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Away From The Numbers
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Eugene Clarke
 Jul 24, 08 - 7:43 AM |
Courier Article EFFC Favourites 240708
Bookies tip East Fife for the top By Craig Smith WHILE BOOKMAKERS rarely tend to be wrong, East Fife boss Dave Baikie believes his side’s tag of favourites for the second division title could be bordering on the ridiculous, especially when a ball hasn’t been kicked yet. Such was the Methil club’s impressive run to the third division title last season, however, punters across Scotland have indeed made the Fifers as short as 5-2 to lift their second successive league championship come May, echoing the feat of Gretna several seasons ago. The club is determined to ensure that comparisons with the Raydale Park side stop when it comes to finances, although chairman Willie Gray has been bankrolling some impressive signings in recent years—most notably former Scotland star Stevie Crawford, this week. Manager Dave Baikie has assembled one of the biggest squads in the second division and the Bayview boss hopes he has the right mix of youth and experience to mount a serious challenge. All talk of the title, however, seems fairly distant at this stage. “It’s kind of silly being labelled as favourites,” Baikie said. “The aim for any club is to win the league, but I think after the first nine games we’ll have played everyone and seen everyone and then we’ll see where we are. “The key for me at the moment is getting everyone ready for the first game against Peterhead— we’re going to have had six games to do that and hopefully it all comes together for when it matters.” Crawford’s arrival adds to that of Goran Stanic, Paul Nugent, Robert Campbell and goalkeeper Michael Brown at Bayview this summer, although it is the striking department that looks especially strong with the likes of top-scorer Paul McManus, Bobby Linn and Chris Templeman all vying for a forward role. Baikie added, “I think we’ve got a lot of experienced players in the squad, like Wullie McCulloch in goal, Goran Stanic, Kevin Fotheringham, Chris Templeman—there’s a lot of experience right through the core of the team. “But I think there’s a lot of energy out there as well, so I think there is a good blend of youth and experience there. We’ve tried to bring in as much quality as we can. “I’m quite comfortable with the squad we’ve got and we’ve got cover in every area, which can be important.” The Fifers begin their season proper with a trip to Brechin in the Challenge Cup on Saturday, and the third division championship flag will be unfurled before Peterhead’s visit in the league on August 2. |
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