Manager on Thursday

27/08/20: SC - “There are restrictions that makes it challenging but we will prepare properly, adhere to the protocol and make sure that we give the boys the best chance to get fit for the Dumbarton game

Dunfermline returned to training on Thursday 27th August and for Stevie Crawford it was the first result of the 2020-2021 season seeing his squad on the training pitch.

“It has been challenging” he told the website. “Last Friday Ross McArthur had a meeting and the protocols and guidelines had changed again. We thought at one point that we were going to have to do the covid testing but it has now been reduced to temperature testing at Championship, League One and League Two level.

“Ross, Jamie Sutton (physio) and Gary McColl (sports scientist). In particular they worked extremely hard over the weekend to make sure on the medical side that we were ticking all the boxes.”

On Tuesday the backroom staff travelled through to the Indodrill Stadium in Alloa just to check out their new training facilities and finalise the arrangements required to stay safe.

“We managed to get a few things over the line on Wednesday to allow us the opportunity to train today. In the guidelines that we have been given we are allowed contact on the training pitch but if I were to break it down there is a lot of fine detail.

“There are restrictions, we have to break the pitch down whether it is thirds, quarters or split it in half to be respectful of the number of players that we can have in certain areas at certain times. The coaches have got to remain socially distanced.

“It is similar to where the Premiership teams were to begin with. Players will turn up in their training gear, they will not be getting changed or showered at Alloa. We are not allowed to give them food. It is just minimising any chance other than the contact on the field.

“We have to make sure that we adhere to the guidance and are respectful of them because we do not want any mishaps. We are obviously just delighted to be back in training again.

“It brings its challenges and it has for a number of months now. I was quoted as saying that if we were drawn to play a League Cup fixture on 6th October we were hoping to start back on 25th August. There have been other challenges that we have had to face in the last week or two that haven’t made that doable. We have worked extremely hard to make sure that we are following the guidelines and not to become foul of them.

“There are restrictions that makes it challenging but we will prepare properly, adhere to the protocol and make sure that we give the boys the best chance to get fit for the Dumbarton game on 6th October.”

The backroom staff will decide on the pre season training schedule once they have had a chance to see how successful the players off season programme has been.

“I actually see Thursday and Friday of this week as two training days that we have possibly won back since there was a time in the latter parts of last week when that didn’t look possible with what we were facing.

“We will use these two days to assess the players. Usually that means testing on the first day and possibly then right into pre season training but I think that we have to be mindful of the time that the boys have been out. Discussions will take place about the groups that boys will train in and give some longer distance stuff and maybe some are ready for shorter sharper stuff. We will watch that as we go along over the next couple of days.”

Although the emphasis is initially about fitness some thought has been given to pre season friendlies but since 11 v 11 games are not allowed until after 14th September these cannot yet be confirmed.

Sorry no photos from training due to restricted access.

Related Stories

• The Pars & Wasps agree Covid-19 Partnership
• Betfred Cup fixtures announced
• Manager on Betfred Cup draw
• 2020-2021 Championship Fixtures