Barry Smith admits he has set his sights on a quick-fire return to the Championship for Raith Rovers.
The 43-year-old was formally unveiled as the new boss at Stark’s Park yesterday afternoon.
He takes over at a club that has not had its troubles to seek in the last 12 months having dispensed with the services of two managers in Gary Locke and John Hughes as well as suffering the heartbreak of relegation in the play-offs to part-time Brechin.
Smith, who has previously managed at Dundee, Alloa, Aldershot Town and most recently East Fife, insists that is all in the past.
Instead, he is determined to steer the club onwards and hopefully upwards to where he believes Rovers belong.
Smith, who has signed a two-year deal with the Kirkcaldy side, said: “I am delighted that Raith Rovers have chosen me to be their manager.
“It was obviously a major disappointment last season but as far as I am concerned that is gone.
“My focus is fully on this season coming and how much of a positive outcome we are going to get out of that season.
“You can’t get any more positive than saying we are going to be challenging at the top end of the league and looking to get promoted.
“That’s my objective and something the players will get to know when they return from the close season.
“I cannot wait to get started and the quicker we get the squad assembled the better.
“We need to be positive and the players can give the fans something to smile about again after last season.”
Smith added: “There was disappointment last year but we must focus on this year. The players must also focus on this year and if anything use the disappointment as motivation to make sure we get ourselves up at the top end of the league.
“Raith had been in the Championship for so long so we will look to do what Livingston did and bounce back straight away. That’s my objective.
“It is a really difficult league though. You have three full-time teams in there coupled with Alloa who had a great season last year and other teams who are trying to get a right blend.
“I have to be confident though coming into a full-time team that we will have the players and the know-how to get ourselves out of this league.”
Raith’s gain is of course East Fife’s loss and Smith thanked the Methil club for giving him permission to talk to their League 1 rivals and for taking him on as manager in the first place following a brief stint working as a sports reporter after leaving Aldershot.
He said: “I have to give a big thanks to East Fife for allowing me to speak to Raith originally.
“They gave me the opportunity to get back into football when I was being a journalist.
“My objective was to get back into full-time football.
“I was fortunate to work with a lot of good guys when I was on the paper.
“I got the opportunity through East Fife to get back into football.
“But East Fife knew from the very start if I had the offer of full-time football then I would have to go and look at it.
“They knew from when they appointed me that was the case.”
