sammytroot

Hello from Costa Calida My contact back home has indicated that the EFM states that Craig Watson has agreed to sign, that Liam Watt is to be 1 of our trialists, and a striker ,currently on holiday has agreed to sign-Court or the very experienced striker- no idea. As a matter of interest does anyone know if Ross Brown has signed for anyone?

Unfortunately that is the nature of the game these days. 2 year contracts count for nothing. Players rule. Even here in Spain , I have heard of the forward we are interested in . If it comes to fruition . fine. From an East Fife perspective, nothing will change until there is a change of ownership

Hello from a rainy Spain. My understanding is that Fifers for the Community are responsible for hiring out the pitch on a commercial basis and consequently are entitled to receive all hire charges-they are after all responsible for ensuring that there are funds available to replace the all - weather pitch. The club benefits by leasing the area of ground within the perimeter tp FFTC for which it receives a rental. I might be wrong however.

WE seem to have amassed quite a few left sided defenders

Looks like an imminent signing.

Airdrie it was. With regard to Page, last season he did not have a pre-season due to his injury the season before. Personally I thought he was always trying to catch up with his fitness , which did tell on his performances. He has still a year on his contract and I would prefer if he just knuckled down , withdrew his transfer request and got on with playing. A fully fit Pagey is important to the team.

T-Zero I spend all my time criticisng the board for not promoting the club in the community. Currently in Spain for 4 weeks. Please tell me.

In todays Courier , there was mention of the 3 signings - only the 3 signings were Agnew, Dunlop , and former player Gary Fisher. No mention of Ross Davidson. Darren Young also mentiones Gary Fisher in his quote to the press . Strange?

The current red strip will continue as the away kit.

EastFife's principal shareholder Neil Rankine is not interested in East Fife and contributes nothing financially towards the running of the club. EF to him is an investment. Nothing more nothing less. He purchased the land outside the perimetre wall beyond the first 20 metres at a knock down price. The directors used the proceeds of sale to eliminate or at least reduce substantially the debt racked up by Lee Murray. The land was never advertised on the open market . He as owner dictated the price. That is the back drop against which the directors are operating. Neil Rankine was last seen in the stand at Dumbarton-surprise surprise-in their play-off game v Alloa. He does not involve himself with the day to day running of the club, that is the role of the directors, and personally I cannot see how the club will prosper, as long as the status quo continues.

The cover of this week's EF Mail is dominated by Levenmouth Rail Campaign (LMRC)'s attempt to galvanise all interested parties, business groups etc in their quest to reinstate the Levenmouth Rail Link. The local paper is 1 of those parties which has signed up to heir campaign. Personally I wish them well in their campaign and time will tell whether they are successful or not. My point is that LMRC are using the local media to promote their case. With regard to the back page , Darren Young is speaking to 12 or so potential recruits although it would appear that Chris Duggan -as we thought - had full time options and would not be returning. Unfortunately yet again, there is no statement from the BoD on the current state of the club. No appeal to existing or new season ticket holders-no appeal to new fans-no statement of season ticket prices-no appeal to businesses. Zilch. No statement listing the players who have left. Compare that to other clubs. In essence, nothing to promote the club. The comparison between the campaign by the office bearers of LMRC and the lack of campaign by the BOD of EFFC is breathtaking.

League Table PLD W D L GD PTS 1 Dundee United 6 5 1 0 23 16 2 East Fife 6 5 1 0 15 16 3 Cove Rangers 7 4 1 2 13 13 4 Dunfermline Athletic 5 4 0 1 10 12 5 Inverness City 7 4 0 3 6 12 6 Aberdeen F.C Ladies U23s 5 3 0 2 12 9 7 Westdyke Ladies 6 3 0 3 -11 9 8 Raith Rovers 6 2 0 4 -10 6 9 Deveronvale Ladies 7 2 0 5 -21 6 10 Dee Ladies 6 1 1 4 -9 4 11 Buchan 5 0 2 3 -5 2 12 Stirling University Development 6 0 0 6 -23 0 East Fife Ladies play Raith Rovers Ladies at King George Park on Sunday 13 May 12.30 kick-off.

You are correct that Pagey has indeed lost 2 yards of pace. He ,Wilkie, and Lamont were all injured the previous season and missed pre - season training. Seemed to me that none of them ever caught up with full fitness. Could well be an impasse with Page. Over to Darren Young.

I think that most fans are aware and are appreciative of the work undertaken by the volunteers at EF TV and the work they do in supporting the various club platforms.As fans , we unfortunately perhaps tend to take the work you do for granted. Some fans have suggested that improvements can be made by interviewing new players,manager pre-match, season ticket holders etc . One group which continually escapes is the Chairman , and the other BoD and their respective roles. We have a situation at Bayview where there is , shall I say, a general mis-trust between the fans and the manager. Those fans are voting with their feet and staying away. Some fans are saying the Manager is not up to the task whilst others complain about the quality of the product. The BoD are as usual silent on the current situation. Presumably they are supportive of the Manager since they appointed him on a 2 year deal The fanbase is ageing and diminishing in number. Local businesses are not supporting the club, with individual supporters now subscribing to sponsor the club. Personally , I would like the Chairman to make a Statement to the local press with its main theme that your local club needs you. He could include the various Season Ticket initiatives, a review of the season past and his hopes for the season ahead,an update on club ownership, the various club platforms that exist.etc In other words - show leadership and become more pro-active.Perhaps then , more locals will take an interest in EF. I cannot disagree that social media is the way forward, but sometimes , just sometimes, we need to take a step backwards before we can progress. The Chairman must take the lead.

Heard a rumour that our beloved vice captain is available for transfer.No problems with the fans or the club in general, and confirms what we were led to believe after the last home game v Stranraer. The common theme is that players are unable to work for/with Darren Young. Again this has been doing the rounds for weeks. Unfortunately it is against this background and the general lack of quality in play that is prompting supporters not to renew Season Tickets and the support in general to fall drastically. Meanwhile the news from Bayview is deafening in its absence. What a surprise! Not to worry fellow fans, we can read all about EF on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. Not sure however that the local public know this however. At the risk of repeating myself, the Board really need to be more pro-active in talking up the club by trying to encourage local new fans and businesses to turn out and support their local team. There is plenty to talk about -20 GBP Season Tickets for under 16's , Early Bird Season Tickets, Invitations to become Club Sponsors, and the clubs hopes and aspirations for next season. Unfortunately for all the good work undertaken by the board in getting finances under control, they let themselves down badly by their lack of public relations. The days of- They ken where we are - should now be over .The fans are voting with their feet. Do not hold your breath however. Looks like it will continue to be a female supporter writing letters periodically in the EF Mail who will continue to be the link between Club and Public.

Kieran Millar signs for Airdrie. When do we announce our first signing?

jamkam would be good to see you back at Bayview. The more passionate fans the better.

No one is asking the club to announce signing targets.Where did that come from? The group responsible in their attempt to reinstate the Leven to Thornton railway link tries so hard to involve the community in supporting their campaign. There have been recent features on national tv with consistent news items in the local press. And that is for a local asset no longer with us. EastFife FC is currently with us . Why is the club not selling itself in the local media? Why can there not be a Press Release encouraging new and absent supporters to get behind the local team.? Inform under 16's of the Season Ticket deal. Get the Chairman to state his hopes and aspirations for the new season. To be seen to be doing nothing will only lead to the demise of the club. When its gone , its gone.

The BOD have decided that the Early Bird prices are available until 29 June . No compulsion to buy until then. I would suggest that as a result of Raith not being promoted there are extra funds available to the club ,some of which will hopefully be available to the manager.Unfortunately the manager has already made contract offers to the players he wants. Whether the manager will be able to increase his earlier offers to entice the players he really wants is debateable. I can fully understand why many supporters are hesitant in buying season tickets for next season. Last season we were treated(?) to both a forward line of Chris Duggan and no one else within 30 yards, and several players who were no where near League 1 ability. The onus , as far as I am concerned, is on the club to try and entice key signings asap to encourage season ticket take up. I have always applauded the BOD for their financial management of the club after the obscene / abhorrent Murray years.With each passing year it must be more difficult to balance the books with a smaller fan base , lesser commercial backing , and increased player financial expectations. Unfortunately what the club is absolutely pathetic at , is what I call "talking up the club " in the community. It is all very well advising fans on the EF website what is going on at the club. The question is how does the club reach out to prospective new fans.? How do we tell under 16s of the £20 season ticker offer? How do we reinvent the club and sell to the locals.? Unfortunately the "They know where we are "mentality is still rife . Existing fans "know where they are" and are voting with their absence.

288. Meanwhile Raith had 900 fewer supporters.

With Rovers remaining in League 1 for next season, suddenly EF's income will have potentially increased by £40.000 to £50.000.Hopefully the BoD will release some of this increase to boost the player budget. Easy to mock Rovers but I suggest that we also have problems closer to home. The picture of Barry Smith above is when he was appointed Alloa's manager. Poetic justice??

Add to that Alex Wright at left half -what a half back line that was. With your name sakes as defenders and a forward line of McWatt/Meechan,Aitken,Dewar,Stewart and Waddell the team of 1963/64 that was.

That's me telt!!

Oops- sorry about that . No mention of Thomson or McManus. Noticed elsewhere that the Hurst brothers and Ben Mc Kenzie's St Johnstones contracts were due to expire at the end of this season.

East Fife midfielders Kyle Wilkie and Mark Lamont are to follow ‘keeper Ryan Goodfellow out of the door at Bayview. Bayview boss Darren Young is moving swiftly to mould his side ahead of the new campaign and says on-going fitness issues surrounding the midfield pair have contributed to his decision to release them. He said: “We spoke with Ryan and have just decided to go in a different direction. “With Kyle and Mark it’s more of a fitness thing. The Volkswagen Crafter. From £289 a month on Contract Hire and nothing to pay upfront (T&Cs apply). Incredible offers to help your business thrive. Promoted by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles [Opt out of Adyoulike ad targeting] “We have to think about our budget as well and need players who are fully fit.” However, the manager is keen to retain a large bulk of his squad and has offered new deals to Kieran Millar, Chris Duggan, Craig Watson and Aaron Dunsmore while Scott Linton, Kevin Smith, Chris Kane, Pat Slattery, Mark Docherty and Jonathan Page are all contracted through next season. More in Wednesday’s East Fife Mail. Read more at: https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/east-fife/three-set-to-depart-bayview-1-4732619 East Fife midfielders Kyle Wilkie and Mark Lamont are to follow ‘keeper Ryan Goodfellow out of the door at Bayview. Bayview boss Darren Young is moving swiftly to mould his side ahead of the new campaign and says on-going fitness issues surrounding the midfield pair have contributed to his decision to release them. He said: “We spoke with Ryan and have just decided to go in a different direction. “With Kyle and Mark it’s more of a fitness thing. The Volkswagen Crafter. From £289 a month on Contract Hire and nothing to pay upfront (T&Cs apply). Incredible offers to help your business thrive. Promoted by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles [Opt out of Adyoulike ad targeting] “We have to think about our budget as well and need players who are fully fit.” However, the manager is keen to retain a large bulk of his squad and has offered new deals to Kieran Millar, Chris Duggan, Craig Watson and Aaron Dunsmore while Scott Linton, Kevin Smith, Chris Kane, Pat Slattery, Mark Docherty and Jonathan Page are all contracted through next season. More in Wednesday’s East Fife Mail. Read more at: https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/east-fife/three-set-to-depart-bayview-1-4732619 East Fife midfielders Kyle Wilkie and Mark Lamont are to follow ‘keeper Ryan Goodfellow out of the door at Bayview. Bayview boss Darren Young is moving swiftly to mould his side ahead of the new campaign and says on-going fitness issues surrounding the midfield pair have contributed to his decision to release them. He said: “We spoke with Ryan and have just decided to go in a different direction. “With Kyle and Mark it’s more of a fitness thing. ] “We have to think about our budget as well and need players who are fully fit.” However, the manager is keen to retain a large bulk of his squad and has offered new deals to Kieran Millar, Chris Duggan, Craig Watson and Aaron Dunsmore while Scott Linton, Kevin Smith, Chris Kane, Pat Slattery, Mark Docherty and Jonathan Page are all contracted through next season. More in Wednesday’s East Fife Mail. Read more at: https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/sport/football/east-fife/three-set-to-depart-bayview-1-4732619