Deputy Duty for Dowzer

Dunfermline’s vice captain for the upcoming season will be 29 year old midfielder Ryan Dow.

Above: Stevie Crawford welcomes Ryan Down to East End Park in May 2019

The former Dundee United and Ross County player Ryan Dow will be skipper Euan Murray’s deputy as both players feature in their second season for the club. Ryan told the website:-

“I was buzzing for Euan Murray to be the captain but when the manager pulled me aside and told me that he wanted me to be the vice captain I was delighted to be given that responsibility and delighted to accept it.”

Ryan could not recall being a captain anywhere in his footballing life before but he will be ready to step up if anything prevents Euan leading the team out.

“I have never really had anything like that before. I was really happy that the manager picked me for vice captain and to have that kind of role at such a big club.”

“I am delighted for Euan he had a difficult start to the season last year with an injury but we all know that he is a quality player and he is a leader as well. He is really vocal and the right man to be picked for the job.”

Just as it was for all footballers lockdown has created the longest ever lay off and he cannot stress just how good is to be back in training.

“Normally you think your holidays as being a bit short, a couple of weeks off and then back into a pre season but this year it was strange being off for about five months and all the boys were just itching to get back. We are at the start of the third week back, it has been good but strange.

“The regulations mean that we are split into zones, two different numbers, it is a lot different, a lot more rules in the way you turn up to training but it is just one of those things that needs to be done within the guidelines.

“Everyone would say that you don’t mind doing it because it is better than when we were on lockdown. You would have taken anything and everyone needs to live with new things now. We will take it as long as we can get back on the training ground and start playing matches soon.”

While confined to home during lockdown Ryan was kept busy looking after his son whose second birthday fell during it all.

“It was hard not being able to see family and celebrating a birthday on Zoom but as the restrictions eased it got a bit better. It was a bit of Groundhog Day for the first couple of months, you woke up and did the same thing every day. It wasn’t the most fun but needs must and you just hope that we don’t have to do anything like that again.”

The Dunfermline training base has moved from Kelty to Alloa but Ryan explained it was a similar surface the only difference was coping with the covid restrictions.

“Just now you are just turning up for training, doing the training and then going home. We are not hanging about the training ground. Obviously we played at Alloa last season and they are good facilities. That was one of the main reasons the club arranged that. If anything was to happen we should still be able to train there.”

Ryan is pleased to be back with the squad and welcoming several new and not so new faces.

“Dom Thomas and Owain Fôn Williams were here last season and I played a short time with Declan McManus up at Ross County. I played against Iain Wilson at Queens and against Paul Watson at Dundee United.

“There is a mix of younger players and older more experienced ones. Kevin O’Hara is still young but he has played in the Championship. Steven Whittaker has had a great career, he is a quality player and has that added role doing a bit of the coaching. It is brilliant to get a player with the experience that he has got and on the coaching side being able to give his knowledge to younger and older boys too. It was a good bit of business by the club to sign him - a quality player and a coach.

“They are all good additions and we have seen that in training in the last couple of weeks. They are going to add a lot to the squad and have integrated well with the group.”

The League Cup campaign kicks off the season starts away to Dumbarton in the Betfred Cup on Tuesday 6th October. Eleven years ago a similar fixture commenced the League Cup, a game the Pars won 5-0. Ryan added:-

“We are keen to get going, it is not that long now given the length of lockdown. Next month it will start and with the new signings that we have made hopefully we can start the Betfred with a similar kind of campaign to last year and then take that into the league.

“It will be a different challenge to go into a 27 game schedule but it is something that everyone is looking forward to. These league cup games could set us up in good stead if we can start them well.”

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