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So here we have it. With the memories of Hampden still fresh in the mind, the big kick-off is only a matter of days away.
With the forthcoming campaign promising so much it's easy to understand why Pars fans could be optimistic about the season ahead. A European adventure, another crack at the Scottish Cup and a chance to overtake the Jambos into third place all lie ahead - all under the leadership of new manager Davie Hay.
Davie's competitive career in charge of the Pars begins this Saturday against this Saturday against Ian McCall's Dundee Utd side. In a game that could see the Pars debuts of Jamie Langfield, Derek Lyle and Simon Donnelly, more likely the latter, the Pars will go into the fixture with a great degree of confidence after an unbeaten pre-season campaign.
With encounters between the two teams relatively even last season it would take a brave man to pick a clear winner in this fixture.
The last time the two teams met, a Pars team - without Brewster, Byrne, Darren Young and Scott Wilson - found themselves 3-0 down in 30 minutes at Tannadice. A Pars comeback looked on the cards when Bullen and Crawford each pulled a goal back, however the combination of some dogged United defending and some dog awful refereeing from Mike McCurry ensure United came away with the three points.
The last East End Park fixture between the two teams saw a weakened Pars team, containing teenage debutants Clarke, Greenhill, McGuire and Craig Wilson, fight out a 1-1 draw thanks to a rare goal from Greg Shields.
When the Pars met United twice in January the kind of inconsistency typical of Jimmy Calderwood's reign at the club was best shown when, first, the Pars tore McCalls's side to shreds in the Scottish Cup third round tie at the start of the month winning 3-1 thanks to goals from Brewster and Crawford (2), only to put in one of their worst performances of the season to lose 1-0 at Tannadice i the snow and rain at the end of month after a solitary Jim McIntyre strike.
Pars fans will undoubtedly be hoping for a similar outcome and performance as when the Pars faced United for the first time last season. A comfortable 2-0 win coupled with an emphatic performance - spearheaded by a tremendous captain's display from Scott Thomson - ensured a Pars win was always on the cards at East End last November. Goals from Thomson and Mehmet - with his first for the club - was enough to guarantee a comfortable victory for the Pars.
More of the same on Saturday would do just fine!!!
PARS v D.Utd - East End Park
P 56 W 25 D 16 L 15 F 107 A 77
PARS V D.Utd - Overall
P 113 W 40 D 30 L 43 F 192 A 177