DERBY IS MAGIC FOR PARS BOSS
DUNFERMLINE boss Allan Johnston will relish the visit of sworn enemies Falkirk today after recalling how the away fans were banned from his Sunderland debut in the Tyne-Wear derby.
Johnston savoured the Old Firm, Edinburgh and north-east rivalries as a player and knows the bragging rights are huge for the supporters.
The Pars gaffer expects the atmosphere to be electric as both followings crave a Boxing Day present.
And the 43-year-old insists he will revel in the hostilities after his debut saw Newcastle play tit-for-tat and ban the Sunderland fans in April 1997 following the Black Cats’ decision to prevent the Geordies from attending the derby at Roker Park earlier in the campaign.
Magic said: “I played in the Edinburgh derby and the Old Firm derby and for Sunderland against Newcastle.
“It means so much to the supporters and to the whole club to get that win.
“We were disappointed in the last game against Falkirk not to get anything because we took a good support there.
“And the last thing you want to do in a derby is let down the fans, especially at this time of the year.
“I’m sure they all want the bragging rights.
“Sunderland against Newcastle was good but in my first derby for Sunderland, the away fans weren’t allowed in at Newcastle.
“It’s not the same when there’s only one set of fans, you need both team’s supporters turning up to make it a great atmosphere. As a player I used to love it.”
Meanwhile, Falkirk manager Peter Houston insists highly rated left-back Tony Gallacher would learn more playing in the Championship rather than making up the numbers in an English youth academy.
The 17-year-old made his second appearance for the Bairns in last weekend’s defeat to Dumbarton and is in line to start against the Pars this afternoon.
Houston has already been inundated with phone calls from suitors enquiring about the teenager.
Manchester United have been linked with the defender but Houston is adamant Gallacher should take a leaf out of Swansea pair Stephen Kingsley and Jay Fulton’s book by earning valuable experience with Falkirk.
Houston said: “We know the talent he is. He’s only going to get better with more first-team games and then it’s only a question of how long we can keep him.
“I’ve had phone calls from people around all sorts of clubs asking about Tony.
“We’ll always need to be a selling club but we’re in a good position so it has to be an offer that is too good to turn down.
“I really don’t think it’s time for him to go down. Like Stephen Kingsley and Jay Fulton – who are actually playing in the English Premier League – he should get 40 or 50 games under his belt.
“Then he could push on and not have lost anything.”