UNACCEPTABLE
Pars hit out at fans’ abuse of manager Grant
DUNFERMLINE last night hit out at the ‘unacceptable conduct’ of angry fans after handing under-fire manager Peter Grant a boardroom vote of confidence.
Expected to challenge for promotion this season, the Pars have yet to win a game and are languishing at the bottom of the Championship.
The fury of supporters threatened to spill over after defeat to Queen of the South at Palmerston last Saturday.
Admitting ‘results have to change quickly’, sporting director Thomas Meggle has analysed recent results and performances and has called for supporters to get behind the management and players after four defeats and four draws from their opening eight fixtures.
The Pars board yesterday condemned the weekend reaction of fans, saying: ‘The board would like to state that the behaviour of a handful of supporters at the end of Saturday’s match was completely unacceptable.
‘As has been highlighted, we can accept everyone is frustrated and disappointed, or indeed angered by not winning matches, but there can be no excuse for that type of behaviour.
‘In addition, the original members of the DAFC Board are made up of supporters themselves who have acted on a voluntary basis for the last eight years, but in recent weeks the level of abuse directed to them has also become totally unacceptable.
‘Now is not the time to say any more on that subject, as our energy has to be focused on winning football matches.
‘However, the events of the last few weeks have certainly not made for a positive portrayal of our club to our new investors and potential new sponsors.’
One of a number of German investors from the DAFC Fussball GmbH group who completed a takeover of the club this summer, Meggle claimed manager Grant ‘could handle’ the situation.
He said: ‘I analyse every week with the coaching team how we can improve the team’s performance over and over again.
‘In our earlier matches, individual mistakes, losing possession in dangerous spaces and lack of defensive compactness played a big role in why we couldn’t win games.
‘The coaching team put the focus on the defence in order to reduce the number of goals conceded so that we would have a better opportunity to win games. Relatively quickly, these goals were achieved from a defensive perspective.
‘Our opponents scored only two goals in the last four games.
‘With a little bit of luck and a better exploitation of our scoring chances, we could have won one or two games and would then also be in a better position in the table.
‘It is important to keep a sense of perspective at all times. Covid interruptions, bad luck with injuries and issues outwith the manager’s control are not excuses, they are valid reasons.
‘Unfortunately, we lost Saturday’s game against Queen of the South when we could easily have won the match if a legitimate goal had not been disallowed. I can understand the frustration of the fans, as I am disappointed with the way the season is going as well.
‘However, I see how much the team is already fighting for the club and the team, and Peter and the coaching team are working tirelessly to turn things around.
‘I believe that we can only overcome this situation by all of us sticking together.
‘It is always easy to find someone to blame. In football, it’s usually the coach. But after my analysis, I believe we need time for the measures to take effect. Peter has proven in the past that he can handle such a difficult situation.
‘Continuity in a football club is an important asset.
‘Both myself and the chairman had a long chat with Peter on Sunday, and he continues to be up for the fight and is desperate to succeed but understands results have to change, and quickly.’