Stevie Crawford’s 18-month reign at East Fife was a mixture of the sublime and the disappointing.
His first managerial post in professional football, Crawford’s desire to see slick passing football at a level more used to rugged tackling and high balls up the pitch was a brave, if ultimately unsuccessful, gamble.
Taking over from Dave Baikie in April last year, his first experience of the New Bayview dugout was to prove successful as he watched his players thrash a young Raith Rovers side 4-0 in the Fife Cup.
His first league win was to take another few weeks however, a Stranraer own-goal gifting the Fifers a 1-0 win at Stair Park on the last day of the 2008-09 second division season.
His first pre-season was a case of evolution, not revolution as he kept faith with a number of players brought in by Baikie, showing belief in their abilities but working hard on fitness levels which had clearly been below par.
Last season showcased exactly what Crawford wanted to see from his players.
Slick passing and plenty of creative freedom given to players like Bobby Linn and Lloyd Young meant that the Methil side always looked like scoring goals, even if lone forward Paul McManus cut an isolated figure.
But while the performances were often good, a leaky defence meant that fans were left wondering whether they needed to sign a defender or a plumber as early leads lapsed time and time again.LowestThe lowest point came in November last year when Montrose, at that time firmly rooted to the bottom of the third division, secured a 2-1 win in the third round of the Scottish Cup, a result that clearly hurt the manager.
He said, “We were poor today, very poor, and I would have been happy to go back home with a draw.
“The guys messed up but fair play to Montrose.”
Things only got trickier and a poor end to the season meant that second division safety was only secured on the final day of the season courtesy of a 2-2 draw at Arbroath.
A summer clear-out saw Crawford build a team of his own with former Rangers defender Scott Durie and experienced striker Steve Hislop just two of those signing on at Bayview.
Further evidence of the manager’s silky passing game were on display early in the campaign with his players executing flowing passing moves with ease it seemed.
But while goals were easy to come by, defensive problems were evident as lead after lead evaporated and points slipped away, with Crawford’s last victory in charge coming at the end of August with a 6-0 win over Dumbarton.
Sadly, it was a result that was all too rare for the supporters.
With home performances such as the 3-1 defeats to Brechin and Forfar in the past fortnight suggesting the club was becoming embroiled in a relegation fight, Crawford decided to stand down and pave the way for a successor to take East Fife forward.