Season 2005/6 Preview

The close season saw little activity at Fir Park. The only major departure from the playing staff was David Partridge who moved to Bristol City for a fee reported as £150k.. Graeme Smith joined from Rangers to provide a challenge for the goalkeeping shirt. It seems likely that Terry Butcher will attempt to bring in a couple of players before the transfer window closes.

This season begins a week earlier than normal to accommodate the World Cup next summer and as a result the players returned to their training schedule at the end of June. There will be no winter break this season.

Three of our first four games will be at home thanks to the switch of the second game from East End Park and if our hopes of another top half finish are to be realised then half a dozen points could be considered a fair start.

We have been spared any inconvenience during the festive season with a Boxing Day visit to Fir Park from Aberdeen and a Hogmany trip along the M8 to Livingston.

The fixture computer has managed to send us to Inverness, Aberdeen, Tynecastle, Kilmarnock, Ibrox and Dunfermline twice while Celtic, Hibs, Falkirk, Dundee United and Livingston will pay two visits to Fir Park. The last scheduled visit before the split tales us to Ibrox.

The defence may struggle a bit early on with regulars Partridge and Corrigan missing but we are assured that Butcher is on the case and that fresh troops will soon arrive.

If we can pick up a few wins early on then there is no reason to believe that we won’t be in the top half when the split arrives but ‘Well fans will do be too disheartened so long as we finish clear of the relegation dog fight. Prediction – 6^th again.