Stonny took the rangers supporters bus home after saturdays game which as a captain I think is disgraceful, I also disagree with him being in the team as his footballing ability is lacking to say the least, I agree he is a good leader on the pitch but I think its time to move him on and move forward

I fear this will will open a can of worms yet i find myself unable to disagree with you.

so what...hardly a big deal. he was probably with friends and family. lets get rid of him, bad boy

The captain of our team shouldnt be going away on the opposition teams supporters bus, after a defeat the captain should be there to help lift the lads up after a heavy defeat.

The problem is not so much his behaviour, but the decision to make him captain. He barely deserves a start, far less the armband. Getting a Rangers bus home just underlines his lack of the very qualities a captain needs.
This embarrassment is easy to fix. Make someone else captain.

who is Stonny?

People can be getting stung here with a mischievous post.... Hearsay as far as I am concerned until I see official evidence.... As such I will not pass judgement....

I have it as evidence from someone who was on the bus saying he was getting pelters from the rangers fans because of the result

I understand he has a season ticket for The Rangers and holds office in the Kennoway Rangers Supporters club so I can understand him travelling back with his friends on the bus... If he wasn't the captain of East Fife.

If true its very amateurish in my opinion but perhaps a reflection of some of the things the chairman was talking of wanting to change in his talk sport interview - i.e local football fans bypassing East Fife to support the bigot brothers.

It would have been classier of him if he and some of the players tried to squeeze in the 1938 buses if they wanted a quick run home and a better class of football debate.

If he had supported Brechin or Forfar and took a lift in their bus this would not have got a mention. The pretend outrage is much more to do with the team involved rather than the deed.
I am mystified by the need of anyone from outside Glasgow to support either of the bigot brothers but it's their choice. To take a lift home with friends in a supporter's bus is a major non-event and for anyone to question the player's committment or loyalty to EF, based on that, is a bit bizarre.

I'm going to have to disagree with you, he is team captain and should be acting like one. His duty is to his team mates and East Fife Football Club.

To travel back with Rangers supporters (or any other opposition supporters) shows a distinct lack of respect for his position within the club and the club itself. You have to question his commitment, you really do.

It was only when we played Rangers last season I read that he was a Ranger's supporter. A lack of committment to EF had never crossed my mind prior to knowing that and although his decision to travel that way and the club's decision to allow it seem ill thought out I don't think he has given any less than 100% effort in any game he has played.
Would there have been this sham outrage if it was Forfar rather than Rangers ?

He is the captain of east fife a professional football club and he should act in a professional manner and he did not.I would like to think we are not that diddy football club.

Not The Other Chairman, wrong wrong so very wrong.

Its a pretty damn poor show to be honest and he clearly didn't put a lot of thought into it.
Sheer stupidity on his part.
As it stands we got well and truly pumped which makes it even worse!

Think use clueless idiots will forgetwe slonsor him and £100 from lur club is going to your club. Talking about your captain in this way is a joke!! Think half of you will not have the bottle to speak up and say what you think to him. Hes a great guy and always gives more than 100% and was your beat player yesterday!!

Its buckhaven and methil RSC but i will let you off. Thats nkt the point, the way you are talking about your captain js a joke, hes your best player, he was player of the year last year and now because lf a rumour he is now shite?

I suppose this is the same guy who gave up summer holidays to train full time who works extra hours to get time of for training. Who gives his all in every game for east fife I'm not his biggest fan as a player but come on he's captain of east fife not the Concordia.

this post is embarrassing and is an attack on one of our local players, personally think it should be removed but no doubt it will make the press for the wrong reasons!! Stonie always plays for the shirt and his commitment should not be questioned. Lee posts supporting Stonie and gets abuse from all the nameless on here ... we dont need another vendetta this year against any players !! support them not slate them !!

I have said the decision was ill advised but still cannot see why it calls his committment to the club into question.
The first few posts on this thread are from people who have presumably followed EF through some messy times but never thought to voice an opinion yet suddenly they are outraged.

ps is Lee Thomson really Jim Traynor - writing style seems similar.

Agree with NTOC.

There is no way you can question Stonie's commitment to East Fife on the pitch during games and off it with training and community work.

You can question his sensibilities IF what the original poster says happened actually happened. Was stupid and not what a captain should do imo.

So Stonie is a Rangers fan. So what? I hate them but each to their own and if he has a season ticket, remember the guy was playing amateur and won't have a long playing career so he's thinking ahead about following his team.

In games like these a Rangers fan is likely to play out of his skin in the hope that maybe, just maybe, he can do enough to impress the team he supports and would give anything no doubt to join.

"Enjoy relegation"

Love Stoney. But you are an arrogant prick son.

EFFC forever

Lot of silly attitudes on here.

Lee Thomson was correct to defend his pal but let himself down with the "enjoy relegation" comment, showing a bit of immaturity there

Enjoy relegation tut ye come fae methil fs so much for supporting stoney if you want us relegated.

This thread is an embarrassment.

He's an East Fife player & captain, okay we've established that. But let's get down to realism here. East Fife although considered "Professional" & "Semi Full-Time", it's not that.

Rangers have been around alot longer, and have been way more successful, so much so that that if you vist countries like Spain, America, New Zeland, Australia, etc, you will find Rangers kits on sale and Rangers merchandise. If you go to Northern Ireland, there's a Rangers shop in Belfast, if you go to Glasgow Airport, there's a Rangers shop in the airport.

These lads that play for East Fife, when they're kids growing up they don't dream of playing for East Fife. They dream of playing for teams like Rangers, Celtic, Manchester United, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid. They also grow up supporting teams like that.

So what he jumps on a RSC bus back to Fife from Ibrox. Stop yer whining. More people around the world now know who East Fife are because they played a game against Rangers in 2013 on league duty at Ibrox Stadium infront of 42,870 people.

Let the captain do whatever the fuck he wants.

The enjoy releation was probably a bit low, a dont want that only because ot stonie! But can you blame me, all i did was come on and defend a good mate of mine & all i get is abuse, whose the immature ones now?? whats being said about him is a joke. Wouldnt be this reaction if he supported anyone bar rangers!!

Got to hand it to Craig Johnstone,great captain,taking pelters over this and taking the heat off the rest of the team for a hammering.Seriously,I don't know Craig but I hope he has the sense to ignore this trivial rubbish.

My only concern here is why was Stonie on the bus?

I hope it was just a case of him needing home early and making a poor choice.
Whoever at the club gave the ok is also needing a wee word in their ear

What I'm concerned about is that there's been a bust up and he's chosen not to travel with the team.


If it is the first instance, let him make a short apology in the Forfar match program. I'm sure he wont make the same misjudgment again

It was so he could get a bevvy wi his pals and family before going home... no big deal is it ?

He has to have a life outside of east fife, but just thought he would have choosen a better path than the one he is on.

Typical attitude from rangers fans on here though ..."look what we do for you smaller teams" .."Scottish football be fucked without us" away and beat it to your Scandinavian league cause you lot are the main reason the game in this country suffers.

Rangers have wasted more Scottish players than they develop

If u wanna bitch and moan cause stoney was going out for a night out with pals and family from the bus actually find out how many players were on the bus leaving ibrox

"These lads that play for East Fife, when they're kids growing up they don't dream of playing for East Fife. They dream of playing for teams like Rangers, Celtic, Manchester United, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid. They also grow up supporting teams like that."

Not True when I was growing up my ambitions were East Fife and Scotland. Never yearned for these other wannabes. Mind you talking about when the Fife was winning cups and regularily near top of 1st div and feared by all.

Aye I remember it well.

Let's hope we never play Hearts in the Cup!!!

Mountain being made out of a molehill.

A think this whole topic is going a bit over the top. Is it gonna get brought back up again if in October if he goes to McPhails for a pint wi his mates after the game? He gives his all for the club on the park n does alot of stuff of the park for them which is what fans want! If people don't like his performance tht is fair enough, everybodys views are different but a think at this moment in time the teams performance on the park n lack of results is more worrying then a bus trip wi few friends and family!

DPH

I have never put anything on this forum before and totally respect the fans right to say what they want and having a place to do it. I have talked with GOF and he is a great EF supporter and totally respect AFTN.

For the above to call me and Stoney bigots and glory hunters is really below the belt. Does this guy support the club. Has he ever watched Stoney play? This guy has worked his backside of for EF and for very little in return mostly due to his amateur background. To question this guys attitude, contribution and commitment to the club is incredible. I cannot defend Craig's decision to go on the RSC bus back from the game on Saturday and that will be brought up tomorrow at training as the manager and myself have spoken about it today once we found out. Craig like me were brought up as Rangers fans I have never hidden that and never will but that does not stop me working almost non stop for EF and giving the club massive commitment since I became involved. Nobody wanted to win at Ibrox more than Stoney and myself and that is down purely to being winners and I am sure that normal EF fans would want more Stoneys in the squad. This bigot stuff really is shocking you obviously don't know me or Craig at all. Some of my best friends are Celtic supporters and I have been best man to 2 Celtic fans. What you must understand is that these guys who play for EF are professionals very rarely do you get players playing for clubs they supported as kids. As I have said I totally respect all fans right to vent and give their opinion on AFTN but I will not sit back and accept this kind abuse about me and our captain and the guy that won 3 player of the year awards and who suddenly is not worthy of being the captain. Yes it was an error of judgement but that is it end of nothing else.

I really hope all EF fans would support the club with as much vigour as they do on this forum.

Lee

Well said Lee the guy is there to do a job and gives nothing less than 100% every time he pulls on the black and gold but surely when that full time whistle goes his shift is over and it is then up to the man himself where he wants to go and what he wants to do how would any of you feel if someone was criticising you for going out after your work for a drink with your mates seriously the guy turned up for work and done his job i dont see what the problem is personally i dont think it was a error of judgement surely he is entitled to do what he wants after his work just like any other working class person

This is cringeworthy stuff. What an embarrasment some of our so called supporters are. Let the manager deal with Stoney, it's his job afterall, some of the stuff spouted on here is disgusting. We have been crying out for years for a localguy to come in and run the club and look how he is treated. So what if guys support one half of the ugly sisters that is their choice and you can't change who you support but calling people bigots is just stupid and pathetic.

The club is moving in the right direction for once so get behind the guys and team or stay away and off the internet.

Thread shouldn't of been started its so pety, maybe if he arrived on the supporters bus you'd have a point but going home on the bus what does that really matter? Pathetic

For those of you can't see a problem with our captain's decision to take the Rangers bus home, try reading Lee Murray's comment again and you will see that both the chairman and the manager are unhappy with Craig's decision. There is a reason why they are unhappy. The captain represents East Fife at all times, as do Lee and Willie Aitchison, and he has responsibility that the other players do not have.
Captains set examples for others to follow. Going home on a Rangers bus was not a good example to his team-mates or to our younger players. If he wants to be captain, he has to think about putting East Fife's interests first on a matchday, ahead of having a drink with his pals (if that is what he did). It is not as if the pubs were about to shut, there was all night to socialise when the team bus got back to Fife and they all went their separate ways.

Putting the bigot part of this thread aside as it just silly and unworthy the fact that our captain went home on the Rangers supporters bus is still so wrong.Stonie was representing our team and to say his responsibility to the club ends at the final whistle is ludicrous. Dont know what Stonie was wearing I would imagine it was still the clubs trackie .Having said that Lee has said he will speak to him and that should be an end to it.In my opinion it was a lack of judgement on Stonies part and no harm has been done.

Lee

I appreciate you coming on here and making comment. Just another part of the openness we have at the club right now that we didn't have before.

I truly hope you don't feel that people were calling you or Stonie a bigot. I didn't take that from any of the comments, otherwise they would have been removed.

And I don't think anyone can doubt your commitment to the club and what the new regime have done so far.

Likewise, as I said earlier about Stonie, for his questionable decision re the bus you cannot doubt his commitment to the club on the pitch or in the community work he does off it.

We should probably all remember that not all Old Firm fans are bigots and not all bigots are Old Firm fans.

Will leave this thread open for now but if it starts to feel that it's run it's course then we'll close it to save it just going over the same old ground.

Lee's said the club will deal with it and that should be good enough for all of us.

This is cringeworthy stuff. What an embarrasment some of our so called supporters are. Let the manager deal with Stoney, it's his job afterall, some of the stuff spouted on here is disgusting. We have been crying out for years for a localguy to come in and run the club and look how he is treated. So what if guys support one half of the ugly sisters that is their choice and you can't change who you support but calling people bigots is just stupid and pathetic.

The club is moving in the right direction for once so get behind the guys and team or stay away and off the internet.

Ah. I read that first time around but for whatever reason never really took in the bigot comment.

DPH is a long time, regular poster. Apart from the last sentence (which was done at least partly in jest I took it from the smilie) the rest of the post was fine.

But since I can't just edit out lines in post, I'll be true to my word though and delete that!

Just out of interest, do all players return to Bayview on their way back from games?
I'd have thought it would have made sense for the guys from the Glasgow area, and other parts of Scotland, just to go straight back to their homes from Ibrox.
My point really is, maybe Stoney just saw the RSC bus as a route home, maybe allowing him to have a beer with his pals etc.
If ALL players were returning to Bayview, though, following the game on the team bus that could be slightly different...

Regardless, I really don't see how it's such a big deal.

Quieta non movere, Kerrian - as The Burger Boys say.

Let me start by saying, there was no drinking on the supporters bus, which is very well run


Maybe it was a mistake by stoney to come home on our bus, the boy was still excited after captaining his team against the team he supported as a boy, his mates were on the bus, so he wanted to speak to them, big deal
Are you going to question Billy McPhee who was on the bus, or Wullie Johnstone who also got a lift home on it, who both spoke to your captain, and praised his effort

Think this should end now, for the boys sake

I don't think this should end now. I have already said that Craig's wasn't the best decision but Billy is a Bayview legend,what possible reason could he have for being on a Ranger's bus ? Same with Wullie Johnstone who is from Kirkcaldy - why would he be on a Ranger's bus ?

Cause they are both friends of the bus, that's why

What has it got to do with you, who goes on the bus, was trying to make the point, there were ex players on the said bus, who have played for you, and that was not the first timeor the last they will be on it

No one is saying they are bud, but think its a bit over the top, the stick he is getting

The bus that he was on, has done loads to help with various sponsorship for your club. There are maybe up to 12 members of that bus who go to watch him play, when Rangers are not, he was just wanting to see some of his friends, in his team track suit, not like some of the tales that he to wear a Rangers strip to get on, think it has gone to far now, but that's only my opinion

Good post fella.

Had a couple of bites with the first one. Second one was just to pass time.

Same old same old from NTOC,trivialise what is a serious subject.This is our club captain we are talking about,a captain that has travelled home on the oppositions supporters bus wearing our official gear and still representing East Fife no matter what his pals on that bus says.In my opinion Stonie should come out with an apology stating it was an error of judgement then we should all move on.

I can't believe that the usual crap about freedom of speech is churned out on this site. Ironic that this freedom is promoted and hidden in anonymity. Yet these gutless wonders can criticise a persons freedom to do what they want. I am more concerned with what a person does on a football field for east fife rather than their travel arrangements. I am also convinced that the majority of fans with real names would share that view. Perhaps a poll using real names would suffice oops forgot that freedom of speech on here doesn't promote that.

What I find funny, is how it is possible to support a football club on the other side of the country, when you are born and bred a couple of miles from another senior football club. I just cannot fathom that out one bit! It doesn't happen in England anywhere near the scale of it in Scotland. Down there, they support their local clubs far more than we do in Scotland and we wonder why our game is going downhill so fast.

There are around ten outraged posters on this thread and the majority of these have never had much of an opinion previously about EFFC so while a few have an opinion to be considered there is hardly wave of protest.
I RONNIE (assume you are the same person as II RONNIE)and NTOC will have to agree to disagree and I hope there is not another crisis which causes you change your name yet again.

NTOC needs to put his fishing rod down - it really is too easy for him to wind up some of the hard of thinking on here.

Trivial issue as he states, apparently there was only 3 players who actually travelled back on the bus, maybe Stoney just fancied some company on the trip back to Fife.

All together now:

Oh yeh cannie shove Stonny af a bus (af a bus)
Oh yeh cannie shove Stonny af a bus (af a bus)

IN MY OPINION HE SHOULD BE SHOWN THE DOOR,AND ALSO BAD MANAGEMENT FROM THE BOARD A TOTAL DISGRACE.

Aw no a fell for it. Clever ntoc. Never even seen the rod.

Honest.

There are around ten outraged posters on this thread and the majority of these have never had much of an opinion previously about EFFC so while a few have an opinion to be considered there is hardly wave of protest.
I RONNIE (assume you are the same person as II RONNIE)and NTOC will have to agree to disagree and I hope there is not another crisis which causes you change your name yet again.

Reality, that is an outrageous example of ageism which should have been deleted by one of the totally incompetent moderators who are probably too busy wetting their pants as to whether "Ranger's bus" is libelous or not.
I have written to their boss - The Moderator of the Church of Scotland - using one of my many different and clever nommes de plume (TONC) and demanding to know why you have not been banned.

"Reality
Sep 4, 2013 - 10:46AMQuoteReply Re: stonny, rangers game
What I find funny, is how it is possible to support a football club on the other side of the country, when you are born and bred a couple of miles from another senior football club. I just cannot fathom that out one bit! It doesn't happen in England anywhere near the scale of it in Scotland. Down there, they support their local clubs far more than we do in Scotland and we wonder why our game is going downhill so fast."



it doesn't happen in England, lol
who is the largest supported team in the world?
and they all stay in Manchester !!!!!!!!!!

as a youngster you tend to support the bigger teams, teams who are winning
hence most Scottish kids support rangers or celtic although nowadays
even they aren't big enough most kids support man united,city, chelsea or arsenal, barcelona or real madrid, just check out the strips kids wear these days and this team tends to stick with you all your days.

Also back in the 60's and 70's fife had an influx of west coasters so
they brought their kids up supporting the teams their dads supported.

You find it funny to support a team from another area, weird
So in your thinking you should only play for the team from the town you were
born in, how do we do that.

the game in scotland is going down fast because of small-mindedness,
i.e. how dare one of our better players enjoy himself with friends & family
and celebrate probably one of the best days in his life, get a grip.

Can we please stop calling Stonie one of our better players please!!

I think we should draw a line under this. I think he's made a mistake and it's being dealt with by the club. End of. One thing about our captain is that he definitely gives every ounce of ability and effort into his game and is at least vocal on the pitch. He's obviously a big Rangers fan and that's fine by me, most of our team will probably support the big 2 (PSG and Monaco) but as long as they give their all for us then that's fine.
Big game against Forfar next week so let's focus on that!

Ooooohh the rage,did you kick your Poodle after posting that.

* In reply to Fife Football supporter's first post.