All good things come to an end. Or so they say. AFTN has been around since 1989, first as a fanzine and then making the jump to a website and forum in 2003. We've been through the many ups and down at East Fife in those 12 years but policing the forum has become a giant pain in the ass in recent years. As such, we made the decision not to renew it when it expired.
The forum is no more and will remain as a locked archive until it is eventually deleted by the host. We're looking in to try to save some of the content as an archive.
This is not the end of AFTN though. The site will continue and will be revamped and return in its full glory for the start of the 2016/17 season. Maybe even sooner. There will be a comment sections and possibly even a new, registered forum. Check our Twitter (@aftnwebsite) for all the latest info and we'll also post in on the EFFC memories Facebook page.
Until then, have a last browse here, thanks for all your support over the years, and 'Mon the Fife.
GoF
He is never even has good as Alex Ferguson and never will be
Are you serious? Give Gary a chance? Absolutely incredible statement to make. This is the Manager who got us relegated when we had a healthy points difference over Airdrie. This is the Manager who has since produced some of the worst football I have ever witnessed and the vast majority of fans have had enough. To come on here and defend him is embarrassing.
Sorry another Fifer, but you're talking more crap than I saw the day, and that's saying something
Look guys. Let's calm down. Ok, we're making up the numbers but we've got guys who care about the club in Mr Anderson and the Chicken man on the board. They care about the club. We are a community club and even if we ever went down to the regional leagues, is it the end of the world? Try living in Syria. We don't know the owner and so what, and I personally don't want to get promoted and embarrass ourselves in the league abone. Some need to be realistic and accept we are a wee club. Cowdenbeath and Raith will never come close to matching our history. I don't make many games but when I go it's the highlight of my month win lose or draw. We are EFFC. Live with it. Mon the Fife.
Naysmith has had more than enough time to show that he can get away from negative tactics. He cant, he is struck by the disease of deconstructive football.In the basement league a manager who doesnt see every game with 3 points as a priority shouldnt be in charge. Its like playing survival tactics in the lowest league so what future is there? I see a pattern where a run of positive results with positive tactics is immediately followed by a resumption of the tactics the manager has been coditioned to as a player. The unlikely event of promotion would only justify non-football even more. I can now say that without any doubt at all. The disease is now proven to be untreatable. No, ive not been to see the team for years. There is no slightly guilty feeling for not doing so anymore.
What's the plan though people? Who do we bring in if Naysmith leaves? I wonder why Raith had Naysmith in their final 2 candidates in spite of his very poor record with us? He obviously impressed them to have them even consider him for the job. I'm not pro Naysmith, not by a long stretch but we've had crappy managers for the majority of the time I've been going to Bayview (25 years) and I don't know if their are that many out there.
Look at Ian Murray. Did a phenomenal job at Dumbarton and everyone was raving about him. Went to St Mirren, was shocking and had now been fired. There's no exact formula to this. We could easily bring some dinosaur of Scottish Football managers and end up going down.
Arbroath are another good example. Doing very well under Alan Moore and then struggle for 15 games, fans get restless and the club sack him. The new man comes in and they're now pretty much bottom and in danger of going out the league completely. The same Alan Moore that a lot of fans said they wanted here before Naysmith.
As I say I'm not pro Naysmith and I wouldn't be upset if he leaves but it's too easy to just yell sack.
I won't be happy till he's sack
He's had enough time with us going no wear this season
Gary doesn't stand a chance with this sort of abuse. The famous Bayview boo boys hound another good man out the door just like Dave Baikie and Billy Brown.
It will not be until he is gone that some of you realise we had a real winner on our hands and we were not smart enough to realise it. Rome wasn't built in a day.
Pretty much what I said. I agree. Get off the team's back. We are ****. Get over it. We've got to accept that we're the struggles of Fife. Cowdenbeath have income. This is life. As for Alloa and all them. They got lucky. They are having their time. We had ours years ago. No one will match it. Move on. If we went down out the leagues I'd still be there. It'd get rid of the moaners.
Dick Campbell sacked yesterday from Forfar despite getting them twice into the Championship Play-off -something we can only dream of.
Colin Cameron was sacked at Berwick a few weeks ago and he had managerial achievements to his name such as taking Cowdenbeath to the Championship.
When you look around you have to say Naysmith is on borrowed time. The only thing on his managerial CV is a relegation.
Yeah, he talks a good game and he played at a high level, but that doesnt count for much where we are. Dougie Anderson says the only way out out of the poor form we are in just now is to train harder. Such a cliche. Why arent the players training harder just now?
I desperately wanted Naysmith to succeed because he is a very likeable chap, but I dont see any progress at all and you have to come to a point where you say that it isnt working.
Another defeat on Saturday and I think that will be it. It will be a bit of a story too if Naysmith's last match is a defeat to Paul Hegarty who of course was his assistant when he started out.
Have always thought that the quality of a manager is if he can fix things when a team is on a bad run.Gary Naysmith has been unlucky that his 3 most experienced players (Campbell,Smith, and Walker) have for a variety of reasons contributed little or nothing this season.However the style of play in my opinion means the manager has little leeway with supporters.I have no doubt the manager is very conscientious and prepares the team for the opposing side.Unfortunately ,speaking from the outside ,the tactics and team selections don!t just bewilder the fans but seem to confuse the players.I think Gary Naysmith is entitled to the chance to sort this out but needs results over the next few weeks.As with any manager the players need to stand up and support him
you cant put all the blame on the manager, its out his hands once the players are on the park, a bit of pride and the will to win comes into it, if a player has any pride he will play for himself, the manager and most of all the diehard supporters who follow the club, might just be the team lack the will to win.
Another Saturday same depressing feeling. You know when you make Scott Durie look like Carlos Alberto you have hit rock bottom. Allowed to gallop up and down the flank without a purple jersey laying a glove on him. You know when you play Clyde you have to stop crosses going in the box, i lost count of the number of crosses they got in, and that was our downfall for the opening goal. We had a couple of chances but in all honesty Goodfellow kept us in the game until he was helpless with a late 2nd goal. Now the hundred dollar question how long can the board allow Gary to go on. In his defence we hit rock bottom at this time last year, he identified the players letting him down shipped them out and brought new blood in. He eventually steered us to a play off spot which looked way out our reach. If he is being honest with himself a few of this years signings haven't cut it and they have all had ample chance. I personally would let Gary have the chance to turn things around in the next 3 games against Montrose and Elgin at home and Stirling away. That will take us to the January window. Gary will know himself who he has to let go and what he needs to improve things. The midfield is needing wholesale changes we move the ball far to slowly and their is just no creativity. It is fine margins but the game is all about results and performances, and Gary will know these two things have to change very quickly or his time will be up.
I honestly think a win on Saturday will only paper over the cracks. We have long enough to establish the type of football and style of play that Gary adopts.
He took over a team and despite us having a decent points advantage over Airdrie, we were relegated. Gary had inherited these players and at least he would have the close season to identify players he wanted. He did and what we witnessed last season was average at best. Now this season, despite a promising start, we have reverted back to type.
Crowds are diminishing every week because they aren't prepared to watch this type of football and this is concerning.
The previous 2 posts are pretty much spot on but my opinion is that the damage has already been done.
Here we go again, mocking fans who speak out against the mob. Some of us think the manager is doing as well as can be expected. I think we are probably the silent majority. Good things come to those who wait, and if we just bide our time then Gary will have a chance to build his own team and style. The current tactics are the fault of supporters who are on his back every week. You have destroyed the man's confidence. He will be a success at a better club than East Fife, mark my words.
^^^ Hiya garry! Hiya pal!
Gary Naysmith out. Dick Campbell in.
I think there is every possibility that Gary Naysmith, will go on to bigger things than East Fife, and be successful, but the bottom line is it is not working out at Bayview. There are similarities with Stevie Crawford, experienced pro, nice guy, well respected, happened to be there when the job became available, so was given the role. Crawford realised that he couldn't do the job at that time, but is now flying high at Tynecastle.
When you consider the players that East Fife have had over the time (Naysmith, Buchanan, Hughes, Smith, Campbell, Page, Julen, Riordan, Fash, Dickson, Wilkie e.g.) it is not a bunch of kids or rookies, and every other team in the league would envy these options.
It is a fickle business football management, Barry Ferguson was being hunted by Clyde fans after their Scottish Cup defeat at Formantane a few weeks back, now he is being quoted for the St Mirren job.
This is the first year in many that I haven't bought a season ticket. Not because I felt disillusioned by recent years but I knew I would only be at a few games this season.
So, I have to admit that this post comes from second hand information, but is it not the case that in recent weeks the team is basically picking itself due to injuries, etc?
I hear from someone I trust that Gary doesn't feel he's fit enough to play because of chronic knee problems but the Directors have been pressurising him to play.
If these points are accurate I thinks it's extremely unfair to be putting most of the blame on the club's current form predominantly onto the manager!
There are clubs in this league that have far healthier finances than we have thanks mainly to the exploits of Mr Murray, and although I'm convinced the present Board have the club's welfare at heart, we have to be realistic and accept that we obviously have extremely limited resources at present and get behind the manager and club who most of you must realise are committing themselves to the cause!
We are 6 point's from bottom of the lowest league in the SFL , back to the brown days .We need to change something ? FFS
December was always going to be a crucial month and a month that could define our season. Gary Naysmith and the players surely knew that. I certainly did!
The players we have are certainly good enough and it`s not about budget as we have one of the best squads in the league as confirmed last week in the press by Scott Mercer, who has been one of our stand outs this season.
Now we are 2 games in and it`s played 2, lost 2 with not one goal scored. I wont mention the games prior to that as I had hoped we would have a successful December, given the importance of it and a winning start would breed confidence and get the team back on track, with Gary Naysmith still in charge. That hasn't happened and anything other than a win should end Gary Naysmiths managerial reign at Bayview. The Board have to be ready to act but I very much doubt they will.