No favours for ‘Club 12’

Jul 16 2012 by Paul Behan, Paisley Daily Express

ST MIRREN defender David Barron has revealed he couldn’t care less who wins the battle to move up to the SPL as ‘Club 12’ following the demise of Rangers.

Dundee and Dunfermline Athletic are both hoping to take the Ibrox club’s place in the top flight – with Saints due to visit either Dens Park or East End Park on Saturday, August 11, for their first away fixture of the new SPL campaign.

It is hoped that football bosses will announce their decision today but Barron insists he doesn’t have any preference over who should get the vote ... because all he cares about is making sure the Buddies take as many points as possible from either club as the season progresses.

He told Express Sports: “As a St Mirren player, it’s not important whether it’s Dundee or Dunfermline – or anyone else for that matter – who comes up to the SPL.

“It’ll just be another game for us and we will treat it the same as we would any other.

“All that counts is that we take as many points as possible from every other team we’ll be competing with.”

Every SPL club – including St Mirren, the ‘old’ Rangers and newcomers Ross County – will today be asked to vote on whether it should be the Dark Blues or the Pars who are promoted to the top flight to take the place of the stricken Ibrox giants.

It will take an 8-4 majority for the winner to emerge, with Dundee hoping to take their place back in Scottish football’s top tier after a seven-year absence.

However, Dunfermline – who were relegated from the SPL at the end of last season – insist they should be handed a reprieve.

Barron, 24, admits the confusion that has engulfed Scottish football following the demise of Rangers has been far from ideal as the other SPL clubs prepare for the new season.

He added: “It’s sad for Scottish football that things have turned out like this but, as players, we can’t change anything.

“It’s up to the club chairmen to vote as they see fit. All we can do is try our best for St Mirren.

“As players, we’ll just get our heads down and concentrate on ourselves.”

Barron and the rest of the St Mirren squad are now coming to the end of their week-long training camp in Marbella, where there has been plenty of hard work done, and he insists he always knew the sunshine trip to Spain would be no holiday.

He said: “It’s good to get a wee break away but we were told we would be doing double sessions most days.

“Most of us are looking in good nick, so all the hard work is worthwhile.”