'Both jobs are very rewarding' - Kirkcaldy & Dysart boss Craig Ness combines football role with working 48-hour week as firefighter

For Ness, 41, of Kirkcaldy, has been in the fire service for 15 years, a full-time fireman based in the town who splits his four days on duty between day and night shifts, a total of 48 hours a week.

The married dad of two told the Fife Free Press:“Every day in the fire service is a challenge becauseyou don’t know what you’re going into.

"Every day is completely different. It could be the quietest day of work or it could be the busiest day with a house fire, a road traffic collision, a rescue from water and we’re going to a lot more cardiac arrests because we have defibrillators and are defib-trained.

"Anything could happen and I think that’s what makes the job very interesting and it keeps you on your toes a lot because you’re not going into a Monday to Friday nine to five if you like.

"It is a lot of work but it’s very rewarding, especially being local to the community as well.

"I’m born and bred in Kirkcaldy, the station’s in Kirkcaldy and I’m well known from being at the local football team so it’s quite a proud position if you like to be involved with the YM but also to be recognised for my job as well.

"With this job and with the football it’s very time consuming, but also I feel both jobs are very rewarding.

"And I think that’s with being local to the community but also the affiliation that I’ve got with the club because I’ve been there that long (he is currently in his sixth season as manager and has spent 18 years there as player and gaffer).

"I kind of see it as my club, I don’t want to be anywhere else. I’ve been offered other jobs but I can’t see me going anywhere else because I don’t think I would be able to give any other job the 198% that I give Kirkcaldy!”

Away from the rigours of firefighting, Ness is overseeing the footballing life of a YM squad which includes talented youngsters like John Smith, Jay Bridgeford, Owen Andrew, Tyler McKenzie, Ryan McEwan and Ricki Cooper, who could all be on the radar of bigger clubs.

"These guys are brilliant players,” Ness said. “But they also buy into the ethos that we set for them and that’s hard work first and foremost.”