'On the drink': FC Edinburgh chairman's top of table surprise as he identifies key difference

FC Edinburgh chairman Jim Brown has had just more than a week to digest the club's rise to the summit of League One.

It's a remarkable feat for Alan Maybury's side who finished fourth in League Two last season and only earned promotion via the play-offs five months ago.

On Saturday, the Citizens head across the Forth to face Dunfermline in a top-of-the-table clash at East End Park where victory would stretch their lead over James McPake's men to five points, although they have played a game more.

"It's just surreal to be honest with you," Brown told the Evening News. "We finished fourth in League Two last season and were promoted through the play-offs so to be sitting here top after the first quarter is just unbelievable. If someone had said to me, we'd be going to East End Park on Saturday for a top-of-the-table clash against Dunfermline, I'd have thought they'd been on the drink!

FC Ednburgh Chairman Jim Brown

"With the fixtures we've had, it's been a tough run so there are no easy games. But it's testament to Alan, the backroom staff, the players because it's not been an easy start with the move back to Meadowbank. It's brilliant we're up there but we have to keep our feet on the ground. There's a difference this season with the players regarding attitude. There's a right work-ethic in the group, not that we didn't have that last year, but just something feels different. We lost the ball last week against Kelty and within seconds there were seven players rushing back to try and get the ball back, a real willingness."

Brown continued: "The next quarter is massive. We've already lost to the three full-time clubs Dunfermline, Falkirk and Queen of the South so we need to perform better this time round, but also make sure we're still able to get results against the other teams round about us as well. A lot of the match reports you read always say how poorly our opponents have played and not how well we've done, so that's fine, it keeps us under the radar. But we are starting to get a target on our backs. Saturday will tough but Alan doesn't park the bus. That isn't his philosophy. We just need to do focus on ourselves."