East Fife Football Club is a semi-professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club established in 1903 in Methil,

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

, Scotland. They are members of the

Scottish Professional Football League The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is the national men's association football league in Scotland. The league was formed in June 2013 following a merger between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. As well ...

and compete in , the third tier of the Scottish football league system. The club were the first to win the

Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...

three times and the first of only two sides from the second tier of the Scottish league system to win the

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Dunfermline Athletic, Kelty Hearts and the

Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy ( ; ; ) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh and south-southwest of Dundee. The town had a recorded population of 49,460 in 2011, making it Fife's second-largest s ...

-based Raith Rovers (

Cowdenbeath Cowdenbeath () is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is north-east of Dunfermline and north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a police burgh in 1890. According to a 20 ...

play in the Lowland Football League), all of whom have historically shared rivalries with East Fife.

History

Formation and early years

Local demand for the establishment of a senior football team led to a public meeting being held in January 1903 and resulted in the formation of East Fife Football Club. After spending its first season competing in the Fife League and the

Scottish Qualifying Cup The Scottish Qualifying Cup was a football competition played in Scotland between 1895 and 2007. During that time, apart from a brief spell in the 1950s, it was the only way for non-league teams to qualify for the Scottish Cup. The Qualifying Cu ...

, as well as playing in a number of challenge matches, the club joined the Eastern League for season 1904–05. The following season East Fife joined the Northern League, which included clubs such as Dunfermline Athletic and St Johnstone. The club remained in the Northern League until the 1908–09 season. In 1909, East Fife joined the

Central League The or , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League i ...

, which consisted of many of the teams who had played in the Northern League, with the addition of Alloa Athletic, Stenhousemuir and King's Park from

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

1920s and 30s

East Fife remained in the Central League until 1921, apart from a period during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

when the Eastern League was reformed. In the period following the war, the clubs competing for the Central League were mainly from the

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

and

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...

mining communities of

and

West Lothian West Lothian (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, bordering (in a clockwise direction) the City of Edinburgh council area, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk (council area), Falkirk. The modern counci ...

. As the mining towns thrived with the growth of the

mining industry Mining is the extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or feasibly created artificially in a la ...

and its associated influx of miners and their families, so did the local football clubs. The result of this was that by the end of the decade, the Central League clubs could afford to pay their players higher wages than they would receive in the

Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) is a defunct league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4&nbs ...

. In an effort to stop the migration of its players to the Central League, the Scottish League decided to admit the Central League clubs, including East Fife, to its membership. The Central League therefore became the Scottish Division Two at the start of the 1921–22 season. Only six years after becoming members of the Scottish League, East Fife appeared in the 1927 Scottish Cup Final, which it lost 3–1 to

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

Hampden Park Hampden Park ( ; Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden'') is a association football, football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland, which is the national stadium of football in Scotland and home of the Scotland national football ...

. East Fife's only season in Scottish football's top division before

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

was 1930–31 after finishing Second Division runners-up the year before. The 1927 cup feat was surpassed just over a decade later when "The Fifers" won the 1937–38 Scottish Cup. The prestigious trophy was secured with a 4–2 win over

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...

in the replayed final. The game was watched by a crowd of almost 92,000 spectators.

Golden age

East Fife's best years were undoubtedly in the decade following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1946–47, the first season after the war, the club finished third, missing promotion by one place. Scot Symon joined as manager in 1947. At the end of 1947–48, East Fife were promoted to the top flight of Scottish football as 'B' Division champions. During this "Golden Period", the club won the

on three separate occasions ( 1947–48, 1949–50, and 1953–54) in seven seasons. A third

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1949–50. The club's league record was also impressive. In the six seasons between 1948 and 1954, East Fife finished its Scottish Division One (then the pinnacle of Scottish football) campaigns in fourth, fourth, tenth, third, third and sixth respectively. In one of these seasons, 1952–53, they were still in the running for the league title with only a few games remaining. Among the players who were at the club for at least part of this era were Tommy Adams and Willie Laird – both had played in the Scottish Cup-winning side before the war. Others joined and would go on to represent

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

while at the club – George Aitken, Davie Duncan, Allan Brown, Henry Morris, Charlie Fleming and

Andy Matthew Andy Matthew (1932–1992) was a Scottish footballer who played in the successful East Fife post war team which enjoyed creditable league and cup success. Matthew was selected once for Scotland in 1954 to play against the British Army; howe ...

. Others such as Jimmy Philp and winger and later Scottish League cap Bobby Black were among those who picked up cup winners' medals at the club. Harold Davis was on the books for a number of seasons but rarely played due to fulfilling his national service in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

in which he was seriously injured in combat. Davis took two years to recover from his injuries, then played a couple of games for the first team before following Symon to Rangers where both had much success.

Late 20th century

Having spent ten successive seasons in Scotland's top league, East Fife were relegated from Division One at the end of season 1957–58. Since then, the Methil outfit has struggled to match previous success, emphasised by the fact that aside from three seasons during the early 1970s, the club has played all of its football outside the top league since the 1950s. In November 1998, East Fife moved to a purpose-built stadium near Methil power station.

21st century

The 2006–07 season saw East Fife begin the Scottish Third Division campaign impressively, at one point amassing a commanding nine point lead over their nearest rivals. The Fifers' form declined markedly but recovered to qualify for the newly implemented promotion play-offs. East Fife beat Second Division outfit

Stranraer Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; ), also known as The Toon or The Cleyhole, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on Loch Ryan and the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland. Stranraer is Dumfries ...

4–2 on aggregate before losing 7–2 to Queen's Park on aggregate in the final. Season 2007–08 commenced with high expectations for The Fifers amidst a flurry of preseason signings. The new acquisitions proved successful as the team thoroughly dominated the early stages, culminating in a twelve-point lead at the top of the division by Christmas. East Fife also revived their historic tradition in the Scottish League Cup by reaching the third round, beating Queen of the South and SPL side St Mirren, before losing out to

Old Firm The Old Firm is a collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply embedded i ...

heavyweights Rangers. The new ground was officially renamed Bayview Stadium in 2007. East Fife secured the 2007–08 Scottish Third Division title after beating East Stirlingshire at Firs Park,

Falkirk Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...

3–0 on 15 March 2008. This gave them a points total of 74, 26 points ahead of Stranraer. This was East Fife's first league title for 60 years and their first piece of silverware since 1954. Having lead the team to league success the previous campaign, manager David Baikie resigned from his position on 14 April 2009. Baikie was replaced by Stevie Crawford, who had joined the playing staff the previous summer. On 23 August 2011, the Fifers delivered an emphatic victory against Dunfermline Athletic of the SPL in the League Cup. Then on 20 September 2011, East Fife recorded yet another cup shock, defeating SPL

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

7–6 on penalties, after a 3–3 draw, at Pittodrie, to advance to the quarter finals of the Scottish League Cup. East Fife remained in the Second Division for six seasons before being relegated at the end of the 2013–14 season after defeat in the relegation playoff final, losing 3–2 on aggregate to Stirling Albion. In the preceding season they won the playoff final 1–0 on aggregate with the only goal of the tie coming from David Muir at Peterhead's Balmoor Stadium. They spent two seasons in League Two before winning the league in 2015–16 with 62 points to return to League One, with Gary Naysmith at the managerial helm. Nathan Austin finished the championship-winning season as top scorer, with 22 goals from 25 games. The Fifers enjoyed a period of relative stability in League One over the coming years, registering several mid-table finishes, including a 5th-place finish in the 2016–17 season, just four points away from a promotion play-off berth. The 2021–22 season saw a downturn in fortunes for the club, leading to their automatic relegation down to League Two for the 2022–23 season.

Players

First-team squad

Club staff

Board of Directors

Coaching staff

Managers

* 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 Frank Christie (17 December 1927 – 12 September 1996) was a Scottish football player and manager. Playing career Christie started his career at amateur side, St Johnstone Young Men's Club, Perth, Scotland. He was signed by Liverpool on 17 ...

(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)

Stadium

East Fife's original ground was Bayview Park, in Wellesley Road in the centre of Methil. Since 1998, home matches have been played at the new all-seated Bayview Stadium situated at the old Lower Methil docks, capacity . The ground has one stand and is open at the three remaining sides. The far side was overshadowed by the derelict Methil power station until its demolition in April 2011 and has a growing business park being built around it as well as a local train station for the Levenmouth rail link which was opened to the public in June 2024. In 2013–14 East Fife hired in three temporary stands to increase the ground capacity for the two fixtures with Rangers and one fixture with Dunfermline Athletic who visited the ground on 1 February 2014 with only two of the temporary stands open, one for the home support and one for the away support. These boosted the capacity of the Stadium to 4,900. The three temporary stands were removed at the end of the season after the club was relegated. At the Stadium there is a club shop/cabin for the home supporters, and two bars which are open for both sets of supporters while attending the match. The stadium was renamed the "MGM Timber Bayview Stadium" in March 2023 following a new partnership with MGM Timber.

Honours

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1937–38 ** Runners-up (2): 1926–27, 1949–50 *

: ** Winners (3): 1947–48, 1949–50, 1953–54 * Scottish Division Two (second tier): ** Winners (1): 1947–48 * Scottish Third Division /

Scottish League Two The Scottish League Two, known as William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill League Two for sponsorship reasons, is the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional association football, foo ...

(fourth tier): ** Winners (2): 2007–08, 2015–16 * Scottish B Division Supplementary Cup ** Winners (2): 1946–47, 1947–48 *

: ** Winners (1): 1921 * Wemyss Cup: ** Winners (6): 1912, 1913, 1918, 1935, 1936, 1937 * Penman Cup: ** Winners (4): 1910, 1917, 1939, 1962

Records

*Largest win: 13–2 v Edinburgh City in

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...

*Worst defeat: 0–9 v Heart of Midlothian in

1957 Events January * January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany. * January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch. * January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...

* Record attendance: 22,515 v Raith Rovers in

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

*Most capped player: Arnold Dwarika 73 caps for Trinidad and Tobago *Quickest League Title (Scotland): 29 Weeks (25 August 2007 – 15 March 2008)

References

External links

* *
East Fife news
from ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...

'' {{Authority control Football clubs in Scotland Levenmouth Association football clubs established in 1903 Scottish Football League teams 1903 establishments in Scotland Scottish Cup winners Scottish Professional Football League teams Scottish League Cup winners Football clubs in Fife