Kallum Higginbotham still looks back on the season he and Farid El Alagui were tormenting Championship back-lines in the colours of Falkirk as the most enjoyable campaign of his career.
However, sentiment will not come into the equation today as the Dunfermline duo prepare to be cast as villains against the Bairns.
Higginbotham said: “This is definitely a game I looked for at the start of the season.
“I’ve never quite understood the rivalry, considering the distance between the teams! But I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth into it.
“I’ll always have great memories and be very proud of my time with Falkirk and, of course, a lot of that was playing with Farid.
“That second season at Falkirk is the most enjoyable time I have had playing football, but my focus now is on making sure Dunfermline get the right result.”
Should, as expected, Higginbotham receive a fiery welcome from the home fans, he can take some solace from sharing that burden with El Alagui.
The 31-year-old was a cult hero with the Bairns after Steven Pressley plucked him from relative anonymity and shaped him into one of the best natural finishers in Sottish football.
Injury woes derailed his progress but, now back to full fitness and with three goals in his last three games, Higginbotham is loving life alongside his old pal.
He continued: “It’s great to be re-united with Farid. When we both left Falkirk I figured we would probably never cross paths again – that’s just football.
“But we always kept in touch because we built a real friendship. Now, back together at Dunfermline, I hope we can start to play a few more games together, get that bond back that we had at Falkirk and really click into gear.”
And Higginbotham knows the return to Falkirk would be a perfect opportunity to truly announce himself to Pars fans, having struggled to impose himself during 11 appearances this term.
He added: “With the quality in the dressing room, every player knows that if they don’t perform to their absolute best then they will lose their place.
“However, I have been working really hard on the training pitch and, although it has been frustrating at times, hopefully my chance will come against Falkirk at the weekend.
“We absolutely believe we can be challenging towards the top end of the table and I want to be a big part of that.”
