Joe wins second Dunfermline title

Joe Cardle:- "The team deserves everything because we have been so good this season"

Joe Cardle enjoyed the champion's party on Saturday but did take timeout to compare that with the dreadful day in March 2013 when he lost his job as the club went into administration. He told the website:-

"Obviously we won the league several weeks ago; we knew it was coming today but it was a fantastic day for everyone. I was reading all the Facebook statuses this morning, everyone was talking about the dark days that we had three years ago, and obviously I was part of that."

Contrast that what he describes as the worst day of his career with the events on Saturday. His return to Dunfermline Athletic for the start of the 2015-2016 season was for one major reason. When Joe returned he said it was to win the league and get Dunfermline promoted so the trophy presentation after defeating Peterhead on Saturday was everything he had hoped for.

"To come back to a special day like this, you have to celebrate it. I am so happy that I am here and enjoying it with everyone else. I am delighted to be here and have had another good game today.

"It is another championship, my second for the club so I am over the moon. I was delighted to score sixteen goals this season, I had never scored any more that nine in a season before.

"We weren't really at it in the game but it is another three points at the end of the day. I got on the scoresheet but I am getting a bit of stick from the changing room for the penalty appeal. He did touch me but I maybe went down a bit earlier than I should have.

"Apart from that it was a good game. I have not played for five weeks, I could feel it on my legs towards the end. I am just happy to be part of that changing room and with the management staff has been fantastic. Great great lads that I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life if I am not playing with them next season.

"You are with these boys every day, you become really close and it is a great bunch - one of the best changing rooms that I have ever been involved in. It is part and parcel of football, everyone moves on but I will certainly keep in touch with every one of them."

Joe won the First Division title with Dunfermline on 30th April 2011 and in lifting another league champions medal with the club five years later has completed a fairly rare double.

"It was a long time ago now but now I have my family, beautiful daughter who came on the pitch today, it means so much to me. I am very proud to win it for a second time. The team deserves everything because we have been so good this season.

"We won it in good fashion, so well and so consistent. Even though we were second for a while at the start I was more than positive that we would do it. To win a championship is an amazing achievement.

"We are half way there, we still have a wee bit to go next season but we want to get back to the Premiership that is why I signed for two years, that is my goal.

"I know that it is going to be a big step up, going to big stadiums and playing against better opposition but we have good quality and a lot of young boys coming through. We have more than enough in that changing room to kick on again."

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