Good coverage of Thursdays' meeting on page 5 of todays'"Courier".I cannot post and paste unfortunately so cannot help in that respect.

A good bit of publicity Dave

East Fife fans to continue their protests
WHILE THE new football season kicks-off for East Fife this afternoon, the fans’ protests which were witnessed at the end of last term are set to continue outside the New Bayview ground.

Supporters remain angry that outgoing chairman Derrick Brown has now been offered a part-time administrative position at the Methil club, despite calling for him to be removed completely during several demonstrations at home games last season.

New vice-chairman Sid Collumbine has already publicly urged fans to return to the ground to give their backing to the players ahead of their bid for promotion to division two.

However, at a fans’ meeting at the Wellesley Inn in Methil on Thursday, around 30 supporters agreed that they would not return to the stadium until Mr Brown cuts all ties with the club—instead choosing to view the action from a mound outside the stadium.

Former director Dave Marshall, who has been at the forefront of calls for a complete change at New Bayview, said those in attendance “unanimously agreed that the protests would continue unabated” until Mr Brown stepped down completely.

Stressing that Mr Brown’s appointment as treasurer/secretary had done nothing to “diminish the determination” of the protesters, Mr Marshall said, “In fact, it has only increased the volume of protest.

“The mature and realistic manner in which the protesters have carried out their campaign was again evident in their approach to seeking a solution to the apparent problems being encountered to his removal by new chairman Willie Gray and Sid Collumbine.

“A meeting is requested as soon as possible in order to begin the rebuilding of our club.

“If, at this meeting, the new regime could give certain assurances as to a time scale for Derrick’s final departure then a return to supporting the team inside the stadium could become a distinct possibility.”

Mr Marshall said he had received other calls of support from other fans who could not make it to Thursday’s meeting and maintained that honesty had to be a “basic requirement” if relations between fans and the new look board were to improve.

“We have been asked to trust the new board but this has to be a two-way process,” he added.

“Manager Dave Baikie and his team are about to set out to improve our image on the playing field.

“It is therefore imperative that the board and supporters are there to assist them in every way possible.”

East Fife welcome title favourites Stenhousemuir to Methil this afternoon.

New-look East Fife may take time to gel
IT WILL be a new-look EAST FIFE side receiving a test of their title credentials when Stenhousemuir visit New Bayview this afternoon.

Manager Dave Baikie has brought in a dozen new faces over the summer to strengthen his squad as they aim to secure at least a promotion place in the season ahead.

But, while Baikie knows that a flying start would be a massive bonus, the Bayview boss is not getting carried away with the optimism gained from impressive performances in pre-season.

“Stenhousemuir are obviously favourites for the league and rightly so—the players they have signed have added to the players that went so close last season,” he said.

“We know it will be a tough game and with us having 12 new players, it takes time for them to gel properly as a team.

“Last year, Stenhousemuir were running away with it, but it all turned around and ended with them having a bad final quarter and Cowdenbeath went on to win it.

“I’d love to start with a victory and I’m looking forward to the game but last year shows you that anything other than that would not be a total disaster.”

New signings Craig O’Reilly and Jamie McGowan are expected to start this afternoon, although the Fifers will be without Greig McDonald, Paul Hampshire and Gary Kelly.

McDonald and Hampshire are both long-term casualties while Kelly is recovering after suffering a bout of pneumonia during the Fifers’ pre-season trip to Durham.

John Paul McBride (suspended) and Gordon Connolly (groin) miss out for Stenny whose manager Des McKeown pointed out, “We have brought in a lot of new bodies and our aim is to get off and running.”

Not in my edition, but it was nice to read the part anyway.