East Fife have set a deadline of 4pm on Friday, 30 October, for applications to become their next first-team manager as the club continues its search to replace Dick Campbell.
The Scottish League One club advertised the part-time role on 19 October, five days after confirming that Campbell had stepped down following two and a half years in charge. Based on its latest published updates, East Fife have not named a preferred candidate or confirmed a new appointment.
In the official vacancy notice, the club stated that it wants an ambitious and forward-thinking manager capable of building a competitive first-team squad while managing the player pathway from the Under-20 side.
Interested candidates must send in a football CV and a covering letter that sets out their coaching and management background, their playing philosophy, and their vision for the club. The job advertisement asks for coaching or managerial experience, ideally within senior or semi-professional football, alongside a sound knowledge of the Scottish game and relevant Scottish FA badges, such as a UEFA A licence or a minimum of a UEFA B licence.
The new boss will be tasked with running first-team operations, preparing the team for fixtures, putting a clear tactical identity in place, and recruiting players within the club’s budget. Because the position is part-time, that working arrangement could influence the pool of applicants drawn to the job.
Why Campbell left
East Fife confirmed on 14 October that Campbell had parted company with the club alongside his backroom staff of Ian Campbell, Stuart Malcolm, and John Young. The board cited the team’s struggling league form and their elimination from the KDM Evolution Trophy as the reasons behind the change.
According to the club’s statement on Campbell’s departure, East Fife had managed just one win from their opening 10 league fixtures of the campaign and had picked up only three league victories across the whole of 2026 at the time of his exit. A 2 to 1 away loss against Lowland League side Cumbernauld Colts on 13 October knocked them out of the cup competition. The board called that cup exit a financial blow, pointing to the money invested into the playing squad over the past two seasons.
Despite the difficult end to his tenure, Campbell delivered a major achievement during his spell at Bayview by leading East Fife to promotion to League One through the play-offs in May 2025.
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Interim group faces immediate test
Following Campbell’s exit, goalkeeping coach Jim Moffat and senior players Pat Slattery and Brian Easton were placed in temporary charge. The club confirmed that the trio would look after first-team affairs while the board works through the recruitment process.
That interim team has not yet managed to halt the slide in league results. East Fife fell to a 3 to 0 home defeat against Alloa Athletic on 17 October, followed by a 2 to 1 away loss to Hamilton Academical on 24 October. Ewan McLeod found the net for East Fife at Hamilton, though his goal was not enough to avoid another defeat.
East Fife return to action at home against Queen of the South on Saturday, 31 October, with kick-off scheduled for 3pm at Bayview Stadium. That game comes just 24 hours after the managerial application window closes, though the board has given no timeline on when a permanent successor will be named.
For now, the search for a new boss remains the main story at Bayview. While the vacancy notice makes clear what credentials and qualities the board is seeking, the club has given no indication of how many applications have arrived, whether interviews are underway, or if any specific targets have been approached.
