Published: Thursday, 29th March, 2007 12:00pm

Nipper nears the end of his long road back to fitness

by Simon Harris

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GIVEN the night before, most Pars fans would probably be pushed to mind what they were doing early on New Year"s morning.

Not so club captain Scott Thomson, who was cycling past a windswept and desolate Pitreavie Playing Fields while most folk were tucked up in bed sleeping off the excesses of the previous evening.

Absent from the Pars first team for 11 months now, the long haul back to fitness is a side of being a footballer few fans pause to think about.

Cycling, swimming, rowing, weight training – Nipper"s gritted his teeth and got on with the punishing recovery regime laid down by fitness coach Colm O"Neill in his battle to get back from a troublesome achilles injury.

Thomson admits there"s been times when he wondered if he would ever make it.

A comeback in Autumn was lined up until he broke down following a first operation and needed a second.

But speaking to Press Sport on Monday ahead of lining up in the reserves against Falkirk on Tuesday, the popular skipper said he always knew he would play again.

'Since Colm O"Neill"s been here over the past four or five months, I think I"ve had two days off. I"ve been in every Wednesday and Sunday when the boys are off to try to get myself fit,' he said.

'After the setback following the first operation, I just never thought I was going to get better.

'I didn"t think I was too far away, similar to this time but it was sore when I was training. I just thought it was wear and tear and I"d get through it but it just wasn"t getting any better so I went to see the surgeon.

'He said it was in a worse state than we thought. That was the lowest point.'

Did he think about throwing in the towel?

'Of course you do, you just think to yourself, you"re not getting any younger, but I never ever thought I wouldn"t play again, you just hope it doesn"t come to that.

'It is a wee bit in the back of your mind after the second operation, if this doesn"t make it better this time, what do I do next? Do I go for a third operation, do I go somewhere else?

'My family have kept me going when my spirits have been low. My wife and her side of the family, and I keep in contact with my dad and try to see him whenever I can.

'When I"m not playing, I"m bad enough, but if I"m not playing and I"m injured, I"m horrendous.

'I"ve said before, my wife puts up with a lot. I still speak to people but people who know me know I"m not happy. But I"m happy now I"m back training and playing and having a laugh and a carry-on with the lads.

'It feels good. I"ve been out all season and I"m just looking forward to getting out back playing.'

Thomson, described this week by his manager as 'a great competitor', has watched from the sidelines as his team mates have toiled at the foot of the table but the skipper"s certain they can stay up. Ironically, his last game for the Pars was the post-split 3-2 win at Motherwell last April and he"s itching to make a surprise return at Fir Park to help the cause.

'The Inverness result lifted the boys and, following a couple of days off, training was really good on Monday. I think we can stay up, easily,' he asserted.

'I"m going to play it by ear, see how I get on in the (reserve) game, see how I feel after the game and if I feel fine on the Thursday and Friday hopefully I"ll make the squad for the Motherwell game.'

l Thomson completed 70 minutes of the reserves" 2-0 win over Falkirk in a match played at Sauchie Juniors" ground.

The captain partnered Sol Bamba at the back in a match which also saw Andy Tod start his first game since November, while Mark Burchill played for 56 minutes as he continued his comeback from a hernia operation.

Tod and Burchill were on target for the Pars, who also featured Roddy McKenzie, Aaron Labonte, Calum Woods, Freddie Daquin, Jamie McCunnie, Nick Phinn and Calum Smith in the starting line-up.