We’re delighted to announce the signing of Andrew Tod on a season long loan from Dunfermline Athletic subject to SFA approval.
18-year-old midfielder Andrew came through the ranks at Fife Elite, as Dunfermline registered player, and then Hibernian before returning to East End Park in May 2021. He made his first-team debut for the Pars in November 2022 before joining Elgin City on loan in February 2023. He signed a new 2-year contract with Dunfermline in March 2024.
Subject to SFA approval, Andrew will be available for selection for tomorrow’s match against Peterhead.
Welcome to Bayview Andrew!
Tickets for our William Hill League 2 match against Peterhead at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium on Saturday 21st September are now on sale and can be purchased here.
Admission Prices
Adults - £18
Concessions* - £14
Under 16s* - £5
Parent & Child - £21
Parent & 2 Children - £24
*Proof of age may be requested
Season tickets are valid for this match. Supporters who have still to collect their season ticket card can do so during normal office hours or from the club shop on matchday.
All member of East Fife Community Football Club & East Fife Girls & Womens’ Football Club who are under 16 go free with a paying adult or as part of an organised group for all William Hill League 2 matches at Bayview this season.
There are no cash turnstiles at Bayview and supporters are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets online. Online sales are available right up until kick off. Tickets can also be purchased over the phone by calling 01333 426323 or directly from the club office for those unable to purchase online.
Please note, parent and child tickets must be purchased directly from the club office.
Supporters outside the UK and Ireland can also watch via East Fife TV with a monthly or annual subscription. There is no live stream option for viewers within the UK or Ireland this weekend.
Oli Anderson previews today’s match against Stranraer
Following a challenging test last week, against championship outfit Dunfermline Athletic, the Fifers must dust themselves down and prepare for a tough game against our next opponents, Stranraer at Stair Park. We held the Pars for the first 45 minutes, though a fast start from Dunfermline saw two goals in quick succession, leading to the Fifers coming up just short. Our opponents today are Stranraer, who are coming off the back of a thumping 5-1 defeat at the hands of Annan Athletic.
A Message from the Management Team
Prior to kick off, Assistant Manager Ian ‘Pink’ Campbell explained how the team were looking forward to another stiff test this week, though East Fife will look to go out and play their own game.
The William Hill League Two Table
Team | Pld | GD | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peterhead | 5 | 7 | 13 |
2 | East Fife | 5 | 9 | 12 |
3 | Stirling Albion | 5 | -1 | 9 |
4 | Elgin City | 4 | 3 | 8 |
5 | Bonnyrigg Rose | 5 | 0 | 7 |
6 | The Spartans | 4 | 1 | 5 |
7 | Edinburgh City | 5 | -4 | 4 |
8 | Clyde | 5 | -6 | 4 |
9 | Stranraer | 5 | -4 | 2 |
10 | Forfar Athletic | 5 | -5 | 2 |
This Week’s League Fixtures
Clyde vs Edinburgh City
Elgin City vs Bonnyrigg Rose
Peterhead vs Stirling Albion
Stranraer vs East Fife
The Spartans vs Forfar Athletic
The Form
The Fifers
East Fife’s last six games have resulted in five wins and just one defeat.
The defeat came last week, as we were knocked out of the SPFL Trust Trophy by Fife rivals Dunfermline Athletic.
Other than that blip, our form has been stellar. A victory over St Johnstone B in an earlier round of the SPFL Trust Trophy, along with remarkable wins over Clyde, Stirling Albion, Edinburgh City and Forfar Athletic have all contributed in us being current top scoring club in the entire SPFL.
Our Opposition
A difficult run of games for Stranraer sees the Blues sit joint bottom of the league, with just one win in the last six games. Their victory came over Bonnyrigg Rose in the SPFL Trust Trophy second round, before they fell to Annan in the third round last week.
Their league form has not been much better, with three losses and a draw. They picked up points at home to Elgin City, before losing all three of their away days, Bonnyrigg Rose, Peterhead and Clyde.
Previous Encounter
East Fife 2-1 Stranraer, 23rd March 2024
The last time the two sides met, it was a hard-fought victory for the Fifers. A slow start saw Stranraer take the lead, before a rampant second half saw James Lyon grab the equaliser. With just five minutes to play, Jack Healy stepped up and grabbed the winner, with a fantastic effort, to secure victory.
Squad News
Sean Docherty is back at the management team’s disposal today, though captain Stewart Murdoch continues to miss the game through injury.
Match Ticket
Please find prices below for Stair Park today:
Adults- £15
Concessions (Over 65s)- £10
Under 16s- £5
Under 5s- Free!
Admission is via pay-at-the-gate.
Live Stream
For our International Fans, live streaming for today’s game will be available on EFTV, using a Monthly, or Annual Gold Pass. Today’s commentator will be Oli Anderson.
There’s no live streaming option for viewers within the UK/Ireland this weekend.
Club Colours
The Fifers will don the new, MPH Group sponsored home kit. They will wear the famous black and gold striped shirt, with black shorts and socks. The Fife goalkeeper will wear yellow for the tie.
Stranraer will wear their home kit too, with the white and blue shirt, with white socks and blue shorts.
Officials
The referee today will be Andy Gamble, with Ian Hart and Michael Bonner running the lines.
Mon the Fife!
Stranraer 2-1 East Fife, Saturday 14th September 2024
William Hill League 2, Stair Park
A disappointing day at the office for the Fifers saw them fall to a 2-1 defeat to Stranraer at Stair Park.
A slow start meant that the Blues gained control as East Fife were slack, and second to each ball, allowing Stranraer to cause bother on numerous occasions.
East Fife struggled to play their effective ball over the top of the back line due to the adverse weather conditions, which gifted opportunities for Stranraer to build from their midfield.
The game changed in the 23rd minute, after new signing Gordon Walker was bundled down inside the 18-yard box for what looked to be a stonewall penalty. Alas, referee Andy Gamble did not share the same opinion and waved play-on.
From there, Stranraer bombed down the pitch, and following some muddled defending from the Fifers, Mark Russell unleashed a fantastic, curled effort which cannoned in off the cross bar to give the hosts the lead.
The remainder of the first half was then controlled by the Blues, who pushed on in an attempt to double their advantage prior to the half time whistle. They were unsuccessful and the scoreline remained 1-0 at the interval.
East Fife clearly received the proverbial rocket at half time and came out of the changing room with fire in their bellies and a spring in their step, attacking the second period with vigour.
Two good opportunities were squandered by the Fifers, before Max Guthrie hit the corner flag from his drilled effort, which really should have burst the net.
From there, the Black and Gold men chipped away and dug deep, finally grabbing the equaliser with twenty minutes on the clock. Gordon Walker should have scored from his header, after some great work from Adam Laaref on the left, before Trouten buried the rebound.
Devastatingly, our equaliser didn’t count for much, as three minutes later Russell bagged his second following some poor defending from East Fife.
It went from bad to worse for East Fife in the dying embers as goalkeeper Liam McFarlane saw red for possibly handling the ball outside of the penalty box (with replays showing he was still inside the area), or denying a goalscoring opportunity for double handling, , leading to a minor altercation of words between manager Dick Campbell and the refereeing team, resulting in the gaffer also seeing red.
It was a poor end, to a poor game of football for the Fifers who were well below the standards we’ve seen so far this season, with the hosts coming out with all three points.
Reporters Man of The Match: Kieran Millar
It was a difficult day for the Fifers but Millar still put in another solid performance in the middle of the park.
Stranraer – Pizikas, Brinddley, Cummins, Ross, Ecrepont, Grant (Woods 69’), Gallagher, Dunlop, Russell, Hawkshaw (McKnight 87’), Guthrie (Edgar 90+3’). Subs not used: Adam, Broun, Lang.
East Fife – McFarlane, Newton (Laaref 64’), Easton, Munri, Walker (Docherty 73’), Millar, McManus, Healy (Shepherd 64’), Peggie, Trouten, Austin (Slattery 83’). Subs not used: Fleming.
Referee – Andy Gamble
Attendance – 413
Report by Oli Anderson
Photograph by East Fife Media