Division One
AYR and Partick may be the only ones in the first division for whom today's results matter a jot, but the two clubs battling to avoid relegation are not alone in having their futures hanging in the proverbial balance.
St Mirren manager Tony Fitzpatrick leads his side into today's last game of the season with new chairman Stewart Gilmour stressing that everyone at the club is being assessed as plans are laid for next season. That includes Fitzpatrick himself, even though he backed the new board in their fight for control of the club with English businessman Reg Brearley.
However, as he prepared to face champions Dundee, Fitzpatrick was concentrating on today's 90 minutes and, with Norrie McWhirter and Tommy Turner suspended, he is ready to give younger players like Chris Kerr, Paul Rudden and Wes Fallon a chance to prove their worth. They will face a team whose manager, Jocky Scott, is still shocked at last week's home defeat by Partick and has urged his promoted side to leave the first division on a high - and no doubt prove to him that they are good enough for next season's step up to the big league.
Falkirk's manager, Alex Totten, who has Jamie McGowan doubtful and Neil Oliver, Kevin James and Derek Ferguson out injured as they face Airdrie, hopes that his players' efforts in winning the extra cash that went with second place would be rewarded soon with a buyer prepared to take the club out the hands of the provisional liquidator. ''Any normal season and we would have been preparing for the play-offs and the chance to win a place in the Premier League,'' he said.
Airdrieonians manager Alex MacDonald has even more concrete reasons to look forward to the new campaign, as the club will be playing in a new stadium.
Relegated Stirling Albion, however, face a summer of cut-backs, with manager Kevin Drinkell already away from the club and his assistant, Ray Stewart, having talks yesterday with chairman Peter McKenzie, who stressed yesterday that the club would have a part-time coach next season in an attempt to cut their overdraft. A number of players could move on and are appearing for the last time for Stirling today as they visit Morton.
Raith Rovers manager Jimmy Nicholl, still disappointed at failing to gain promotion or even second place, could make changes to face Hamilton, who are without the injured Jim Sherry and suspended Gary Clark.
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