the Championship in the near future regardless of those outcomes. This is a different story. We have a very good side on our day and it is undoubtedly our best chance of Premier League football in 24 years.

I still think promotion will be a big ask but I doubt you’ll find many Rovers fans concerned about the season ahead if we achieve it. It would be a complete free hit to enjoy. Livingston achieved back to back promotions and have coped just fine a league above with a similar budget (initially) to what we would have. I would have faith in McGlynn putting together a squad that would make us competitive, it might not be enough to keep us up but just being at that level, 24 months after finishing 3rd in League One behind Forfar and Arbroath, would would be highly enjoyable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

I know a couple of absolutely die hard Rovers fans who think it's a season or two too soon.

Ultimately you look at the make up of the squad and it could well be now or never. The likelihood is that the squad will be in someway broken up next season unless promotion is achieved with Hendry and Musonda almost certain to move on. I would be very surprised if McGlynn can work his magic to the same extent next season and while I am confident we won't be slipping away catastrophically you just need to look at a team like Ayr where they got to the point of making the push for promotion and then fell away again as losing players caught up with them.

The way clubs at this level work it is very difficult to have a 5 or 10 year plan for making your way to the top of the game. Players aren't generally tied in to long contracts and a lot of signings are ultimately gambles. If Rovers do manage to get up it will be an incredible achievement and they would need a whole lot of good fortune next season but that would be no different in 2 or 3 years time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is never a bad time to get promoted. Don't achieve and your best players end up getting better offers and leave. Suddenly, "next season" doesn't look so good. 

It's football, not planning a family - live in the moment and enjoy the successes when they arrive. Don't worry about planning or whether the time is right.

Edited by Michael W
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If we somehow managed to get promoted, then I seriously wouldn’t give a shit about next season.  It’s winning things or going up that matters not the season or seasons after.  The joy of successfully getting through two or three play off ties would be incredible and we’d all remember that for life.  It’s that experience that is the attraction for me not the ‘reward’ of a season in the Premiership. 
 

As for it coming too soon, can’t understand why any genuine Rovers fan would think like that. If we fail to go up then given how football is these days, there is an equal  likelihood that teams would cherry pick our best players and it’s be another rebuilding job than we’d be able to go again next year. The reality is a club like Rovers is never going to be perfectly ready for the first tier. It’s just a case of get there and then cut your cloth. 
 

Anyway, still a long way from all that. The play offs will be a tough test no matter who we face and for me promotion is an outside bet and a shot to nothing none of us expected. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rumours have it that the Pars are going to form a mid-week league of their own. No other teams invited they will just play themselves.

At present the bookies have installed the 1st team as second favourites .

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, rrfsee said:

Rumours have it that the Pars are going to form a mid-week league of their own. No other teams invited they will just play themselves.

At present the bookies have installed the 1st team as second favourites .

 

Should that no' read " play with themselves"? 🤭😉

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

I've had a liking for the Rovers for years (after I lived in Fife for a while), but I must ask an awkward question... if the Rovers get promotion, where is the loot going to come from to keep them there, even for just 2 seasons? Managerial brilliance and a "get it up yie" attitude is all well and good in the Championship, but next season after a step up?  I know a couple of absolutely die hard Rovers fans who think it's a season or two too soon.  The objective has to be more than just to get there, and they don't want their main contribution to end up being making St Mirren and Ross County look good. 

You don't get to pick and choose when you get promoted.

Now is the time to stop fucking about and grasp the opportunity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

I've had a liking for the Rovers for years (after I lived in Fife for a while), but I must ask an awkward question... if the Rovers get promotion, where is the loot going to come from to keep them there, even for just 2 seasons? Managerial brilliance and a "get it up yie" attitude is all well and good in the Championship, but next season after a step up?  I know a couple of absolutely die hard Rovers fans who think it's a season or two too soon.  The objective has to be more than just to get there, and they don't want their main contribution to end up being making St Mirren and Ross County look good. 

The difference in prize money between 2nd in the championship and 11th in Premiership is quite substantial. It's far easier to stay in Premier League than it is to get promoted to it and the ongoing additional prize money assists with this in the retention and attraction of players.

There's not a lot of difference in size between bottom 6 Premier League and top 6 Championship therefore this prize money and increased advertising, sponsorship and crowd revenues is where the loot would come from. If we get there this season we would have a real shot at keeping much of this team together which could see us good for 2, 3, 4 seasons in the top flight. The cumulative financial reward could be substantial assuming (and it is a big assumption 🙂) that we manage it right and it could lessen the pressures our long term debt has had on us for much of the last quarter century.

Any Rovers fan that genuinely thinks it might be good to miss out this year coz we aren't ready really needs to look at themselves. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've nothing to fear from ICT. They've had a lot of success against us in the past but apart from the 2-0 up there in November  we've been anything but inferior. They won at Stark's with a freak goal against ten men - even McCann admitted that with ten men we were the better team. I would look forward to getting the opportunity in the play-offs to set the record straight.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ll reluctantly agree that getting promoted this season would be “too early”, but should still be gleefully chased and accepted. Another year or two in the Championship to firm up finances, especially since this last year was far from normal, would be especially good. Allowing more time to build the core of the team would be huge, but would (as noted) mean the loss of stalwarts like Hendry, Tait and such. The other consideration is are signings like Lang, Berra, Zanatta and Keatings made for the Championship or the Premiership?

On the whole, a promoted Rovers team with Hendry, Tait, JMac, and Musonda to add to the current signings would likely have a  decent shot at 8th to 10th place, and staying up. It would be far from assured, but would certainly be an enjoyable watch in some contexts and likely a quite painful one in others.

Edited by TxRover
Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, TxRover said:

I’ll reluctantly agree that getting promoted this season would be “too early”, but should still be gleefully chased and accepted. Another year or two in the Championship to firm up finances, especially since this last year was far from normal, would be especially good. Allowing more time to build the core of the team would be huge, but would (as noted) mean the loss of stalwarts like Hendry, Tait and such. The other consideration is are signings like Lang, Berra, Zanatta and Keatings made for the Championship or the Premiership?

On the whole, a promoted Rovers team with Hendry, Tait, JMac, and Musonda to add to the current signings would likely have a  decent shot at 8th to 10th place, and staying up. It would be far from assured, but would certainly be an enjoyable watch in some contexts and likely a quite painful one in others.

It's never too early to get promoted.

And what's this crap with 'another year or two in the Championship to firm up finances would be especially good' ?

The best place to firm up the finances is the Premiership.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, TxRover said:

I’ll reluctantly agree that getting promoted this season would be “too early”, but should still be gleefully chased and accepted. Another year or two in the Championship to firm up finances, especially since this last year was far from normal, would be especially good. .

Two years after the last time we were in this position we were playing in League One.  Admittedly it's unlikely we'd get rid of McGlynn and bring in a clown as a manager again but things can change drastically at this level.  If we stayed in the Championship there's no guarantee we'd have as good a season again, it's just as likely we could end up battling at the wrong end of the table.

If we manage to go up and end up coming straight back down, who cares.  The first season in the Premier League with Nicholl was still fun, even though we didn't win very often.  I've still got the scarf I bit a hole through up at Dens Park while nervously waiting for the final whistle to get us our first win that season.  Plus the money we'd make in that one season plus the parachute payment would put the club in a good position to work towards getting back up and staying up. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely astounding to read that anyone would think it's "too soon to go up". Sorry but that is just stupid. Last time we were in the Premier league playoffs we got relegated to league 1 the very next season. f**k even this season a lot of fans were still worried about relegation until a couple of weeks ago. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, TxRover said:

Allowing more time to build the core of the team would be huge, but would (as noted) mean the loss of stalwarts like Hendry, Tait and such. 

We'll never have that luxury at this level hence like you said losing players like Hendry and Tait amongst others. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After our showing against Livingston in the cup where we outplayed them for an hour before running out of puff we've nothing to be worried about this team going up to the Premiership. I can only see benefits from promotion, the likelihood of keeping key players, and McGlynn, better finances, better crowds, better publicity. As has been pointed out already, it's harder to get promotion to the top league than escape relegation from it, and not going up could well mean mediocrity next season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Not to forget and more importantly potentially losing McGlynn

I genuinely don’t think McGlynn would go anywhere, even given the chance.

He’s had a go at managing his boyhood team and it didn’t work out.
He’s had another go at managing in the premier and it didn’t work out.

When he came back he said Raith was the only gig that would tempt him back to management.

Sometimes people and clubs are just perfect fits for each other and McGlynn and the Rovers are exactly that.

I could be wildly wrong of course but another team coming and pinching McGlynn is not something I worry about at all, I think we’ll have him for as long as the partnership is successful.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   1 member

×
×
  • Create New...