GARY Locke would love to sample some of Pep Guardiola's problems for a change. Turmoil, financial or otherwise, has been pretty much a constant of the 41-year-old's three managerial jobs. From his boyhood heroes Hearts, with whom he battled vainly against relegation at a time of administration, via a Kilmarnock side where the club's support were largely consumed by animosity towards club secretary Michael Johnston, now he finds himself at Raith Rovers, where even going a few months without a three o'clock kick-off on a Saturday can lead to a drop off in the home gate. Suffice to say it all puts some of the first world teething problems being experienced by the Spaniard into some sort of perspective.
“It’s a constant battle," said Locke, who is without cup-tied new signing Ryan Stevenson for today's Scottish Cup fourth-round tie against his former side. "Every job I’ve had has certainly had its problems. Hearts was incredible, Kilmarnock had one or two, and there are challenges here too.
“They are nothing to do with the running of the club here, it’s more the fact that when you don’t play at Stark’s Park at 3 o’clock on a Saturday for about two months, which we didn’t, you lose supporters. Even when we’ve kicked off at quarter past five, we lose 500-600 supporters. We can’t afford that because you don’t make it up with money from the telly. But it’s different this weekend because it’s a game the BBC have taken and Hearts are bringing a big support.
“Even at Pep’s level he’s having his own problems! But it would be certainly be nice to manage a team where you’re not worrying constantly about finances and balancing the books. It would be great to get his salary as well! But I really enjoy it here. It’s a great club to work for. Myself and Darren [Jackson, his assistant] have both enjoyed it since we came in, albeit we’re really disappointed with the last three games. Hopefully this can be a game that kicks us on again for the rest of the season."
Raith Rovers have been exiled from the Scottish top flight for 20 years now but on the strength of last season at least they are getting closer. Ray McKinnon's side made it all the way to the Championship play-offs and now it falls to Locke to keep that upward momentum going. The promotion equation doesn't get any easier for them when you consider that Hibs and Dundee United are essentially Premiership sides in waiting.
“It’s not for me to say how to run the game in Scotland, but there’s certainly scope for a bigger Premiership," he said. "There’s a competitiveness about Championship clubs. I’ve been really impressed with the standard. Hibs vs Dundee United had 18,000. You’re not trying to tell me that Scottish football can afford to do without that at the top level. There were two Championship clubs in the final last year too.
“We certainly hope we can emulate the kind of success this club enjoyed last year. But it’s going to be difficult because Raith over achieved last year."
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