Follow The Iron Road to Airdrie

I've had a hectic start to the week, somewhat more so that the usual week, but Monday marked a new stage for Bathgate.

It was the laying of the first stretch of new track to link up Bathgate with Airdrie and to create another through route from Edinburgh to Glasgow. The platforms along the route are developing nicely. The new one at Bathgate will make my journey to the station change as the direct line down Mid Street will be more direct than my current journey down Hopetoun Street and St. David's Street.

The BBC article mentions most of the new and upgraded amenities along the line but fails to mention Blackridge Station. The village to the West of Armadale was overlooked by planners when the route was first planned but with all party backing a campaign was launched to provide the people of Blackridge with a station on the line that was going by them anyway.

While the provision of direct train services from Bathgate to Glasgow and Airdrie to Edinburgh are great aspects of new line, the regular service for Blackridge enhances the residents opportunity to use public transport. There are currently only two direct express buses to Edinburgh in the morning from Bathgate the X1 at 0610 and 0700; the latter arrives in the East End at 0816. But only one back out the 1715. It is hardly encouraging for those who maybe work at the Gyle to use public transport. So a train stopping at Edinburgh Park may well encourage more people out of their cars.

The contractors Balfour Beatty are confident that the track laying and electrification will be completed by December this year, on schedule. Seeing some of the things they have done to work through the snow and flooding recently I'm confident that they will be doing all they can to make sure they do deliver on time.

I personally am looking forward to going straight through to Glasgow without having to worry about the last bus time back to Bathgate in the early evening.

Time to Rethink a Rivalry Chant?

I feel we may need to change a terrace chant:

We are the Livingston FC,

We hate the Pars and we hate ******

The last word used to refer to the team at the west end of Tannadice Street who play in blue. Ever since Kachloulgate there has been a bitterness to the rivalry. However, while John Yorkson the Dunfermline Chairman may well indeed still be a bawbag* the same cannot be said of Dundee Chairman Bob Brannan.

He is prepared to look beyond the past like so many other SFL Chairman have, look to the future and realises:

"It's been suggested that Livingston could go out of business if they are relegated to Division Three, but that would be true for a good number of clubs."

"We have to try to help people who are trying to save football clubs, not obstruct them.

"Many Scottish clubs are technically insolvent. Lots of us - and I include Dundee - run at a loss and are only kept going by directors' donations and help from other benefactors.

"In the current economic situation, a lot of clubs are balancing on a financial tightrope."

He has also said regarding Livingston, their relegation to Division 3, the possible impending death of the club and their refusal to play until their appeal is heard:

"The people who are being punished here are Livingston's genuine fans.

"Not the people who got the club into his mess and are now away from there."

He also goes further to the issue of the £720,000 bond that Livingston had been asked to come up with initially to ensure that even if they failed to fulfil their Division 1 fixtures no club would be out of pocket.

"I can't think of too many SPL clubs who could come up with £720,000 at short notice."

"Celtic, St Johnstone and ourselves are the only clubs in the Scottish game that have paid a transfer fee this close season.

"Clubs just don't have cash and asking Livingston for a huge amount of money like that is just astounding."

It is refreshing to here the opinion of someone whose club have been a close rival on a number of occasions (including an cup tie that went to penalties at Dens Park) speak not acerbically with self interest like Jim Bannatyne of Airdrie.But Banner is looking out for the best interests of football and all Scottish clubs’ fans. Just like Spencer Fearn the Chairman of East Stirling who were also set to benefit from the relegation but who had said while supporting point deduction over relegation for Livingston:

"It's a complete farce and a resignation issue for every single person who made the decision to turn Scottish football into an embarrassment just three days before the start of the season."

Tomorrow is the day when the SFL yet again setting about are breaking their own rules by calling a meeting without 21 days notice to hear Livingston’s appeal that was only lodged on Friday of last week.

*Translation from the Scots for other readers: A scrotum.