http://www.sundayherald.com/58892

East is best for Baikie
By Stewart Fisher

HE has already served his sentence in full, but Dave Baikie continues to do the community of Levenmouth and Methil a service. The former Tayport and Arbroath manager, who resigned from Cowdenbeath when he was ordered to pay £3,000 and carry out 300 hours of community service after admitting to assaulting the father of one of his former players outside a pub in Dundee, is now rapidly rehabilitating his career at East Fife.
Going into the weekend with a nine-point lead over the rest of the Third Division might not exactly compare with the three league cups and one Scottish Cup this proud old club won around wartime, but a first senior title to add to his numerous Superleague and Scottish Junior Cup titles in two spells at Tayport would certainly mean the world to Baikie.

“It would be a great achievement,” he said. Baikie, who took over from caretaker Greg Shaw after previous encumbent Jim Moffat was dismissed in February, added: “I built Arbroath from the worst team in Scotland to get them promoted in the first year, but left when I felt I was struggling to take the club forward, only for the team to go on to make it to the First Division under John Brownlie.

“Cowdenbeath for me was an opportunity to get back into senior football again – we were third top from October, with Gretna and Peterhead dominating the division – then Mixu came in two or three games into the next season and took them up, so I take a bit of pride in building that squad as well. That kind of thing has happened a couple of times, so I would love to see this through with East Fife. There is still a long time to go, but I would like to think we will get stronger as the season goes on. I have no doubt that some people who want to say things will say things, but it is has never worried me.”

At the moment, the most likely reason why Baikie would be unable to carry things through would simply be that he is attracting the attention of rivals, such as Raith Rovers.

It would be incorrect to term Baikie a reformed character, but the incident involving David Evans, father of his former Tayport player of the same name , is still indelibly marked in his mind. “I made a mistake ,” he said. “ I don’t think it has changed my character, but it has made me more aware of getting myself into situations when I go out on a Saturday night.”

There is certainly no animosity reserved for those at Cowdenbeath, East Fife’s local rivals, over the way the issue was handled. And the sense of renewal in the shadow of the Methil power station this season has not been confined to the dressing room.

After a series of protests from fans, chairman/chief executive /secretary Derrick Brown was recently ousted , allowing Willie Gray and former Dumbarton administrator Sid Collumbine to become chairman and vice-chairman respectively. On the field, Baikie retained only 10 of the squad of 20 that he inherited at the start of the season, taking a handful of players from the juniors – Tom Courts, Jonathan Smart, Sam Linton and Ryan Blackadder – and some notable senior experience – Scott Crabbe, Paul Ritchie – to bolster the squad.

“At a part-time club it is very important to have a good dressing room. The squad we have got now are all really good types .”

After a spell as a publican in Tayport, where he started as a co-manager with Dundee director Peter Marr no less, Baikie’s day job these days is as an electrician in Dundee. He is “time served” in every sense.

"It would be incorrect to term Baikie a reformed character"