NEW Dunbar United boss Kevin Haynes is aiming to bring the good times back to the club – nearly 20 years after he left.

The new manager was appointed the day after the club and Geoff Jones parted company.

Now, with the new season getting under way today (Saturday), Haynes is keen to see the club aiming for the top, having tasted promotion there when he was a player.

He said: “Progression is the aim. I think there is a decent squad there and the squad underachieved last season to the talent that is there.

“I’m not going to come out and say we are going to be competing at the top of the table – that’s probably unrealistic at the moment.

“But, the ambitions the club and I have, we want to be competing towards the top at some stage.

“That has to be the aim.”

The 40-year-old (pictured above signing his contract) joined Dunbar early in his career after spells with Raith Rovers and Livingston. As a young striker, he smashed home nearly 100 goals over three seasons before moving on to Berwick Rangers.

Haynes said: “I have always had a fondness of the club. It is a great club and it is a community-based club.

“It is not a massive town – it’s bigger now than when I played with all the new builds but it is not a massive place – and you get a real sense of the community backing.”

The move to Dunbar comes just days after Haynes was named as part of Calum Elliot’s backroom staff at Tranent Juniors, who are also in the East of Scotland Football League Premier Division with Dunbar.

Haynes, who lives in Dalkeith, told Courier Sport it had been a “hectic” time but he was glad of the Foresters Park boss’s understanding.

He said: “Calum is a manager himself and he understands it is a decent opportunity and that it is probably a more suited role for me than helping him.”

Former Tranent Juniors defender Eck Christie took Dunbar’s friendly with Coldstream over the weekend, with Haynes in the background.

The ex-Dalkeith Thistle man was then in the dugout on Tuesday evening for the final pre-season friendly with Hearts and the season kicks off on Saturday against Sauchie.

Haynes felt there were parts of the squad that could be strengthened but knew it would take time.

He added: “I would like to add to the squad.

“I would like to add bodies but I don’t want to add bodies just for quantity sake; I would rather add quality.

“There are positions that I feel need strengthened but how easy that is going to be I don’t know.

“We have got 17 signed players. In terms of players not having a contract, we will be limited and will probably have to bide our time to make changes gradually but there is room for improvement.”

Stuart Robertson, club chairman, was delighted to see the new manager in place, saying: “Kevin is an ex-Dunbar player and there was an element of the job pulling at his heartstrings.

“When it became available, it was something that really excited him.”