Cowdenbeath FC. 2017/18 Season

[Aberdeen Cowden]

45 minutes ago, cowdenbeath said:

Well that's the 1st quarter of the league season done. 

So far we are 3 points worse off than last season record then after 9 games was

Pld 9 W 2 D 2 L 5 F 11 A 17 Pts 8

This season its 

Pld 9 W 1 D 2 L 6 F 3 A 13 Pts 5

Have conceded slightly less goals this season with more than half of them coming against Peterhead and Stirling. Alarming (to say the least) drop in goals scored we had already scored 3 in two games at this time last year although we lost both!

We had 4 goal less  league games then compared to the current 6. We also of course lost to EK in the Scottish Cup.

Like this time last season our win has come against Edinburgh City our other one was up at Montrose pre Stewart Petrie days. We also had draws against Arbroath and Annan.  Draws this season have been against Clyde where we lost 5-3 last season and Elgin who beat us 1-0 on the opening day.

Defeats from Berwick and Stirling as per last season while we lost to Annan after drawing with them in the first quarter last year.

We were 2nd bottom of the table with Edinburgh City having just 3 points from 10 games (they had brought a game with Elgin forward).

Table then was 

Forfar             Pld 9 Pts 21

Elgin                 Pld 10 Pts 18

Clyde               Pld 9 Pts 17

Arbroath        Pld 9 Pts 14

Berwick          Pld 9 Pts 13

Annan              Pld 9 Pts 13

Stirling             Pld 9 Pts 9

Montrose       Pld 9 Pts 9

Cowden           Pld 9 Pts 8

Edinburgh C Pld 10 Pts 3

Aye I was bored when I looked all this up

And we all know what happened last season!

[The Minertaur]

Well that's the 1st quarter of the league season done. 
So far we are 3 points worse off than last season record then after 9 games was
Pld 9 W 2 D 2 L 5 F 11 A 17 Pts 8
This season its 
Pld 9 W 1 D 2 L 6 F 3 A 13 Pts 5
Have conceded slightly less goals this season with more than half of them coming against Peterhead and Stirling. Alarming (to say the least) drop in goals scored we had already scored 3 in two games at this time last year although we lost both!
We had 4 goal less  league games then compared to the current 6. We also of course lost to EK in the Scottish Cup.
Like this time last season our win has come against Edinburgh City our other one was up at Montrose pre Stewart Petrie days. We also had draws against Arbroath and Annan.  Draws this season have been against Clyde where we lost 5-3 last season and Elgin who beat us 1-0 on the opening day.
Defeats from Berwick and Stirling as per last season while we lost to Annan after drawing with them in the first quarter last year.
We were 2nd bottom of the table with Edinburgh City having just 3 points from 10 games (they had brought a game with Elgin forward).
Table then was 
Forfar             Pld 9 Pts 21
Elgin                 Pld 10 Pts 18
Clyde               Pld 9 Pts 17
Arbroath        Pld 9 Pts 14
Berwick          Pld 9 Pts 13
Annan              Pld 9 Pts 13
Stirling             Pld 9 Pts 9
Montrose       Pld 9 Pts 9
Cowden           Pld 9 Pts 8
Edinburgh C Pld 10 Pts 3
Aye I was bored when I looked all this up[emoji38]

That's my stats article for the programme sorted

[Cowden316]

The table does not lie as they say. 

Alarmingly City were 5 points behind us last season at this stage so I hope they don't get some form soon for our sake as we are lucky not to be cut adrift. 

No idea what the solution is to our current horror show but I do know it requires money unfortunately and that's why we need to keep pulling together in fundraising ideas for  Club 135 100 club  etc.  

One observation would be I think we need is  to seek a shrewd businessman to be on our board. Look at the investment Kelty Hearts are getting and their ambitious set up.  Look at their social calendar for instance which puts our club to shame and something we need volunteers to help with for our club. 

I keep saying it but Kelty Hearts are our biggest threat if we don't get out of this mess. 

The only thing that appeals to me currently is my affection for the club and town but how do we attract fresh blood whether fans or additional board members when we are in these difficult times? 

Also whilst I am not calling for Billy Browns head how come a man of his experience has us in such a dire position and also appears not to be able to use his contacts to bring in someone decent? Very worrying but maybe it's due to our finances he is very restricted but it's clear our midfield lacks big style and it is his accountability of the players he has brought in.  

Someone yesterday made a very good suggestion for any future managers. Just like a workplace appraisal system for managers to be offered a contract saying if we are in this position you get x amount of money etc.  We can't afford anymore for people bringing our club down to its lowest level and risking the future of the club. 

Discuss

[cowdenbeath]

35 minutes ago, Aberdeen Cowden said:

And we all know what happened last season!

Aye I was just wanting to see how we compared with it AC. Apart from the 2 games with Peterhead and Stirling the defence in most part has been better than this time last season where we had lost 4 at Forfar and 5 at Clyde.

As i've said all said all season we need an experienced "hard man" type of player in the middle of the park where we lose the battle too often and an experienced frontman to help the young forwards. Darren Smith was a classic example of that yesterday.

[cowdenbeath]

38 minutes ago, The Minertaur said:

That's my stats article for the programme sorted

Glad to help you I imagine you would have probably been thinking of doing something like that anyway.

[Rooster]

Aye I was just wanting to see how we compared with it AC. Apart from the 2 games with Peterhead and Stirling the defence in most part has been better than this time last season where we had lost 4 at Forfar and 5 at Clyde.
As i've said all said all season we need an experienced "hard man" type of player in the middle of the park where we lose the battle too often and an experienced frontman to help the young forwards. Darren Smith was a classic example of that yesterday.

Agree 100 percent we just need the two players/position you have identified.
The incredible thing is everyone can see this .

[cowdenbeath]

25 minutes ago, Cowden316 said:

The table does not lie as they say. 

Alarmingly City were 5 points behind us last season at this stage so I hope they don't get some form soon for our sake as we are lucky not to be cut adrift. 

No idea what the solution is to our current horror show but I do know it requires money unfortunately and that's why we need to keep pulling together in fundraising ideas for  Club 135 100 club  etc.  

One observation would be I think we need is  to seek a shrewd businessman to be on our board. Look at the investment Kelty Hearts are getting and their ambitious set up.  Look at their social calendar for instance which puts our club to shame and something we need volunteers to help with for our club. 

I keep saying it but Kelty Hearts are our biggest threat if we don't get out of this mess. 

The only thing that appeals to me currently is my affection for the club and town but how do we attract fresh blood whether fans or additional board members when we are in these difficult times? 

Also whilst I am not calling for Billy Browns head how come a man of his experience has us in such a dire position and also appears not to be able to use his contacts to bring in someone decent? Very worrying but maybe it's due to our finances he is very restricted but it's clear our midfield lacks big style and it is his accountability of the players he has brought in.  

Someone yesterday made a very good suggestion for any future managers. Just like a workplace appraisal system for managers to be offered a contract saying if we are in this position you get x amount of money etc.  We can't afford anymore for people bringing our club down to its lowest level and risking the future of the club. 

Discuss

Ah well at least my wee comparison with last season has kicked off some debate again Scotty

Re your points,

Kelty are obviously getting some investment in them don't know how much their business really.

They are in a different position to us through apart from council hires of the pitch they are sole tenants of the ground making it easier for them to have their social club on site and as you say it seems a well run venue with various things going on there.

They are probably lucky as well re the club that there isn't that much other places in the village to compete with 3 pubs and the Ex Servicemen's club if my count is right.

Re folk coming on board I would imagine the current directors would probably welcome that but I have never heard of very much takers on that score.

I thought that Billy would have got a couple of loan players perhaps to boost his squad but I don't know the score on that one re finance for all we know he has maybe been looking at targets but for one reason or another not got them. Once again being bottom of the bottom league will make it harder to attract people.

As for managers contracts also don't know the score on them its between the clubs and individuals i'm sure clubs will give managers bonuses for championship wins or getting promoted.

Edinburgh City are ahead of us after us being ahead of them last season but going by their fans on here they seem to have similar problems on the park to us this season. They had their purple patch last November/December which basically saved them last season hopefully they won't do the same this year!

That's my thought's anyway.

 

[cowdenbeath]

12 minutes ago, Rooster said:

Agree 100 percent we just need the two players/position you have identified.
The incredible thing is everyone can see this .

To be fair I would imagine the manager and coaches knows this as well its just getting those players in easier said than done.

[silkybeath]

Unfortunately I have been unable to attend any games this season due to family reasons and despite the reports I do miss watching the team and offering my support. It is difficult for me to make any comments around current squad etc but I do feel that ending our own youth academy has been a big problem. Fife Elite is an excellent setup but the best players (i.e. a local lad, Callum Smith end up at the Pars). We moved through the divisions very much with the help of the players we brought through our own setup. (Linton, Robertson, Brett, Milne, TOB etc.)

I realise the benefits of playing in the elite league and attracting the players who will maybe go to Hearts or Celtic but I feel we are now missing out. I hope to be proved wrong over the next few years and hopefully see a few move to us from Fife Elite. 

Hopefully pick up a result soon as wins build confidence and momentum.

[cowdenbeath]

24 minutes ago, silkybeath said:

Unfortunately I have been unable to attend any games this season due to family reasons and despite the reports I do miss watching the team and offering my support. It is difficult for me to make any comments around current squad etc but I do feel that ending our own youth academy has been a big problem. Fife Elite is an excellent setup but the best players (i.e. a local lad, Callum Smith end up at the Pars). We moved through the divisions very much with the help of the players we brought through our own setup. (Linton, Robertson, Brett, Milne, TOB etc.)

I realise the benefits of playing in the elite league and attracting the players who will maybe go to Hearts or Celtic but I feel we are now missing out. I hope to be proved wrong over the next few years and hopefully see a few move to us from Fife Elite. 

Hopefully pick up a result soon as wins build confidence and momentum.

Re the Fife Elite I see where your coming from as you are/have been involved in Boys Club football.

In reality I suppose we were always behind the Pars and the Rovers in the pecking order for the best young Fife players with those two being behind the Old Firm, Hibs and Hearts.

Your right we had a decent crop of guys come through much about the same time but for those five you have mentioned there would have been a hell of a lot of players they played alongside who never made it. Only TOB and Deano went all the way through the system with the others joining at older ages with Lewis being released by the Pars and Robbo from Hearts.

If anything it will just get harder for clubs like us to keep youth set ups going as I believe more and more of the grants are getting pushed towards the "big" clubs with this Project Brave (what a shit name) idea.

Edited to add

I think Deano had a short spell at Livingston.

[Cowden316]

20 minutes ago, cowdenbeath said:

Ah well at least my wee comparison with last season has kicked off some debate again Scotty

Re your points,

Kelty are obviously getting some investment in them don't know how much their business really.

They are in a different position to us through apart from council hires of the pitch they are sole tenants of the ground making it easier for them to have their social club on site and as you say it seems a well run venue with various things going on there.

They are probably lucky as well re the club that there isn't that much other places in the village to compete with 3 pubs and the Ex Servicemen's club if my count is right.

Re folk coming on board I would imagine the current directors would probably welcome that but I have never heard of very much takers on that score.

I thought that Billy would have got a couple of loan players perhaps to boost his squad but I don't know the score on that one re finance for all we know he has maybe been looking at targets but for one reason or another not got them. Once again being bottom of the bottom league will make it harder to attract people.

As for managers contracts also don't know the score on them its between the clubs and individuals i'm sure clubs will give managers bonuses for championship wins or getting promoted.

Edinburgh City are ahead of us after us being ahead of them last season but going by their fans on here they seem to have similar problems on the park to us this season. They had their purple patch last November/December which basically saved them last season hopefully they won't do the same this year!

That's my thought's anyway.

 

All very valid points Andy. 

As you say Kelty are lucky to have their own assets unlike our unfortunate situation with our ground. 

It's a shame we don't have John on the board anymore and won't return in that capacity. 

It's a shame the people who own the ground aren't interested in the Stock Car Racing either, can you imagine modernising Central Park for an already well followed stock car racing in a more modernised environment which would also benefit the football club. 

Maybe a letter to Vince Mcmahon owner of WWE asking for him not to pursue Newcastle Utd but aquire Central Park to expand his sports entertainment brand into Stock Car racing helping us at the same time lol. 

I just wish Gary Locke was still here as I think the set up with him and Billy would have worked out better than this. 

Hopefully we will get our purple patch soon Andy as I don't want another nervy trapdoor playoff game ever again. 

[Cowden Cowboy]

Unfortunately I have been unable to attend any games this season due to family reasons and despite the reports I do miss watching the team and offering my support. It is difficult for me to make any comments around current squad etc but I do feel that ending our own youth academy has been a big problem. Fife Elite is an excellent setup but the best players (i.e. a local lad, Callum Smith end up at the Pars). We moved through the divisions very much with the help of the players we brought through our own setup. (Linton, Robertson, Brett, Milne, TOB etc.)
I realise the benefits of playing in the elite league and attracting the players who will maybe go to Hearts or Celtic but I feel we are now missing out. I hope to be proved wrong over the next few years and hopefully see a few move to us from Fife Elite. 
Hopefully pick up a result soon as wins build confidence and momentum.

Ending our own youth academy was really the only sensible option as the SFA progressively are moving support away from small club academies and thus the financial support we once had for this eroded. In addition without the stock car income resources for this would be under extreme pressure. The economics no longer work. This is mirrored across the board with all 4 Fife teams benefitting from the economies of scale involved in one set up. Now the next step of Project Brave would mean there would be virtually no funding provided for a club academy such as that Cowden once had and FEFA also has challenges to overcome. The best local players always in general preferred the full time deals available at Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy that hasn't changed. But players who want to play part time, maybe who are at university or want to have a job as a fall back would maybe favour Cowden - or those who want to play 1st team earlier than might be the case in a higher division. The players you mention - most were in other Academies before coming to us.

[Cowden Cowboy]

Agree 100 percent we just need the two players/position you have identified.
The incredible thing is everyone can see this .

That isn't incredible at all - 'get it sorted' and 'lessons should have been learned' from last season are also freely bandied around. Identifying the likely solution though and having the personnel, capacity, opportunity and resources to implement it are two different things. Many possibilities have been explored and avenues pursued and that continues

[BB_Bino]

As i've said all said all season we need an experienced "hard man" type of player in the middle of the park where we lose the battle too often and an experienced frontman to help the young forwards. Darren Smith was a classic example of that yesterday.

Sorry to butt in here, but going solely on the 90 minutes yesterday I would say that Cowdenbeath were screaming out for someone to put their foot on the ball and make things happen, to either deliver good quality crosses into the box or thread balls through from the middle of the park.

I know your team lacks the quality for a promotion push, but again, going on the 90 minutes, I don’t think you’re a million miles away from being a team that can match those at the lower end of the table and nick points from those at the top on “off days”.

If Brown can find that player or 2 then you have a real chance, I still think there is a long way to go though l, but your games against Edinburgh City are going to be vital.

[Tenkay]

 Cowdenbeath and Edinburgh City players having a night oot together.

The strikers  all walk up to the bar and say, "We'll have a half a dozen  shots please."
The barman says, "That's not like yous lately."

 

[1320Lichtie]

Unfortunately I have been unable to attend any games this season due to family reasons and despite the reports I do miss watching the team and offering my support. It is difficult for me to make any comments around current squad etc but I do feel that ending our own youth academy has been a big problem. Fife Elite is an excellent setup but the best players (i.e. a local lad, Callum Smith end up at the Pars). We moved through the divisions very much with the help of the players we brought through our own setup. (Linton, Robertson, Brett, Milne, TOB etc.)
I realise the benefits of playing in the elite league and attracting the players who will maybe go to Hearts or Celtic but I feel we are now missing out. I hope to be proved wrong over the next few years and hopefully see a few move to us from Fife Elite. 
Hopefully pick up a result soon as wins build confidence and momentum.

ToB btw. [emoji7]

Week after week he looks like one of the best players on the park. Great going to a team like Raith where it's even the case when you play them. Absolute quality. Lucky for us he's not keen on going FT due to his personal career and we have him right up until the end of next season as it stands.

Hopefully that's extended too, one of the best I've ever seen play for us in my opinion. So far anyway. Absolute unit, great defender, amazing with the ball.

[NELLY]

Saturday was poor. Really poor. Our midfield is the worst ive ever seen. Left side we are remarkably poor. The team lacks any sort of creativity or spark and general attacking threat or instinct.

There is no doubt that the team is low in confidence. You can see the way certain players take the ball or hide from the game (left back left mid being prime examples). Billy Brown now has to consider his position not for the poor results sake but analysing can I get the team out of this and install that confidence and freedom to pick up results. Also to analyse whether he can implent his ideas to what is a limited bunch of footballers in truth. I dont believe he can sadly.

The facts are do we need new midfield players yes however we have a lot on the books! do we need a decent striker yes - however we have signed one recently and have 4.None of whom are actually prolific or showing any promise of being even a 10-15 goal a season man.

The squad is poor middle to front and left side. We have 2 very good gks sadly one now has a bad injury. 2 decent right backs and 2 good centre halfs. Going to be really tough to get out of this and a change of direction in way of coaching/new voice/new ideas may freshen up the downbeat players - it shows in their performance. That is why I think Billy should leave. Not screaming from the rooftops for him to go but if he deep down reviews everything I think he will be able to realise he wont get the very best out of the players to push us up the league.

 

[The_Judge]

Looks very much like last season although this time it's Brown rather than Fox having difficulty getting points.  I feel for you and see your current predicament as the down side of a 10 team league.  Playing the same 9 teams over and over with little respite.  IF we had gone up last season we may very well have found ourselves in exactly the same position and I'd probably find it less enjoyable. 

Are there any Cowden fans who believe that dropping down to the LL wouldn't have been the end of your club? 

To the regular posters on here would you stop supporting the club if they dropped to 5th tier? 

[The Minertaur]

4 hours ago, The_Judge said:

Looks very much like last season although this time it's Brown rather than Fox having difficulty getting points.  I feel for you and see your current predicament as the down side of a 10 team league.  Playing the same 9 teams over and over with little respite.  IF we had gone up last season we may very well have found ourselves in exactly the same position and I'd probably find it less enjoyable. 

Are there any Cowden fans who believe that dropping down to the LL wouldn't have been the end of your club? 

To the regular posters on here would you stop supporting the club if they dropped to 5th tier? 

Heck no - doesn't matter what league we are in I'd still be supporting us.

 

The scary thing this season is that despite how God awful we have been a win on Saturday could see us move up to 8th!  There's a long way to go yet not that I can see us picking up points soon.  It's hard for me to pass comment on the team when I've only made it to 1 game this season so I'm not going to comment on performances.  It sounds like we have no confidence and need something to spur us on.  I thought the last minute penalty against Clyde might have done it but apparently not.   

I'll make the Annan game next month so I'll give an accurate report of how awful we are after that

[cowdenbeath]

16 hours ago, BB_Bino said:

 

Sorry to butt in here, but going solely on the 90 minutes yesterday I would say that Cowdenbeath were screaming out for someone to put their foot on the ball and make things happen, to either deliver good quality crosses into the box or thread balls through from the middle of the park.

I know your team lacks the quality for a promotion push, but again, going on the 90 minutes, I don’t think you’re a million miles away from being a team that can match those at the lower end of the table and nick points from those at the top on “off days”.

If Brown can find that player or 2 then you have a real chance, I still think there is a long way to go though l, but your games against Edinburgh City are going to be vital.

 

That's what I was getting at BB.