East Fife F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | East Fife Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Fifers, The Methil Milan or The Fife | ||
| Founded | 1903 | ||
| Ground | Bayview Stadium, Methil | ||
| Capacity | 1,980 | ||
| Chairman | Liam Anderson | ||
| Manager | Dick Campbell | ||
| League | Scottish League One | ||
| 2015–16 | Scottish League Two, 1st (promoted) | ||
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East Fife Football Club is a semi-professional football team from Methil, Fife, Scotland. They were started in 1903. The club is part of the Scottish Professional Football League. They play in Scottish League One, which is the third level of Scottish football.
East Fife was the first team to win the Scottish League Cup three times. They were also one of only two teams from the second division to win the Scottish Cup. This makes them the most successful club in Fife for winning big trophies.
There are four professional football clubs in Fife. East Fife is the only one named after the area. The other teams are Dunfermline Athletic, Kelty Hearts, and Raith Rovers. These teams have often been rivals with East Fife.
Contents
The Story of East Fife Football Club
How the Club Started
People in Methil really wanted a senior football team. So, in January 1903, they held a meeting and formed East Fife Football Club. In their first year, they played in the Fife League and the Scottish Qualifying Cup.
The club then joined the Eastern League for the 1904–05 season. The next season, they moved to the Northern League. This league included teams like Dunfermline Athletic and St Johnstone. East Fife played in the Northern League until 1909. After that, they joined the Central League.
Growing Strong in the 1920s and 1930s
East Fife stayed in the Central League until 1921. During World War I, they briefly played in the Eastern League again. After the war, many Central League clubs were from mining towns. As these towns grew, so did their football teams.
By the late 1920s, Central League clubs could pay players more than the Scottish Football League. To keep players, the Scottish League decided to let Central League clubs, including East Fife, join them. So, the Central League became the Scottish Division Two in 1921.
Just six years later, East Fife played in the 1927 Scottish Cup Final. They lost 3–1 to Celtic at Hampden Park.
East Fife played one season in Scotland's top division before World War II. This was in 1930–31, after they finished second in Division Two.
In 1938, "The Fifers" won the 1937–38 Scottish Cup. They beat Kilmarnock 4–2 in a replayed final. Almost 92,000 fans watched this exciting game.
The Golden Age: After World War II
East Fife's best years were right after World War II. In the 1946–47 season, they finished third, just missing promotion. Scot Symon became manager in 1947. At the end of the 1947–48 season, East Fife won the 'B' Division. This meant they were promoted to the top league.
During this "Golden Period," the club won the Scottish League Cup three times. They won in 1947–48, 1949–50, and 1953–54. They also reached the Scottish Cup final again in 1949–50.
Their league performance was also very good. Between 1948 and 1954, they finished high up in the Scottish Football League Division One. In the 1952–53 season, they were even close to winning the league title.
Many great players were part of this era. Some, like Tommy Adams and Willie Laird, had played in the Scottish Cup-winning team before the war. Others, such as George Aitken and Allan Brown, went on to play for the Scottish national team.
Later Years: 20th and 21st Century
After ten seasons in Scotland's top league, East Fife was relegated in 1958. Since then, the club has found it hard to repeat its past success. Except for three seasons in the early 1970s, they have played outside the top league since the 1950s.
In November 1998, East Fife moved to a new stadium. It was built near the Methil power station.
The 2006–07 season started well for East Fife in the Scottish Football League Third Division. They had a big lead at one point. Their form dropped, but they still made it to the promotion play-offs. They beat Stranraer but lost to Queen's Park in the final.
In the 2007–08 season, East Fife had high hopes. They signed new players and dominated the early games. By Christmas, they had a twelve-point lead. They also did well in the Scottish League Cup. They beat Queen of the South and St Mirren from the top league. They eventually lost to Rangers.
The new stadium was officially named Bayview Stadium in 2007.
East Fife won the 2007–08 Scottish Third Division title on March 15, 2008. They beat East Stirlingshire 3–0. This was their first league title in 60 years and their first trophy since 1954.
On August 23, 2011, the Fifers had a big win against Dunfermline Athletic in the League Cup. On September 20, 2011, they caused another cup upset. They beat Aberdeen 7–6 on penalties after a 3–3 draw. This sent them to the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup.
East Fife stayed in the Second Division for six seasons. They were relegated in 2014 after losing a play-off final. They spent two seasons in League Two. In 2015–16, they won the league with 62 points. This meant they returned to League One. Gary Naysmith was the manager then.
The club had a stable period in League One for several years. They often finished in the middle of the table. In the 2016–17 season, they finished 5th, close to a promotion play-off spot. However, in the 2021–22 season, their luck changed. They were automatically relegated to League Two for the 2022–23 season.
Players
First-team Squad
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U20 Players in the Squad
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Club Staff
Board of Directors
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
 Liam Anderson |
Chairman |
| Donald Walker |
Vice-chairman |
| Douglas Briggs |
Director |
| Tom Brown |
Director |
| Robert Cargill |
Director |
| Stephen Mill |
Director |
| Isla Couser |
Director |
| Elizabeth Anderson |
Associate director |
| Laura Anderson |
Associate director |
| Lee Gillies |
Associate director |
| Leona Guidi |
Associate director |
| Scott Young |
Associate director |
| Jim Stevenson |
Honorary chairman |
| Denis Nicol |
Honorary director |
| Harry Blyth |
Honorary director |
| John Donaldson |
Honorary director |
Coaching Staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Dick Campbell |
| Assistant manager | Ian Campbell |
| First-team coach | John Young |
| First-team coach | Stuart Malcolm |
| Goalkeeping coach | Jim Moffat |
| Physiotherapist | Jeb Spink |
| Head of football development | Dave Heddle |
| Under 20s manager | Roy Barnes |
| Under 20s coach | Jamie Allan |
| Kitmen | Colin Miller, Chris Watson, John Keddie |
Managers of East Fife
- Thomas Neill (secretary) (1903–1911)
- David McLean (1911–1929)
- Walter Robertson (1929–1931)
- David McLean (1931–1941)
- John McArthur (1941–1947)
- Scot Symon (1947–1953)
- Jerry Dawson (1953–1958)
- Charlie McCaig (1958–1963)
- Jimmy Bonthrone (1963–1969)
- Bill Baxter (1969–1970)
- Pat Quinn (1970–1973)
- Frank Christie (1973–1976)
- Roy Barry (1976–1978)
- Dave Clarke (1978–1987)
- Gavin Murray (1987–1993)
- Alex Totten (1993–1994)
- Steve Archibald (1994–1996)
- Jimmy Bone (1996–1998)
- Steve Kirk (1998–1999)
- Rab Shannon (1999–2001)
- Dave Clarke (2001–2002)
- Jim Moffat (2002–2006)
- David Baikie (2006–2009)
- Stevie Crawford (2009–2010)
- John Robertson (2010–2012)
- Gordon Durie (2012)
- Billy Brown (2012–2013)
- Willie Aitchison (2013)
- Gary Naysmith (2013–2016)
- Barry Smith (2016–2017)
- Darren Young (2017–2021)
- Stevie Crawford (2021–2022)
- Greig McDonald (2022–2024)
- Dick Campbell (2024–Present)
Home Ground: Bayview Stadium
East Fife's first home ground was called Bayview Park. It was in the middle of Methil. Since 1998, they have played at the new Bayview Stadium. This stadium is located near the old Lower Methil docks. It has seats for all fans.
The stadium has one main stand. The other three sides are open. The area behind the far side used to have the old Methil power station. This power station was taken down in April 2011. Now, a business park is growing around the stadium. A local train station for the Levenmouth rail link also opened in June 2024.
In the 2013–14 season, East Fife added three temporary stands. This increased the stadium's capacity to 4,900. These stands were used for games against big teams like Rangers and Dunfermline Athletic. The temporary stands were removed after that season.
At the stadium, there is a club shop for home fans. There are also two bars open for all supporters on match days.
In March 2023, the stadium was renamed "MGM Timber Bayview Stadium." This happened because of a new partnership with MGM Timber.
Club Achievements
East Fife has won several important trophies:
- Scottish Cup:
- Winners (1): 1937–38
- Runners-up (2): 1926–27, 1949–50
- Scottish League Cup:
- Winners (3): 1947–48, 1949–50, 1953–54
- Scottish Division Two (second level):
- Winners (1): 1947–48
- Scottish Third Division / Scottish League Two (fourth level):
- Winners (2): 2007–08, 2015–16
- Scottish B Division Supplementary Cup
- Winners (2): 1946–47, 1947–48
- Scottish Qualifying Cup:
- Winners (1): 1921
- Wemyss Cup:
- Winners (6): 1912, 1913, 1918, 1935, 1936, 1937
- Penman Cup:
- Winners (4): 1910, 1917, 1939, 1962
Club Records
- Largest win: 13–2 against Edinburgh City in 1937
- Worst defeat: 0–9 against Heart of Midlothian in 1957
- Record attendance: 22,515 against Raith Rovers in 1950
- Most capped player: Arnold Dwarika with 73 caps for Trinidad and Tobago
- Quickest League Title (Scotland): 29 Weeks (August 25, 2007 – March 15, 2008)
See also
In Spanish: East Fife Football Club para niños
