Dunfermline: Names in the frame for East End vacancy

Following Saturday's 4-2 loss at Arbroath, in a match where the Pars had gone 2-0 up, the club announced yesterday that the 56-year-old had left his position.

READ MORE: Pars boss Grant leaves East End

The former Alloa Athletic boss, who took over in the summer following Stevie Crawford's resignation, oversaw just three victories - all of which came in July's Premier Sports Cup group stage - in 17 games.

Those successes over Partick Thistle, Dumbarton and Stenhousemuir gave Grant a win percentage of just over 17 per cent, whilst leaving the team bottom of the Championship.

Having picked up just seven points from 12 in the league ahead of this weekend's crunch against second bottom Morton, who are two points better off, the Pars find themselves 15 points off the promotion play-offs, and 19 off leaders Kilmarnock.

That means that the next occupant of the manager's chair will have a lot of work to do to salvage the season - but who are the names in the frame for the vacancy?

Press Sport takes a look at some of those who have already been linked by the bookies.

Stewart Petrie

Installed as the early favourite.

The former Dunfermline hero, who spent 10 years with the club from 1993-2003, has been making a name for himself in management with Montrose.

After taking over at Links Park in late 2016, the 51-year-old led them to the League Two title in 2018, and then fourth place finishes in each of the three seasons they have played in League One.

Although play-offs were scrapped in 2019/20, Petrie's team lost out to Queen of the South and Greenock Morton respectively in 2018/2019 and 2020/21.

Montrose currently sit third, one point off the top of the table, and two points and places above Athletic's bitter rivals Falkirk.

His appointment would be popular with the supporters, having played 296 times for Dunfermline - the 18th highest in the club's history - and scoring more than 50 times.

John Robertson

Hearts legend Robertson is another name that has been touted for the vacancy, and his CV will ensure he has plenty of admirers.

The 57-year-old began his managerial career with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, whom he led to the SPL (as it was then) for the first time in 2004, in a season which also saw his team take the Pars - who were a top flight side under Jimmy Calderwood - to a replay in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

In November that year, a return to Tynecastle - where he became the club's record league goalscorer over two spells - beckoned.

Despite leading the club to fifth place in the SPL and two cup semi-finals, he was sacked in May 2005, and went on to manage Derry City and East Fife.

In 2017, Robertson returned to Inverness, winning the Challenge Cup in 2018 and reaching the Premiership play-offs in 2019, where they lost out to Dundee United in the semi-finals.

In February this year, though, he stepped away from the dugout on compassionate leave for personal reasons, and has since taken up a sporting director role with Inverness.

Dick Campbell

Could we see the former Pars boss return to East End?

The veteran Arbroath gaffer has his team flying high in third place in the Championship, and has masterminded two wins over Athletic this season, including Saturday's 4-2 comeback success at Gayfield.

After taking over the Lichties in March 2016, he led the Angus outfit to the League Two title in his first full season in charge, then third in League One immediately after.

They won League One in style in 2018/19 and, since then, they have become an established second tier side, placing fifth and seventh in their first two seasons at that level.

As well as with Arbroath, Campbell has enjoyed success with Brechin City and Forfar Athletic - winning promotions at both clubs - and has bossed Partick Thistle and Ross County.

After serving as Bert Paton's assistant after he took over at East End in 1993, Campbell took the reigns following Paton's resignation in January 1999.

Despite his best efforts, he couldn't stave off top flight relegation and, although he had the team challenging at the top of the First Division, he left following a 3-1 defeat to leaders St Mirren at the end of October that year.

John Hughes

'Yogi' has been listed as a potential candidate by the bookies and is currently out of work.

Hughes is a name that would likely split opinion, having both played for and managed Falkirk, and having endured a difficult spell with Raith Rovers, that saw them relegated to League One.

As a player, the former centre back had two spells with the Bairns, as well as turning out for Celtic, boyhood club Hibernian, Ayr United, Berwick Rangers and Swansea City.

As a manager, he has become known for implementing a possession-based style, but has mixed fortunes throughout his career.

In 2003, he and former Par, Owen Coyle, became co-managers with Falkirk - taking sole charge when the latter moved to Dundee United - and won them the First Division title in 2005.

Hughes kept the club in the top flight for four seasons, and to the 2009 Scottish Cup final, which saw them inflict a painful defeat on the Pars in the semi-final at Hampden.

A return to Easter Road proved too big a pull but, despite achieving Europa League qualification in his first season, a poor start to the 2010/11 campaign saw him depart following a defeat to St Johnstone.

Less successful spells with Livingston and Hartlepool United followed, before his finest achievement arrived whilst in charge of Inverness.

He arrived at the Caledonian Stadium in December 2013 and quickly led them to the League Cup final that season - their first major final - but lost on penalties to Aberdeen.

However, in 2014/15, not only did he lead the Caley Jags to a best-ever finish of third in the top flight, he guided them to the Scottish Cup final, where ex-Dunfermline midfielder James Vincent netted the winner against Hughes' old club, Falkirk.

He left at the end of the following campaign, and took over at Raith in February 2017.

His spell in Kirkcaldy, though, didn't have the same impact as, after finishing ninth, they were relegated to League One after losing in the play-offs to Brechin City.

Hughes did, however, keep Ross County in the Premiership last season with a 10th-placed finish, having taken over in December last year.

Other names

As ever with managerial vacancies, plenty of names will be linked, some of which include former Hamilton Academical manager Brian Rice - who had a spell as a player with Dunfermline - Neil McCann, current Stirling Albion manager and ex-Pars defender Kevin Rutkiewicz, and former Scotland striker Kenny Miller, who declared his interest in the post yesterday.

Ex-Dundee and Norwich City player Mark Fotheringham, who has coached in Germany with Ingolstadt and Karlsruhe, is another name that has been linked to the job.

Who would you like to see take charge at East End? Do any of those names float your boat, or would you like to see a left-field appointment perhaps from outwith Scottish football?

Let us know by voting in our poll.

In the meantime, first team coaches Greg Shields and Steven Whittaker have taken charge ahead of Saturday's match with Morton.