HAVING a training ground to call their own "adds a bit of professionalism" to Dunfermline, according to their manager.

Last week, we reported that the club were celebrating what sporting director, Thomas Meggle, described as "a landmark moment" when the first team squad trained on their new state-of-the-art 4G astroturf pitch in Rosyth for the first time.

The first phase of work at the club's new base, on the former Civil Service Sports Club, on Castle Road, has been completed and James McPake is thrilled with the progress.

"It's the first time I've had it since I was a Hibs player," he said.

"Before I had it at Coventry and stuff, but, at Dundee, I never had it. We never had our own training base. There were times we were coming off a pitch, United were going on it, at the RVC (Riverside Playing Fields), when they weren't using St Andrews, or because of the weather.

"You never had that place that's yours. That's what I mean. You go down, you can spend as long as you want, you can go back in the afternoon, you don't need to phone for a pitch, if people need to go down and do extras it's there.

"It adds a bit of professionalism in my opinion to the club.

"Basically, we decide when we're on that pitch. We decide how long we're on that pitch for. It's a fantastic astro, it really is. It's very similar to Airdrie's which, I think I came out last season and said, when they put the new one down, it was a really good astro.

"I'm delighted with it. There's still wee bits and pieces to go in. The scaffold's up now for the gantry so we can film training - just all the stuff, as a manager and coaching staff, you're desperate to get, but when you've not got your own training ground, it's really tough.

"Scaffolding's up. Training will be filmed every day. Things that seem simplistic and small but, on the grand scheme of things, are huge for developing players in my opinion."