ATHLETIC head coach Stevie Crawford has resigned from the club.

In a statement released this morning, chairman Ross McArthur said that he had accepted his decision, and wished the 47-year-old his "very best wishes for the future".

Crawford departs having been in charge for 28 months, and having guided the club to the Premiership play-offs this season, only to be eliminated by local rivals, Raith Rovers, in the quarter-finals.

Following that defeat at Stark's Park, he spoke of the need to take time away to reflect, whilst insisting he retained the hunger to improve next season.

That, however, will not happen as Dunfermline seek their fifth permanent boss in nine years.

In his statement, McArthur said: "Today, I have accepted the resignation of Stevie Crawford as our first team manager.

"I developed a very good and close working relationship with Stevie and wish to place on record our huge thanks to him for his efforts over the last 28 months. Stevie worked tirelessly behind the scenes despite the very many challenges that he had to face.

"On behalf of the DAFC board, staff and support I would like to wish Stevie and his family our very best wishes for the future.

"Our search for a new manager, to replace Stevie, has now commenced."

A former Pars player, Crawford returned to the club as a coach under the management of predeccesor, Allan Johnston, in the summer of 2018 following John Potter's departure for Sunderland.

Midway through that campaign, however, he was appointed as head coach - with Greg Shields coming in as his assistant - after the club parted ways with Johnston.

Taking over with the club in seventh place, his reign began with a 1-0 defeat at Dundee United, before a 3-0 loss at then League One Raith in the Scottish Cup.

Crawford achieved his first victory in his fifth game in charge - against Inverness - sparking a run of five wins on the spin to hoist them into fourth.

However, a run of seven defeats from their last eight games saw the Pars finish in a lowly seventh.

Crawford set about overhauling his squad - recruiting the likes of Kevin Nisbet, Euan Murray and Ryan Dow - that summer but his team struggled for consistency, eventually finishing sixth on a points-per-game average when the season wwas curtailed due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Dunfermline, though, started this campaign in superb form, winning their first six matches in the Betfred Cup and Championship.

In their first 11 games in all competitions, they won 10 - including a home success over eventual title winners Hearts - and drew one, putting them top of the table and into the Betfred Cup quarter-finals, where they were beaten on penalties by eventual winners St Johnstone.

Their league form, however, dipped dramatically and, following a last-gasp home win over Arbroath on Boxing Day, they picked up just 12 points from as many games, and were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Greenock Morton.

That run culminated in a humiliating 5-1 defeat at Raith - Dunfermline's worst Fife derby loss since 1983 - but the team rallied, with a five-game unbeaten run securing a play-off place with a match to spare.

However, after a scoreless first leg at home, the lack of a clinical edge haunted Athletic over the tie, as two second half goals in the second game sent Rovers into the semi-finals, where they were beaten by Dundee.

Under Crawford, whose side only picked up one away league win this season - at relegated in Alloa, in their first in October - from 13, Dunfermline won 33 games from his 88 games in charge.

Continuing in his statement, McArthur said: "Since the season finished just over a week ago, there is a lot of work going on to improve and strengthen our club and I hope to be able to provide a further update on this in the coming weeks.

"I know I am constantly repeating myself, but yet again I would like to thank all of our supporters who rallied behind our club this season, in a hugely difficult time in all of our lives. Your support has been invaluable, particularly when all matches this season were played behind closed doors. I have said already that it is not football to me, but we do live in strange times. All of the DAFC board and staff are hugely appreciative of the support of our loyal season ticket holders during this period.

"We have delayed putting season tickets on sale for next season, as we are integrating a new and upgraded ticketing system. We are also trying to ascertain more information in terms of what next season will look like in terms of capacity vis a vis any social distancing measures which might still be in place. The picture is clearly looking much more positive, than this time last year, with an increasing number of vaccinations, and we as a club are proud of our role in assisting our local community in this regard.

"We would anticipate putting season tickets on sale in June, slightly later than normal.

"I will provide a fuller update on a number of other things when I can, but in the meantime stay safe and enjoy spending time now with your wider families, and hopefully we can get everyone back through the gates at East End Park in the next few months."