Rovers to appoint new boss by Friday

Last updated : 05 October 2004 By Chris Gallagher

Raith Rovers will this week appoint a successor to Claude Anelka.

11 applications have been received from candidates and agents and the Starks Park board will name the new man in charge by this Friday.


Current favourite for the position is club legend Gordon Dalziel a scorer for Raith in their finest hour the Scottish League Cup win over Celtic almost ten years ago.

Also in contention is the former Stenhousemuir and Alloa manager Terry Christie who has been out of work since his dismissal from Recreation Park last season.


Although both have their merits, the disappointing nature of their exits from previous clubs Ayr and Alloa means any appointment will be met with cautious optimism.


Dalziel perhaps deserves some sympathy after his inability to work under the financial restrictions imposed on him at Somerset Park led to his departure from there.

Currently the former Rangers player is managing Junior outfit Glenavon Athletic who cruised past Haddinton Athletic 3-0 in the first round of the OVD junior cup on Saturday.


On the prospect of a return to Kirkcaldy he stated on Saturday:" I imagine I would be the fans choice and I'd jump at the chance to go back."


Other potential contenders would include John McCormack, recently sacked by Morton but a man who knows the SFL territory well having enjoyed reasonable success in the early part of his spell in Greenock and with Dundee and Queens Park.

However one man definitely NOT interested is Reserves and under 19s coach Shaun Dennis.


The burly stopper another veteran of that famous day at Ibrox in 1994 took charge of Rovers for their clash with Partick at the weekend and described his new charges as a "shambles"

Dennis doesn't completely blame Claude Anelka's 14 summer imports from France and Africa entirely for the clubs mess and believes the attitudes of some players leave a lot to be desired.


After watching Rovers lose 2-0 at the weekend to a Partick Thistle side who lost all their games in the month of September the big stopper pulled no punches.


He said: "This is a start again job for whoever comes in and I hope they get someone soon. We are a shambles and I don't care what the players think.


"These players, they get wages, houses, flats, cars the whole lot and they don't even give you 90 minutes."


On the prospect of taking over full time Dennis said: "I don't want anything to do with it-I'm not ready. I'll go back to taking the reserves and under 19s because I enjoy it and I'll let whoever comes in get on with it.”