East Fife sack Dick Campbell as Danny Lennon takes interim Dumbarton role

East Fife have dismissed manager Dick Campbell after eight League One matches without a win and elimination from the KDM Evolution Trophy, BBC Sport reported. The decision ends the 72-year-old's spell at New Bayview, where he had been in charge since February 2024 and had overseen promotion through the play-offs in 2025.

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The club are seventh in League One, having won only once in their opening 10 league fixtures. Their cup campaign ended on Tuesday with a 2-1 defeat away to Lowland League side Cumbernauld Colts. That result brought an exit from the competition previously known as the Challenge Cup, alongside the ongoing winless sequence in the league.

In a statement cited by the BBC, East Fife linked the significance of the cup defeat to the money committed to their squad. The club said the elimination had damaged its finances after record spending on players across the previous two seasons. Campbell is not the only departure from the coaching staff: his brother Ian is leaving, along with Stuart Malcolm and John Young.

Campbell arrived at East Fife following lengthy managerial spells with Arbroath and Forfar Athletic. His career has also included taking charge of Dunfermline Athletic, Brechin City, Partick Thistle and Ross County. The promotion he secured with East Fife in the 2025 play-offs was the seventh of his managerial career, an achievement that preceded the difficult run of results behind his departure.

BBC Sport also reported a managerial change at Dumbarton, where Danny Lennon will take interim charge after Frank McKeown's exit. Dumbarton sit sixth in League Two and, like East Fife, were eliminated from the KDM Evolution Trophy. Their campaign in the competition ended with a 4-0 defeat at Clydebank, leaving both clubs out of the tournament.

Lennon moves into the temporary managerial role after becoming Dumbarton's director of football in September. The former St Mirren and Clyde manager was also in charge of Airdrieonians for an eight-game spell in the Championship last season, but did not record a win during that period. His appointment at Dumbarton is on an interim basis rather than a permanent contract announcement.