Published: Thursday, 23rd April, 2009 2:10pm

Cheers set to turn into jeers for Bullen?

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ONE of the most popular Pars players of recent times, Lee Bullen knows past reputations will soon melt away in the white-hot heat of a Dunfermline-Falkirk clash at Hampden.

His professional attitude and total commitment endeared him to Pars fans over 150 appearances during the club"s best spell of the modern era, 2000-2004, but "Bully" knows better than anyone that won"t save him from getting dog"s abuse from the Athletic end in Sunday"s semi-final showdown.

'I had a good rapport with the fans at the club, I had a good send off and I made a lot of good friends with the supporters and I still know John Yorkston and Jim Leishman very well,' Bullen told Press Sport.

'But don"t get me wrong, I"m sure there will be some tongue-in-cheek boos and banter and it won"t stop them shouting at Jackie McNamara and me if things are not going well.'

Prior to his successful stint down south at Sheffield Wednesday, Bullen described his 2004 Scottish Cup final appearance for the Pars against Celtic as 'my most fantastic day in football'.

It was bitter-sweet, as manager Jimmy Calderwood had dropped him to the bench on the eve of the match and subsequently, he"s lifted a trophy in front of 70,000 fans at the Millennium Stadium as Wednesday captain.

But even this week, he still spoke passionately about that magical May day in 2004 when 17,000 Pars fans saw their side go within an ace of beating Henrik Larsson"s Celts.

'I remember going on the bus and just seeing black and white everywhere,' Bullen said.

'The supporters they took through from Dunfermline that day was absolutely phenomenal and I"m sure they will turn out again for the semi-final.

'They are fantastic memories but don"t get me wrong, I will be going all out to send them home unhappy this time'

Bullen admits he was cheering on the Pars in their quarter-final replay win against Aberdeen and reckoned most Bairns fans were doing the same.

'There are three or four lads still there who I keep in touch with – Scott Wilson, Nipper, Greg Shields – and I kept in touch even when I went down south.

"They are still good friends of mine and when it was the quarter-final against Aberdeen I was texting during the game so they would get it after the game and then I was texting them after the game as well.

'They maybe wouldn"t admit it but I"m sure most Falkirk fans were probably supporting the Pars against Aberdeen as this is the game they wanted to renew the rivalry.

"I"ve seen it from both sides now and the rivalry is a good thing. Both sets of fans will be very vocal on the day and that should make it a good spectacle.'

With five games remaining, Falkirk are four points adrift at the foot of the SPL but Bullen insisted the semi-final was a positive distraction for the Bairns.

'You ask every player in the Falkirk squad if they could choose between staying in the SPL or reaching a cup final and they would probably take Premier League survival but we have the opportunity to secure survival and get ourselves into a cup final,' he said.