‘Camdean boy’ Stevie relishing manager role with Rosyth
STEVIE CRAWFORD has said that the opportunity of giving something back to his home town was a big factor in his decision to join Rosyth.
The 49- year- old, a hero at Dunfermline, who he went on to manage after an illustrious playing career, was announced as the East of Scotland League, First Division side’s new manager last Friday, succeeding Greig Denham in the role.
Crawford will formally meet his players this evening ( Thursday) before taking charge for the first time on Saturday, when they visit Oakley United.
His managerial and coaching career has previously taken him to East Fife, Falkirk, Heart of Midlothian, MK Dons, Dunfermline and Dundee United.
Speaking exclusively to Press Sport, Crawford revealed that helping out his former team- mate Jason Dair at Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts during the summer paved the way for the self- described “Camdean boy” to return to the game with Rosyth.
“What I’d done, probably for the first time in a long time, was that I took myself away from football a wee bit initially,” he explained.
“I went and enjoyed a couple of city trips, down in Liverpool and York over the summer, without the phone going off, which was very unusual!
“Then pre- season comes round, and there’s only so much running I can do as well out on the streets!
“Jason got the Hillfield job, so he asked me to go down and help Lee ( Dair, Jason’s brother and assistant) if I could, just for one session. It led on to him saying that if I wasn’t doing anything, I was welcome to go down, whether it was training or going along to games.
“On the back of that, I’d been down and helped Hillfield’s younger ones through a different contact, and I loved it.
“Then Russell ( Craig, Rosyth chairman) texted me on the Saturday. He wanted to touch base, and run something by me.
“I saw Greig had stepped away. I wondered if he’s going to have a wee nibble at me, seeing that I had been around Hillfield at the time.
“We spoke briefly on the Sunday. I went and met them on the Tuesday, him and Dean ( Ogg, vice- chairman), and listened to what they had to say.
“It transpired that the Tuesday meeting went into the Thursday. We bounced another couple of things off one another and then I agreed on the Friday with them.”
Crawford continued: “I think with Rosyth,
I’m a Camdean boy, that connection was important to me. If I was going to go back into something like this, and I liked what I was hearing, I wanted to give the community something back. That ticked a lot of boxes.
“The piece with them moving to Pitreavie, and the training facility that I’m going to have there, to be able to work with coaches and work with players, was very appealing as well.
“I think with it being a local side, and the way that Russell and Dean’s passion came through, it very quickly transpired there was going to be an opportunity.”
Crawford also believes it’s apt that a trip to Oakley should be his first in charge, adding: “Football takes you back to places that have fond memories or bad memories.
“I grew up playing my football in Oakley all those years ago, from Oakley Babes, when I was seven- years- old, right up until I ended up playing with Castlebridge at under- 18 level.
“It’s a nice place to play and I have fond memories, and hopefully we win the game.”
A TRIO of stars with Dunfermline Track and Field enjoyed a “wonderful experience” competing for Scotland recently.
Callum Newton, Sophie Thomas and Amy Jenkinson were all recently selected to represent their country at the SIAB (Schools International Athletic Board) Home International Series.
Held at Grangemouth Stadium, the event pitted the Scots’ schools athletes against their counterparts from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Callum was given the honour of being named as Scotland’s boys’ captain.
After leading the team out, he competed in the high jump competition, whilst Sophie ran in both the 100m and 200m, as well as the 4x100m relay, in which she was joined by Amy, who also took part in the 80m hurdles.
The standard of competition was extremely high amongst the athletes from each of the home nations, but Callum produced a top-drawer performance to take top spot in his event.
His jump of 1.90 metres saw him not only clinch a fine first place, but was also a new PB.
In her 100m race Sophie, who in 2022 set a new Scottish girls’ 100m national record, which had stood previously since 1975, finished sixth in a time of 12.4 seconds, and placed eighth in the 200m in 26.71.
A time of 12.36, just outside her PB, saw Amy finish eighth in her 80m hurdles event, but the pair and their team-mates suffered disqualification in the 4x100m relay due to a changeover infringement.
The club said they were “honoured” that three of their athletes were selected for the event, with a spokesperson adding: “It was a wonderful experience and honour for all three of our athletes, so congratulations to you all.
“The Club and your coaches are very proud of you.”