Captain and Vice Captain appointed

Euan Murray and Ryan Dow handed leadership roles

Above: Euan Murray is welcomed to East End Park, 2019

Stevie Crawford has named Euan Murray as his first team captain and Ryan Dow as vice captain for the 2020-2021 season. The Pars manager told the website:-

“I don’t think it will come as a massive shock that Euan Murray has been given the captain’s armband. Do I think that people will be surprised? I think they will see the reasons why.

“I go back to when I first met Euan, I just felt that he is a man, he was hungry to try and kick on at championship level. He played 10 games for us in the championship after his injury last season. He had a wee taste of playing premiership football at Motherwell and what he has done he has tried to find a way of getting back to playing football at the highest level that he possibly can.

“Sometimes when you face certain experiences in life and not have had everything handed to you on a plate, you appreciate what you have had to go through. For me that has made Euan a good leader.

“He will have a good rapport with the fans they will see that he is a wholehearted player. That is important to me and the coaching staff and at 26 I actually think Euan and has his better years ahead of him. With the new additions that I have added to the squad I see a lot of these guys as captain material and I am sure that will show in their performances.

Above: Euan Murray is congratulated having scored the Pars last goal, March 2020

“Having spoken to the coaching staff I felt it was right that we had somebody who had a feel for the club. I know he has only been here a year but I thought that was right. We have added good quality to good quality that was already here. The traits of Euan, the way that he will handle the boys in the dressing room and the way that he will go about his business, I just see him as a leader.”

29 year old Ryan Dow will be the vice captain and again there are a number of reasons behind Ryan being given that role.

“Ryan maybe vocally is not the same way as a leader in the same way as Euan Murray is but just because you give the captaincy to somebody then you have to go for somebody similar in terms of the vice captain’s role. He is massively respected by the players, coaching staff, supporters, chairman.

“What I do like in Ryan is that when he is on the training pitch or when he is involved in a game the information that he gives doesn’t just become a bark for shouting for the sake of shouting. There is usually a lot of football intelligence in the information that he is trying to give. If he speaks that way on the park and speaks that way in the changing room that for me is being a leader.”

Ryan was one of Stevie Crawford`s first signings for season 2019-2O20. The midfielder had made 112 appearances before he left Dundee United in the 2016 and signed for Ross County. After over 50 appearances for the Staggies Dow moved to Peterhead and to Dunfermline in May last year. Stevie continued:-

“Ryan broke through at Dundee United and as a young player breaking through with the expectations that Dundee United put on you I see it very similar to ourselves with Dunfermline. If we are going to bleed young players into the game Ryan can pass on his experience to these guys as well.

“They are different types of characters but the way the two of them go about their business and the feeling I get from them that they want to be at this club was massive in our decisions to give them those roles.”

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