Football Season Guide

With new German owners to impress, Dunfermline scraped into the play-offs but no further. Despite a strong opening, the Pars struggled in the second half of the season as the goals dried up. Manager Steve Crawford admitted he was burnt-out and resigned. Peter Grant has taken over the role. Dunfermline have lost their goal-scoring centre-back and captain, Euan Murray, to Championship rivals, Kilmarnock. Last season’s main striker, Declan McManus has moved to Welsh football with the New Saints. Promising midfielder Kyle Turner has also moved to another Championship rival, Partick Thistle. The list leaving the club indicates there was an overreliance on on-loan players. The Pars have boosted their attacking options with Craig Wighton’s loan from Hearts becoming permanent. They have also acquired Nikolay Todorov from Inverness. He was given his chance last season and impressively grabbed it with many goals. Deniz Mehmet provides a safe pair of hands as back up to Owian Fon Williams. However, it seems Dunfermline need more cover in defence. Peter Grant takes over as manager despite overseeing Alloa’s relegation to League One. He is accustomed to playing the underdog, so it will be interesting to see how he adapts at a full-time club. The new owners are looking for improvement and Grant must quickly show he is the man to oversee it.