After the game, in an unusual move, Brown was visited by two of the club's directors and although it seemed like maybe they were there to deliver a mafia-style 'kiss of death', he remained bullish about his position, "I'm Clyde manager until someone tells me otherwise", less then 24 hours later he was gone.

So the boo boys who had hounded Brown for much of his disappointing spell at Broadwood finally got what they wanted, although it was apparently too wet on Saturday for the full scale demonstration we've seen in previous weeks.

His critics had to be content with chants of "Brown must go!", as with typical football fan wit, the East Fife faithful retorted with "Brown must stay!" ... as Liam Brady found out at Celtic, that really is the beginning of the end.

After relegation from the first division last season, Brown took a pay cut and was forced to piece together a part-time side of mostly young players but the team has failed to perform and Clyde's new man will have a job lifting his demoralised side from the bottom of the second division.

The new man seems likely to be Brown's assistant John McCormack who was brought in by director of football Neil Watt in September.

Cowboy's arrival at the club co-incided with a switch to a 4-4-2 formation that seemed to be paying dividends, but over the last three weeks the Bully Wee have gone back to a less comfortable looking 3-5-2 and taken just one point from a possible nine.

But for the drama off the pitch that followed it, Clyde performance of Saturday would barely be worthy of note.

East Fife took the lead after just nine minutes as Stuart Cargill
played in Paul McManus, the striker's first touch looked a little heavy but before Callum Reidford could gather the ball, the ex-Raith man manage to prod it into the net.

Reidford then denied Darren Gourlay twice, Aaron Conway and McManus as the visitors had free roam of Broadwood meaning Clyde's resistance looked about as effective as Michelle's lot from Allo, Allo.

Finally, right on half-time Clyde pieced together an attack although the end result, a Willie McLachlan free-kick, passed harmlessly wide of the post.

At the start of the second half it seemed like a different team were wearing the white shirts.

Paul McLeod's volley from the edge of the box looked to have crept in, but on closer inspection it appears a fortunate deflection took it just wide.

However, a goal would come soon enough. On 54 minutes Steven Howarth replaced Jordan White and seconds later was fouled in the box by Mark Staunton.

Willie Sawyers took responsibility and fired a perfect penalty into the corner of the net.

Clyde were briefly buoyant as Marvyn Wilson released Ally Park down the right, his cross was touched into the path of McLeod by Howarth, but the shot was wide.

However, just as quickly they retreated back into their shell and although they may have thought luck was with them when East Fife comically spurned a 3-on-1 breakaway, a goal wasn't far away.

The Fifers second goal came from the same combination as their first as Cargill crossed from the right and McManus stole in at the near post to score.

The points were wrapped up in fine style ten minutes from the end as substitute Bobby Linn went on a mazy dribble before passing the ball into the corner of the net.

Clyde have a week away from the rigours of league action on Saturday as they entertain third division Livingston in the third round of the Scottish Cup.

Before his departure Brown spelled out why the game is important.

He said: "Livingston have a good team but hopefully we can get through and get a big game to bring some money into the club."

CLYDE: Reidford, Park, Halliday, Casey, Lithgow, Graham, McLachlan, Wilson (Stewart 79), Sawyers, White (Howarth 54), McLeod (McKay 71).

EAST FIFE: Ridgers, Gourlay (Linn 63), Ovenstone, Muir, Staunton, McCunnie, Young, Cargill (Crawford 73), McManus, Sludden, Conway (Kerr 89).

Referee: Anthony Law.

Attendance: 635.

News and Chronicle Man of the Match: Callum Reidford.