John Hughes position uncertain as Dunfermline place football department 'under review' following relegation

Dunfermline Athletic have placed their entire football department under review following the club's relegation to League One.

Dunfermline manager John Hughes at full time after the defeat to Queen's Park which confirmed relegation. (Photo by Sammy Turner / SNS Group)

In a statement which did not reference the position of manager John Hughes directly, the board of directors outlined a number of changes to the off-pitch structure at East End Park in the wake of Saturday's defeat to Queen's Park in the Championship play-off semi-final.

Among them include David Cook, the club's current CEO, taking on the additional role of chairman with Ross McArthur stepping down in a pre-arranged move. Chris McBay has also left the board, along with club legend Jim Leishman, who will take up a new position as club ambassador.

The changes aim to create “a leaner and more flexible structure in order to be able to act more decisively and swiftly in the future.”

Sporting director Thomas Meggle - one of the investors involved with majority shareholders DAFC Fussball GmbH - is also set to play a bigger role in the football structure alongside the coaching staff "with the aim of bringing about a marked improvement in performance".

On the position of Hughes and the rest of the first-team squad, the Pars statement read: "The footballing departments and squad plans are currently under review. The board will keep you informed as things progress.

"We acknowledge relegation has been an awful experience and we apologise for that. However, the club must now look ahead to do all it can to improve sporting performances and results, and we are confident that we can bounce back from this torrid season.

"We understand and respect how disappointed fans are right now, but we will do everything within our power to bring back success to East End Park and we really hope that you will join us on this journey ahead."

The statement added: "Everyone on the board of DAFC is deeply disappointed with this past season, which culminated in relegation to League One. We are not just disappointed in the relegation itself, but also in the manner in which the relegation came about, with standards falling well short of what we all expect.

"As the board of DAFC, we accept ultimate responsibility for this.

"Bouncing back from this gut-wrenching setback will not happen unless things change, and changes from within the club are already well underway.”