Balls. New mangager required.


CONFIDENCE ALREADY IN BAYVIEW CAMP FOR NEXT SEASON

DISAPPOINTMENT is already turning to steely optimism as East Fife look ahead to next season.
The Fifers failed to gain promotion after a disappointing 3-0 loss to Queen's Park at Bayview on Saturday - losing 7-2 on aggregate.
But both chairman Willie Gray and manager Dave Baikie are confident heading into the new campagin.
Gray said: "I am confident we can get promotion next season. Considering we have a new management team, we have done very well.
"It has been a major turnaround in just one season.
"We will sign at least another two quality players before the start of the new season."
Baikie was in equally defiant mood and insists continuity is the key.
He explained: "There were only ever two teams who led the division - Berwick and ourselves.
"We are trying to build something here. We had 17 new players last season and they don't gel overnight.
"The nucleus of sides like Queen's Park and Arbroath have been together for two or three years.
"We are going in the right direction and we have made progress.
"We were competing on the last day and we now have a platform on which to gain promotion next time.
"Hopefully, we can build on this and go on to bigger and better things.
"I am very optimistic about next season. We wanted to win the title this time but maybe that's too much to ask in my first full season."
Baikie is already planning for next term, having signed Steven Tweed, Paul Stewart, Kevin Fotheringham and Graham Guy.
Neil Jablonski is heading for Australia while John Dodds is leaving because of travel problems.
Contracts for Elliot Smith, Kevin McBride, Gary Kelly, Paul Doyle and Paul Hampshire won't be renewed, while Scott Crabbe is retiring from playing and moving to a role as striker coach.
But John Martin, Stephan Fortune and Sam Linton, who were loaned out last season, will return and have signed two-year contracts.
And Baikie is confident his plans for strengthening the squad will be backed by the board.
He said: "The club has been very good this season and we will work together to assemble the best possible squad."
But one person who doesn't have a contract is the manager himself.
Despite progress this season, some fans are dissatisfied with Baikie's performance and there have been rumours that former Brechin boss Dick Campbell could takeover.
But Baikie is unconcerned by the rumours saying: "We haven't discussed a contract yet but that doesn't bother me.
"I'd prefer one, as it provides some security, but it's a decision that hasn't been made yet. I'll be here next season."
Baikie also praised the supporters for their role in pushing the team forward this term.
He said: I'd like to thank the fans for their support. The away fans have been terrific.
"I'll be working round the clock to improve the squad and build a team the fans can be proud of."
Last Updated: 16 May 2007

"We were competing on the last day..."

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

I think he meant before 3pm!

Well....There you go Baikie will be the manager next season so stop all the abuse and get behind the club and management and players for the new season
See you all on the North of england tour

Why?

Why accept the sort of rubbish we saw on Saturday?

Why get behind someone who serves up football that's not worth watching?

I could only get behind Baikie if I was happy to watch East Fife fail.

The club will be here long after he has gone. I have loyalty to East Fife, not to an individual who gives the team a bad name with his 'style' of football.

Well, don't bother going to the games next season Devon Malcolm!

What a great idea. Has it occurred to you that this has already crossed my mind?

What a brilliant way to build a support and attract news fans. Get them along to Bayview, serve up shit, then tell them not to come back if they don't like it.

Devon Malcolm,It's been said before that eveyone has a right to their opinion and it is what keeps AFTN interesting. However apart from filling up space your comments here will have no effect. You have a few choices. You accept what we've got and support it,you stay away or you actively campaign for change.
Staying away is the easy choice. What's yours ?
For now my choice is to support what we've got

Get a grip Devon Malcolm. Okay we were not good enough this season, but we were in the hunt for promotion and nearly made it. There was a decent crowd at the last game and they wouldn't have been there if they thought we were shit! They were there because they thought we could do it.

it would have been nice to hear how much the youth have progressed from last year. cup final too look foward too

You're wrong, TOC - staying away is the hardest thing to do. But some of us took that principled stand under the Broon regime and came back after he left. But really, the football hasn't improved, despite the money now being poured into it. It goes downhill every year, and frankly isn't worth the money, the time or the nervous energy now.

It's difficult to overstate the importance of next season. If it goes pear-shaped Gray and Collumbine will undoubtedly stop spending money and we will be deep in the brown stuff. So absolutely crucial to get it right on the field, and is the present manager the right one to do that? Probably not.

A sensible, reasoned post at last.

TT - in hindsight you are probably correct. For most fans the hardest part would be to stay away. Although I think DB may not be the answer I don't think he will be leaving. I will not stay away but will support what we have.

Me too.

If supporters don't give their 100% backing to the manager and players from the start, then we already face and uphill struggle on the park. You might not be happy with Baikie, but he's going to be our boss this season, so think carefully about your role.

Spot on Igor!

It's simple.

If there's an attempt to play football there were be nothing but support. Stands to reason. If it's punt, punt, punt then who's going to encourage that from the stand ?

In the few away games i've been to this season i've seen tremendous backing from the vocal sets of supporters regardless of the football on the park. The problem really is the home games, where we have 99% more "sweetie paper rustlers" who are all football experts, and know better.

Although their footballing knowledge seems limited to shouting "Fuck off Baikie/Blackadder".

This will surely inspire the team to up their game, and play brilliant football.