Dunbar aim to end 2019 with a smile after challenging few weeks

Dunbar's Steven Tait, pictured alongside Linlithgow's Tommy Coyne. Pic: SNS

Dunbar United captain Steven Tait is aiming to end 2019 on a positive note for the club after the East Lothian men mourned the loss of two club stalwarts in recent weeks.

It has been a torrid past month for the New Countess Park outfit, who lost club secretary Malcolm Jones – father of manager Geoff Jones – late last month after he fell ill in a match against Crossgates Primrose. Jones’ passing was followed by the death of the club’s former president George Foggo in early December.

“He was close to all the boys – he couldn’t have done more for anybody and all the boys’ families as well,” said Tait on the loss of Jones. “The club took it really quite hard, it was just so unexpected and for it being such a big figure at the club as well. Everyone has been looking out for Geoff, it’s been a really tough period.

“With it happening at the match, I think everyone just needed some time, not just the players but the committee and management team. The way Malcolm was anyway, he wouldn’t have wanted any fuss, he would’ve wanted everyone to get on with it.

“We had the funeral on the Friday and then we played Whitehill on the Saturday [winning 4-1] so it was good to go out and put on a performance. We played really well, I would probably say it was our best performance of the season so far, and we just need to kick on from that.”

The Seasiders visit local rivals Musselburgh Athletic tomorrow aiming to do the double over their neighbours after their late 3-2 triumph in the opening game of the season.

Heading into 2020, Tait says their main aim in the East of Scotland Premier Division has to be survival.

He continued: “I think the first three games things were looking good, but we soon got a dose of reality and lost six league games on the bounce. It was tough, especially after the Blackburn game, we really had to get together again and in the last four games we have done that. We need to keep it going.

“Staying up has to be the aim for the six or seven teams at the bottom, I think everyone has the same ambition to stay in the league. The club has ambitions of getting their license and you don’t want to be getting relegated and then trying to build from the lower divisions.”