Kirkcaldy & Dysart FC boss Conrad Courts hits back at previous gaffer Craig Ness's 'greedy players' claim

Kirkcaldy-born Courts, 41, took over this summer from Craig Ness, who quit after eight years while claiming that YM players’ ‘excessive’ wage demands had left a sour taste in his mouth.

But Courts, whose significant rebuild job has already seen him persuade six players from last season to stay as well as bringing in six new signings, told the Fife Free Press: “Six players left the club this summer so I can’t really speak for them too much, but in terms of the players that were left, I know for a fact that two of them – one who has been at the club for three years and the other two years – took a pay cut so genuinely for me I wouldn’t say that the players here were too greedy for money.

"Since I’ve got the squad together and we’re still within our budget, I have made it a priority to get those two boys put back on the money for their original contract. Because they’ve given their loyalty to the club and offered to take the pay cut.

"It shows they’re here for the right reasons and not just here for the money. So their wages will go back to what they were in time for the start of the new league season.

"We have got a budget and we need to pay within that budget. I’ve been involved with teams paying players £70, £80, £90 (a week) easily and we’re nowhere near that.

“When I was brought into the job late in the day, some players that were here had already decided to leave and even after I got the job some players still wanted to leave.

"I was only left with six signed players when I arrived but since then I have brought in younger players, guys that are going to add great value to the team.

"We’re now sitting with 18 players and I’m happy with what we’ve got so far. We maybe still need another one or two but there’s loads of potential in that squad of boys that’s there.”

Kirkcaldy & Dysart’s pre-season friendlies continued last Saturday with a 3-0 home victory over Stirling University.

A YM team finishing with four under-18s on the pitch had earlier gone 1-0 up on 27 minutes when new signing from Glenrothes FC, Keane Whittet, netted a beauty from 25 yards.

It was 2-0 on 63 minutes when Trialist A converted a Kieran Dall cross, before Cammy MacFarlane rounded it off with an 18-yard shot on 82 minutes.

Courts was pleased that his players were following the attacking mantra he is trying to instill.

"We played some really good football, created quite a lot of chances and showed we can defend when we have to,” he said.

"Hopefully the fans that have been to the first two games will see that we’re going to try and play football and be attacking, regardless of who we play.

"We have been playing three up front to try and be on the front foot and have a go at teams.”

Kirkcaldy & Dysart will play a friendly at Kennoway Star Hearts this Wednesday, before taking on Dundonald Bluebell at home in a friendly this Saturday.